Care of infants and young children / [A. Dingwall Fordyce].

  • Fordyce, Alexander Dingwall
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Care of infants and young children / [A. Dingwall Fordyce]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    96/192 (page 84)
    from rickets, and perspire very freely. Another symptom shown by a baby suffering from rickets is wagging his head from side to side, or lip and down. It is of more serious importance, however, if a baby keeps hitting his head with his fist, or banging his head against the bed. These babies are often mentally defective. How does the child walk ? Are the bones of his legs straight ? Does he save himself on one side as if in pain ? Does he limp or drag one leg ? Is he steady on his feet ? What can be learned by a careful study of the facies—of the child’s face ? The most valuable method of examination of a young child a doctor has is observation, and the most important part of it is observation of the face. Many diseases can be accurately diagnosed by observation of the face alone, many more can be suspected, and in almost all cases the careful observer gleans from it in some direction or other information or evidence of importance (see plates III., IV., VI, and VII.). This subject has already (see Lecture I., p. 7), been generally alluded to. We note the general expression of the face. Does it picture mental impressions foreign to a child of this age ? Dear— as in acute diarrhoea and vomiting ? Thought or care—as in meningitis? Sly cunning and coyness—