Mother's Remedies, Thomas Jefferson Ritter [reading well .TXT] 📗

tablets, and is the active ingredient of the peptogenic powder.

Will you describe the process? Place the plain or modified milk in a clean glass jar or bottle, and then rub up the peptonizing powder or tablet with a tablespoonful of milk, and add it to the milk and shake the bottle. Place the bottle in a large pitcher or basin of water of about 110 degrees F., or as warm as the hand can bear comfortably, and allow it to remain for ten to twenty minutes if you wish to peptonize the milk but partially; or if you wish it completely peptonized let it remain for two hours.

Is it better to peptonize the whole day's supply, or each bottle separately just before feeding? If you peptonize the whole day's supply at once raise the milk to the boiling point after it has been peptonized; if only the one feeding do not peptonize it more than ten minutes before feeding for the ferment will work while the child is feeding. It can be done either way.

Is not the completely peptonized milk distasteful? Not so in the case of young infants; older infants will take a few feedings without objection, but it cannot be used for children much older than five months.

How much of the agent should be used? For a single feeding of four ounces one may use one-eighth of a tube with a weak formula of milk or one-sixth with a stronger formula. For one pint of plain milk five grains of the extract and fifteen grains of bicarbonate of soda will be needed. This amount is usually put up in one tube or tablet. Less will be required in weaker formulas of modified milk.

What advantages has peptonized milk? Partially peptonized milk assists greatly in digesting the curd of milk. Young infants sometimes have trouble in digesting the curd. When completely peptonized it is good in attacks of acute indigestion.

How long may I give it? It may be used for a few days when completely peptonized; when partially peptonized it can be used for two or three months, and when you wish to give other food, leave off its use gradually by shortening the time of peptonizing and lessening the quantity of the powder used.

[596 MOTHERS' REMEDIES] FEEDING DURING THE SECOND YEAR

How many meals should a child have during the second year? Five.

Shall I prepare the milk for all day at one time? It is better to prepare the milk for all day during the second and third years. If you wish to modify it by adding cream, water, etc., prepare as done during the first year, and later when only plain milk is used, the quantities needed for the different feedings should be put into one or two bottles, pasteurized or not as necessary. In this way the different feedings are kept separate. Prepare the food as soon as possible in the morning alter the milk has been received.

FOR A HEALTHY CHILD OF TWELVE MONTHS.

6:30 a. m. or 7:00 a. m.—Milk, six to seven ounces, diluted with two or three ounces of barley or oatmeal gruel, and taken from a cup after thirteen months.

9:00 a. m.—One to two ounces of orange juice.

10:00 a. m.—Milk two parts, oatmeal or barley gruel one part, and from ten to twelve ounces in all may be given in a cup.

2 :00 p. m.—One or two ounces of beef juice, or the white of one egg, slightly cooked, and later an entire egg or mutton or chicken broth, four to six ounces.

6:00 p. m.—Same as 10 a. m.

10:00 p. m.—Same as at 6:30 a. m., except the milk can be taken from the bottle.

How long can this schedule be given? Until the fourteenth or fifteenth month, and then you can give the cereals thicker and with a spoon.

Can I give other fruit juices at fourteen or fifteen months? Orange juice is the best, but the juice of ripe peaches, red raspberries or strawberries in the order given, is good. Strain all carefully through muslin, for the pulp or seeds might cause serious trouble. You may now give one to four tablespoonfuls of the orange or peach juice, and about one-half the quantity of the others.

When shall I give the fruit juices? One hour before the second meal.

What diet shall I give between fourteenth and eighteenth months?

6:00 to 6:30 a. m.—Eight to ten ounces of plain milk from a cup.

8:00 to 9:00 a. m.—Juice of one-half orange strained.

10:00 a. m.—One, or later two or three tablespoonfuls of oatmeal or barley jelly, hominy cooked at least three hours, and on which you may put a little top-milk; a pinch of salt; no sugar and cup—about six ounces—of milk to drink; crisp dry toast, one piece.

2:00 p. m.—Beef juice one to two ounces, a soft boiled; coddled or poached egg, and a tablespoonful of boiled rice, or mutton or chicken broth, four ounces; one or two pieces of stale bread or zwieback; and if most of the teeth are present, one scant teaspoonful of scraped rare beef, slowly increased to one tablespoonful, alternating with two ounces of beef juice and a salt-boiled or coddled egg. (Some advise a little prune jelly, apple sauce, a baked apple or junket as a dessert). No milk, but little water can be taken.

[ALL ABOUT BABY 597]

6:00 p. m.—Two tablespoonfuls of thoroughly cooked farina, or cream of wheat or granum, or arrow-root, on which is a little top-milk; salt, but no sugar, and eight ounces of warm milk which may be taken from the bottle.

10:00 p. m.—Warmed milk and eight to twelve ounces if necessary, by bottle.

How shall I prepare the beef? Take round or sirloin steak and scrape it with a large spoon on both sides, so that you obtain the pulp only, salt it a little, and place it with a very tiny piece of butter in a saucer, cover it with another saucer, remove the cover from the boiling teakettle, and place the saucer in its place; let it steam until it is just heated through, as it must look rare when done, Give at first one teaspoonful and gradually work up to one tablespoonful, but do not begin this diet in midsummer. Give baby plenty of water to drink between meals, boil and cool.

A diet for the eighteenth month to end of twenty-fourth month? Follow the same order. For most children milk at 10 p. m. is desirable; but if a child sleeps during the whole night it is not necessary to wake it at 10 p. m. for the feeding.

6:00 or 6:30 a. m.—Warmed milk ten to twelve ounces.

9:00 a. m.—Two or three ounces of fruit juices.

10:00 a. m.—Cereals similar to the last schedule; they need not be strained, but well cooked; crisp, dry bread, zwieback, warmed milk one cup.

2 :00 p. m.—Beef juice and one egg or broth and meat; beef-steak, mutton chop or roast beef scraped, very stale bread or two pieces of zwieback; one or two tablespoonfuls of prune pulp, or baked apple and water, but no milk.

6:00 p. m.—Farina, cream of wheat, or arrow-root well cooked with milk, salt, but no sugar; or milk or stale bread and milk.

10:00 p. m.—If required, ten to twelve ounces of pure milk.

What fruits may I give during this period? If the child has a weak stomach, only the fruit juices mentioned, but strong children may have in addition, baked apple, apple-sauce and prune pulp. Stew the dried prunes without sugar until they are very soft, and put all the fruit through a strainer thus removing all the skin; you may give one to two tablespoonfuls of this at one time. No cream should be given with the baked apple, and very little sugar with the apple-sauce These are very good for constipation, Remember to give water freely between the feedings, especially in warm weather. From one to three ounces may be given at one time either with a spoon, glass or bottle. Boil the water daily and cool. Do not allow it to stand in the room, but give fresh water to the child each time.

[598 MOTHERS' REMEDIES] SCHEDULE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILD.

7:30 a. m.—Cereal well cooked (over night) or at least for three hours, A larger variety of food can now be given and given as before with thin cream, salt, but little sugar. One glass of warm milk, a soft boiled, coddled or poached egg; bread very stale or dry, one slice with butter.

10:00 a. m.—One cup of warm milk, with a cracker or a piece of stale bread and butter.

2:00 p. m.—Soup, four ounces, or two ounces of beef juice. Meat: chop, steak, roast beef, lamb or chicken; white potato, baked or boiled rice. Green vegetables: Tips of asparagus, string beans, peas, spinach, all cooked until they are very soft, mashed or preferably put through a sieve, and only one to two teaspoonfuls at first. Desserts: Cooked fruit, baked or stewed apple, stewed prunes, water, but no milk.

6:00 p. m.—Cereal: Farina, cream of wheat, or arrow-root, cooked for at least one-half hour with plenty of salt, but no sugar; or milk toast; or old bread and milk or stale or dry bread and butter and a glass of milk.

BABY'S SECOND SUMMER.

Nearly all mothers dread baby's second summer. If the baby is born at such a time that he cuts his double teeth during the hot weather, and if it is attended by indigestion and fever, there is really some cause for worry, because the digestive organs during the hot weather are more difficult to manage than during the colder months; otherwise, if you feed your baby carefully and properly, and with the regularity that you did in the early months, there is no reason to dread the second summer, Mistakes are made by mothers and grandparents especially. They permit the child to come to the table and eat of the food prepared for adults. Sometimes it is only a little, but that little will gradually grow larger; and even that little may be enough to upset baby for weeks and then the illness that follows is in reality due to the parents' own foolishness when it is laid to the credit of the second summer, or regarded as "a mysterious dispensation of Providence." Do not give anything to baby between its regular meals but water; crackers, zwieback, and bread are prohibited between.

DIET OF OLDER CHILDREN-FOURTH TO TENTH YEAR.

Give the largest meal at midday and a light supper at night, very much like that recommended for the third year. For a few years you can give milk once between breakfast and dinner, or dinner and supper, and permit no other food between meals, but give water freely.

[ALL ABOUT BABY 599] MILK AND CREAM.

What part of the diet should milk form now? Nothing can take its place, and it should be an important part of the diet. Most children can take and digest milk.

Why is this of so much advantage? Because it possesses a higher nutritive value than any other food, for the amount of work required of the digestive organs, and it is very especially adapted to a child's diet. It must be clean and fresh and not too rich.

What essential point should I consider in its use? The Jersey cow gives too rich milk, and it must be greatly diluted. Children who digest milk with difficulty should take it diluted about four parts milk, one part water, a little salt or bicarbonate of soda should be added. Do not give milk at meals when fruits, especially if they are sour, are allowed.

How much milk can I allow to advantage? For an average child with good digestion, you can allow one and one-half pints to one quart daily, including what is also used upon cereals and in other ways. Two quarts are too much, for a mixed diet will do better.

How much cream can I allow? Older children do not need so much fat as do infants, and cream, especially when very rich, often produces indigestion. It is a common cause of the coated tongue, foul breath, and pale greasy stools, or biliousness so-called. Will not cream overcome constipation? It does so in some degree in infants, but not so much so in older children; and if it produces the above given symptoms it should not be given.

EGGS.

What is the value of eggs in the diet of this period? They form a