Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/768

 mfd:cal 740 anv risk of excessive loss of heat from the system. This contractile power of the skm is rcffulatcd by the nervous system. There is a heat centre in the brain which sends messages bv means of the nerves to the skin and blood- vessels, making them contract in a cold and dilate in a warm atmosphere. In acute illn?ss. the nervous system is paralysed by the poisons circulating in the blood. The heat centre loses its power of regulating the tempera- ture and therefore the temperature of the body coes" up. and the patient is in a state of fever Thus the home nurse can understand what an important indication the temperature of the patient is as to his bodily condition. From this article, also, she will have gathered that it is essential to keep the skin clean in health and disease by means of daily ablutions. She will know that, because poisons can enter the body through the skin, every care must be taken to prevent the entrance of microbes into the system through the broken skin. The protective function of the skin is assisted by the body of fat which lies beneath it. This fat consists of innumerable cells filled with an oily fluid, and it makes an excellent cushion for the surface of the body, to minimise the effect of jars and shocks. Under- neath this skin and fat He the muscles, or " flesh," which are attached from one bone to another, and act as organs of locomotion. HEALTH AMD HYGIENE IH THE N17K.^ER.Y Conlimied from pa^e 6-'2, Part S NURSERY RASHES THE occurrence of " spots " is generally viewed by the average mother with considerable consternation. " Spots " may or may not be of serious importance. They may indicate merely some slight error in diet. They may be due to some infectious skin ailment, or they may be the diagnostic feature of such a fever as scarlatina or measles. Every mother ought to know some- thing of the causes of rashes in childhood. She should try to understand the meaning of skin eruptions, and should be able to distinguish between the commonest of these. The skin of the healthy child should be smooth, clear, and free from spots and blemishes. Such a skin indicates that the blood is healthy and of the right quality. The spotty skin, even when no definite rash is present, means generally some error in health management in the nursery. The chief causes of skin blemishes are poisoned blood, irritating clothing, and insufficient drying. The child's face should never be washed with soap at all ; soft water will remove the dirt quite easily without soap, and for the body only soap of very good quality should be used. In the case- of a sensitive child a rough undergar- ment, especially if it is at all tight, will often cause excessive irritation to the skin, and even friction with a rough towel will cause irritation. Sweat rash is the popular name given to an eruption of tiny, watery pimples which appear in young chiklren about the neck and head when th(^ arc clothed too warmly in warm weather. Proper ventilation, careful washing and drying (afterwards dusting with powder) are necessary. One of the commonest causes of skin rashes in the nursery is some error in diet. NetllePash, or UPtiearia, appears suddenly in the form of Httle weals, which irritate intensely and appeat in groups. This affection is almost invariably due to dietetic mistakes, such as giving the child shellfish or unripe fruit to eat. A simpk; attack of nettlerash may be the only result, but sometimes there is vomiting and diar- rhoea as well. The rash looks exactly as if the child had been stung with a nettle until its appear- ance is altered by scratching. As a general rule, the rash fades in two or three days, but by syste- matic errors in diet it may last quite a long time. The best treatment is to give an aperient to clear away the poisonous matters in the digestive organs. It is the absorption of these in the mtestinal canal and their circulation in the blood which causes the irritation to the skin. A dose of castor oil, cascara, or syrup of figs should be given, and the itching may be allayed by a lotion of bicarbonate of soda. Half a teaspoon- ful of the soda may be dissolved in a pint of water, and applied with a sponge. Another useful lotion is-creolin in the strength of a teaspoonful to a half-pint of water, used in the same way. Erythema, Sunburn, or redness of the skin is a simple inflammation due to the direct action of the sun upon a sensitive skin. The best treatment is boracic ointment applied at bed -time, and when inflammation is severe the parts should be bathed with calamine lotion, which any chemist will supply. Erythema may be caused by strong soaps or the friction of rough under-garments. Eczema is a very common skin disease in the nursery. It may be the result of irritation, and in a sense is a further stage of erythema. It often appears in infancy or during the first two years of life. The forehead, scalp, and thighs are the commonest situations. Eczema begins with redness, then tiny blisters form, which break and produce the characteristic discharge or " weep- ing " of eczema. The discharge may dry up. forming crusts. In treatment it is most important to remove all sources of irritation. The parts are never to be washed with soap and water, but cleansed with a little sweet oil. Zinc ointment is an excellent preparation to use after bathing the part with bicarbonate of soda as mentioned above. In severe cases a doctor should always be consulted, as eczema is very difficult to get rid of if neglected. Itch, or Scabies, is a skin irritation due to a minute insect which burrows in the skin. It chiefly affects the hands and feet. The eruption in the case of young children will affect the health, and eczema will follow upon scabies from scratching. The parts must be thoroughly washed with hot water and coal-tar soap. The best plan is to immerse the child in a warm bath for some time, and, after drying, an ointment consisting of balsam of Peru and vaseline, in the strength of a drachm of the balsam to an ounce of vaseline, should be well rubbed into the part. This must be used at night, and in the morning the ointment should be washed off with a warm bath. Absolute cleanliness with regard to cloth- ing must be observed, as the condition is very infectious. Fever Rashes. It is necessary for a mother to know something of the appearance of the commonest fever rashes which may occur in the nursery. In the first place, if a mother can recognise the rash of measles or scarlet fever she will procure medical attendance at once, and thus improve the child's chances of a speedy recovery. (