Page:Scouting for girls, adapted from Girl guiding.djvu/209

Rh Illnesses

What will you do when you suddenly find that baby is ill? To call in the doctor is the first thing, that is, if there is a doctor. But when there is no doctor! You will at once think of all the First Aid you have learned, and what you know of home nursing. Drugs are bad things. You may lay up trouble for a child by giving it soothing drugs and advertised medicines which sometimes make the baby stupid and may cause constipation. Never neglect the bowels if they become stopped up. This upsets digestion, poisons the baby and may help to bring on convulsions or other serious illnesses. If a child is suffering from a convulsion, lay him flat with his head on a pillow. Pat his head with cold water and put a hot bottle at his feet. If the convulsion continues put him in a warm bath of about 106° which is as hot as is comfortable for your bare elbow, but you must not keep cold cloths on his head. Use very gentle artificial respiration not trying to straighten the arms. Of course you will keep a baby away from anyone who has a contagious disease.

You can very easily train a young child to obey, but after three years old it becomes more difficult unless a good start has been made. Children expect you to be just. If you are good tempered and patient a child will stand a good deal of firmness, but slapping and scolding ruin young tempers. Answer a child's question without ridicule. He is feeling his way in this great big world, and you once asked foolish questions, too.