View report page

52
7. Do not use old feeds. If baby does not use all the feed,
throw out what is left in the bottle.
8. Wash out the bottle and teat in hot water and soda
directly baby is fed, and keep them in cold water till the
next feeding time.
9. Always have the bottle and teat quite clean before putting
in the feed.
2 What to do if baby catches the disease.
1. Remember that the illness is serious. Even if baby is
teething, try to stop the sickness and diarrhœa.
2. As soon as Sickness and Diarrhœa begins, stop giving Milk
and Food and give only pure hot water sweetened with a
little sugar every half hour for 24 hours.
3. Keep baby warm. Put on a flannel binder and put a hot
water bottle to the child's feet.
4. Open all windows at the top.
5. If in 24 hours the sickness and diarrhoea is not less, call a
doctor.
6. Remember that the illness is catching. Always wash the
hands after changing baby and disinfect all soiled clothing
by boiling.
CHARLES PORTER,
Medical Officer of Health.
May, 1908.
SEASON AND DIARRHŒA.—A name very commonly given to
epidemic diarrhœa is "Summer diarrhœa," the disease being more
prevalent during that than any other season. The climatic conditions
favouring the disease are warm, dry weather. Year after
year it is found that if the weather is warm and dry the number
of diarrhoea deaths is high; if it is cold and wet, the numbers are
low.
The year 1908 was undoubtedly a diarrhoea year, while 1907
was not. This is brought out by the figures; those for 1908 being
80, those for 1907, 42.
Many years ago it was shown that increases in the numbers of
deaths from diarrhœa showed a less marked relationship to the air
temperature than to the soil temperature.