children

The Well-Being of Children

Raising Children

Children are extremely delicate and elegant in body, temperature, and tempera-ment. Their temper, as it adjusts to growth, should be kept very balanced and moderate, since it responds quite rapidly and easily to events going on about it. The reason for this tendency to moods and activities is the prevalence of phlegm in large quantities in the child's body, and the shifting weaknesses and softness of the body parts as they undergo growth.

Therefore it is necessary to keep children away from all extreme effects upon their sensibilities, such as severe anger, great fear, staying awake for extended periods, or sleeping for a long time. These things can lead not only to unhappiness for the child but also to the beginnings of disease.

It is common sense that parents, doctors, and other caregivers should be aware of what a child likes and dislikes. Things that are obviously harmful to a child should be kept away, regardless of how strenuously the child desires them; but if there is no harm in what a child desires, it should be given readily to the child, for it contributes to a happy disposition and good nature. A sense of humor should always be behind the guidance, whether one is bending to a child's desires or keeping harmful objects or activities away. Usefulness and harmfulness are of two kinds: to the body and to the essence and soul. But what is useful to the body is health itself, for if the body is always wracked with illness and upsets, the temper will be bad, because of the relation between body and the essence.

A hot intemperament is manifested in a child who is reticent to speak, is standoffish, wants to spend long periods alone, and often feels afraid. Bad morals or defective character can often be traced directly to an upset of temper in early childhood. "He's got a hot temper" is often used to describe an unpleasant adult--forceful and selfish, immature and impulsive. But the badness of temper is the result of a bad emotional environment in childhood, one that exposes a delicate child to extremes of anger, sadness, and noise. The nature of a human being is to be independent, happy, and balanced. In addition to proper nourishment of food for a balanced body, the spirit and soul must also be nourished by keeping the essence healthy. Severe anger is one of the basic causes of bad temperament and other indispositions, because it so easily throws off the balance between body and essence.

When a child rises from sleep, it is an ideal time for a bath, which should be with lukewarm water. After the bath, the child should be left free to play with other children of his or her own age, in games that are not harmful (for about an hour or a little longer) to consume the natural energy that has built up during rest. Children should not often play with others who are older or younger, because with younger children they cannot use their abilities to their full extent and because with older children they are not really qualified in skills and thus become frustrated and disposed to feeling failure. During adolescence, the child should be fed after an hour of play a light meal or snack--as much as is needed to increase growth. If he wants to play again after that, the child should not be restrained; but if the child wants to sleep, that is fine as well. After sleep, a lukewarm bath will refresh the child at a time when his mood is calm. For a daily schedule, the conditions of play and food should be considered in relation to time of day, season, climate, altitude, and similar factors.

At the age of four, a child should be taught manners and politeness, and the formal aspects of learning can begin. From the age of seven onward, the teaching of politeness should increase. It is important that the teacher be a model as well. While the influence of parents is needed and ever-present, someone outside the family can be considered for the child's instruction in morals, attitudes toward life, religious ideals and ethics, and the manner of dealing with parents, teachers, pious persons, relatives, friends, peers, and younger children. The child should be taught in a conscious way how to visit, meet, and speak with each of these societal categories and how to gather people together in meetings. According to the child's age and understanding of matters related to religion and science, things that will help him progress in more formal studies must be taught. The child should be given only as much instruction as he can hold in mind and remember without strain, so that the child does not become tired, bored, or angry. The teacher should speak to the child with kindness and mildness. If the child becomes tired or displeased, the teacher should let him go, to walk around or play for a time.

At the age of ten, the frequency of bathing a child can decrease, and teaching the meaning of disappointments, politeness, general education, and self-discipline should increase. Toward the age of fourteen or fifteen, which is nearing adulthood, the child should be introduced to mild fasting and other self-disciplines, as the phlegm which has been in his system is being used up and the extreme agility of play and the powerful exertions are being exhausted. It is at this time that parts of the body are hardening and stiffening into the bone structure and musculature of adulthood; this can be experienced as growing pains. If, during this period, a child neglects his studies, he should be punished. Children's temper is much hotter during this stage if not brought under control by mild, enforced hardships. This is the last stage on the road to adulthood, and if the child does not encounter such hardships as mild and fair punishments, in later life, when tempers and powers are weakened, the person will be prone to increases in the balance of moisture. Even at this stage, moisture can become a problem, and should be cured as the situation requires.

The foregoing brief presentation of the stages of growth of a child shows how to keep a balanced body and spirit, which will contribute to a happy, well-adjusted childhood into pre-adulthood. In some cases, either through inharmonious outside influence, poor diet, or other factors, disease occurs. The following three sections are devoted to the most common of these disturbances, with remedies given to restore balance to the child's physical and spiritual system.

Infancy

Skin

From the time of birth, the child will be exposed to many hot and cold substances injurious to an infant's sensitive skin. Therefore, an effort is made to condition the skin against this. Bathing in a saltwater solution (1 teaspoon to a quart of pure water) each day for the first several weeks will help to accomplish this purpose.

Sleeping Quarters

Babies must be placed in rooms that are airy without being too cold. Since their eyes are very sensitive to extremes, keep the drapes closed or windows covered to prevent extremes of direct light. Even a gloomy atmosphere is all right for the first month or so. During sleep, the head should be raised slightly higher than the rest of the body, and the baby should be checked from time to time to make certain that his limbs are not twisted into unusual positions.

Bathing

Hold the baby by the right hand, so that the left arm is across his chest and not hanging down over the stomach. After washing, bounce the palms of the baby's hands and soles of the feet up and down gently. Dry gently with a soft cloth, first placing the infant on the stomach, then on the back, gently singing to him all the while. Put a drop of sweet rose oil or other pleasant oil onto the pillow, and dab a little on his eyelids.

Nursing

If at all possible, the baby should be fed from his or her own mother by nursing at the breast. Mother's milk is most like the nourishment the infant received while in the womb--the menstrual nutrients--and it is these that are changed into milk after delivery. It is best suited to the baby. Infants will naturally suck at the breast if the nipple is pinched and placed between their lips. Allow the baby to nurse two or three times per day at first, but he should not be allowed to take too much. Remember that the mother has just undergone a great upheaval in her own system, and it is good to allow her a few days to recover some balance.

Strengthening the Constitution

Gentle rocking movements, humming, lightly singing, and cooing at the baby are soothing for the baby. The movement benefits the body; the melodies benefit the mind.

Inability to Nurse

Nursing problems are discussed in the Formulary. The La Leche League in your city will be glad to provide free assistance during your nursing if any problems occur. Milk can be frozen to keep up nursing even if the mother falls iii.

Test for Good Milk

Test for the proper consistency by allowing a small amount to run over the fingernail; it should be thin and flow easily. If you tip your finger upward slightly and the milk does not flow back down, it is thick. Place an ounce or two of your milk into a glass, drop a pinch of myrrh into it, and stir. The milk will separate into the liquid and "cheesy" part, which should be about equal in quantity. Breast milk should be white (not grayish or yellowish), be of good odor, and taste a little sweet (not bitter or salty), with little or no foam in it.

Diet

If the milk is thick, the mother should drink a little honey with vinegar (1 teaspoon of vinegar and I tablespoon of honey). Wild marjoram, hyssop, thyme, savory, and oregano should be added to foods. If the milk is thin, the nursing mother should avoid exercise for a while and eat foods that thicken, such as meat broths and bread soups. Adequate rest is vital.

How Long to Nurse

It is desirable to nurse a child for two years, if possible. If other foods are to be added to the child's diet, they should be added gradually over a period of months. This will allow any allergic reactions to be noted and enable identification of the offending foods. Weaning must not be abrupt, but should allow the child to withdraw over several months. After the first teeth appear, more substantial foods should be considered. If indigestion or flatulence occurs, all foods should be stopped for at least eight hours, and a warm, soothing bath should be given to the baby. If the infant at weaning time keeps crying and asking for the breast, make a poultice of 1 teaspoon myrrh, and add 1 teaspoon very smoothly ground pennyroyal, mix with water, and apply as a paste to the breast and let the baby suck briefly at that.

Walking

There is no rush to compel a child to sit up or walk. By forcing a child pre-maturely into postures for these acts, great strain is placed upon the bones and muscles of the back. Be especially careful that the child is not allowed to climb up on a high chair or other place and fall off. Childproof the home when the child begins to move about.

Teething

At the time when the child's teeth are coming in, keep all hard things out of his mouth, for if the child gnaws on them, the substance that is becoming the teeth may be worn away and dissolve, leaving deformed teeth. Allow the child to chew on a piece of arrowroot instead, and rub the back of the neck with warm oils after the teeth do break through the gums. A few drops of the same oil may be dropped into the ears. As soon as the baby realizes he has teeth, he may try to bite his own fingers, so give him a stick of dry licorice root to chew on. Rubbing the gums with salt and honey will take away some of the pain of teething. When most of the first teeth are in, they should be rubbed several times a week, at the base of the gums. New teeth sometimes seem to itch. Let the child chew on a dill pickle.

Inflammation of the Gums

This condition, called gingivitis, may occur while the teeth are coming in. Swelling may also occur around the juncture of the jawbone. You should press firmly against the swollen parts in the mouth, or along the outside of the jawbone, and rub the gums with a few drops of oil of chamomile added to honey.

Diarrhea

Many babies develop diarrhea during teething. Some healers say it is due to the ingestion of saline matter excreted by the gums during dentition. Whatever the cause, it interrupts normal function and, if severe, must be treated. Suggested treatments include applying a plaster of about equal parts of caraway, rose hips, anise, and celery seeds or parsley seeds to the stomach. A plaster treated with infusion of rose leaves and caraway works also. If the skin loses its elasticity and the baby becomes senseless, this is an emergency. Take the baby to a doctor or hospital.

Constipation

A suppository may be used, made from honey cooked over a low flame until it becomes thick enough to shape for insertion into the anus. Adding a little honey or rice-bran syrup to the milk also improves bowel movement.

Incessant Crying; Loss of Sleep

The causes of incessant crying are heat, cold, bugs (flies, fleas, etc.), hunger, thirst, retention of urine, and retained feces. For retained feces, the nursing mother should eat some prunes or add a tablespoon of olive oil to her diet twice a day. If sleep must be had, make a decoction of chamomile and peppermint, 1/, teaspoon to 4 ounces of water, and allow the infant to drink an ounce or two. Or add 1 drop of oil of peppermint to 8 ounces of water and let him drink as much as he wants.

Earache

This is caused by excess moisture in the brain, or trapped gas. It may be treated by making an oil from gur, lentils, and myrrh or cedar seeds; put 1 or 2 drops into the ear.

Difficult Breathing

Rub olive oil on the base of the ears and on the tongue. You can also depress the back of the tongue to cause vomiting, which will ensure that there is no obstruction of the airway. Water may be dropped into the mouth, drop by drop, as well as a little linseed and honey to suck on. NOTE: Loss of voice in infants is due to constipation. Give cabbage juice by mouth or rectum.

Cough

Some healers advise that the baby's head should be bathed in plenty of warm water. A steam vaporizer will also work well. Put plenty of honey on the tongue, and cause the baby to vomit and expel excess mucus in the stomach. A few grains of the following may be added to the milk: gum arabic, quince seed (set 20 or so seeds in water for half an hour, and a gummy substance will form). Give 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture to the baby.

Severe Vomiting

Feed three grains of very finely ground cloves.

Hiccups

Feed a piece of fresh coconut dipped in honey.

Colic

When the baby writhes and cries, apply a hot water bottle to the stomach, and give peppermint water.

Skin Rash

In all kinds of skin rash of unknown origin, treat by bathing in soothing waters. You may use any of these: rose, myrtle, tamarisk, marjoram, peppermint, or almond. Also recommended is a decoction of dates and figs, mixed in water of fennel seeds. When the rash has developed fully, bathe in rose water, then rub rose oil on the affected parts.

Fevers

As explained elsewhere, fevers are not necessarily a negative sign, but they can sometimes quickly get out of hand with small babies, or even children. Cool baths can be used to keep a fever from getting too high. Apply cold cloths to the baby's head, chest, and extremities between baths. See the following sections and index for specific diseases accompanied by fevers. If the fever gets too high or persists more than two hours, consult a physician.

Nervous Disorders

Some people call these conditions epilepsy, while others think they are a kind of epilepsy followed by burning fever. Still others feel that they are not truly epilepsy, but some disorder related to it.

The signs of this affliction are that the child abruptly falls down, senseless, and the feet become twisted, the eyes squinted, and foam appears in the mouth. When the child is restored to his senses, he weeps a great deal, will not take the breast or bottle, and is quite restless. The cause of this illness is an accumulation of wind, or air, in the head, such that the scalp becomes slightly enlarged and the spaces between the front teeth can be seen to widen. This may be due to the evaporation of milk in the child's stomach, from which excess air is carried via the bloodstream into the brain and affects the cells, causing a kind of simulated spastic hyperventilation. Sometimes a parent will miss the signs of the disease and call it a temper tantrum.

If there is no deterioration of the brain cells, the child recovers quickly. But if untreated, this affliction can indeed lead to full and more frequent seizures, sometimes ending in death. The sign of illness increasing is that the attacks come more frequently, one after the other, each time more violent than before. Regardless of the severity, the cause is the excess of air being carried to and filling the brain cavity. If the attacks come with less frequency and intensity, it is a sign that there is a decrease of the air and its assimilation.

The first prudent measure is to avoid eating foods that cause evaporation and spoil very easily--such as eggs--overeating, intake of air with breast or bottle, and emotional disturbance such as anger and fear. Standing in places where strong winds blow, and other extremes, should be avoided. Constipation also worsens the condition, as it blocks the natural flow-off and excretion of waste from digestion. If the condition worsens, the palms and soles should be massaged, and any influence that causes anxiety should be screened from the child. In extreme cases, the hands and arms should be bound to the sides to prevent self-injury. The foregoing should alleviate mild cases.

If the illness lingers on or becomes complicated (a plethora of phlegm is a sign of increase of illness), further measures should be taken such as increasing the child's water intake, rubbing the body with mild salves, and softening the abdomen by using suppositories or feeding laxatives. Good laxatives for this consist of decoctions extracted from boiled chickory, fish eggs, rose, jujube, senna pods, borage, or plum. This should be filtered and mixed with sweet almond oil. Warm the mixture and eat 1 teaspoonful with liquid.

Since the condition itself is brought on by what really is staleness of the mind, or entry into the brain of rotted matter, however minute, the best thing to refresh the mind is to obtain some milk from a nursing mother. Gently tilt back the head of the ill child and drop some of this fresh milk into his nose. Also, a piece of clean cloth can be soaked in the mother's milk and put on the top of the child's head like a scarf. Other efficacious means are to rub his body with flower oil and butter. These applications are useful in reducing tension. When phlegm is present in large amounts, it is important to keep the child warm. A most effective medicine for phlegm is to take 1/8 teaspoon each of wild thyme, pennyroyal, and cumin. These should be ground and dissolved in mother's milk, shaped into pills, and eaten, one with each meal.

Honey suppositories are a useful remedy for constipation. Boiled gum of plum with sugar in lukewarm water, taken by mouth, also helps soften the bowels and produce movement. The vapor of aloeswood and saffron will cause sneezing, thereby loosening the muscles; the vapor of mustard soaked in vinegar will have the same effect. Any milk from a nursing mother used in the foregoing medicines should be pure, and her diet should also be free from foods producing gas and phlegm.

Coughing

The reflexive action of the lungs and throat known as coughing is often taken for granted as a natural effort of the system to expel foreign matter. However, whatever the underlying causes, coughing can be the precursive sign of more serious diseases in formation, and in every case disturbs the normal harmony of breathing. Breath is the bridge to life, and its frequent disturbance in childhood can upset the entire mental and physiological process of development.

Several conditions can produce coughing. The first cause is penetration of smoke (from fire, stoves, or cigarettes) into the throat. Remove the child from the source of the smoke, and give him a small amount of honey to alleviate the cough.

A second cause of coughing is dust. Shield the child from the dust, and oil the breast and throat with almond oil or violet oil. If the child is old enough to eat solid foods, he should be fed oily food and gargle with milk.

A third condition of which coughing is a symptom is dryness and coarseness of the lungs. The remedy is again rubbing the throat and breast with oil and wax and feeding a decoction of quince seeds with a little sugar. If the child is bilious, give black mulberry water or black cherry decoction. If the child is old enough to eat regular meals, the medicine should be given prior to meals. Sometimes an enema or laxative is helpful.

A fourth cause is flu. Children are especially susceptible to flu, which is generally known in its milder, natural form as a children's disease. The medication for coughing without running nose (or before the condition can be called flu) is a decoction of plum, violet, borage, or hyssop, to be given for three days.

Pills made from dried egg white ground with a little sugar and dissolved in mother's milk can be given at night. Give the child one or two small balls. In the morning, feed him a sweet paste of almonds and walnuts, and keep the chest warm by rubbing with lanolin to stop the coughing.

If there is constipation, give a few leaves of senna in a decoction, and rub the chest with almond oil.

To prevent phlegm from developing when the weather is cold, keep the child from breathing cold air, talking too much, and drinking cold water. Rub castoreum on the temples, palms, and soles of the feet, and in the nose. If there is a lot of phlegm, mix 1 tablespoon of honey in 1 cup of lukewarm water and feed it to the child. If that doesn't remove the congestion, take a dab of honey on the tip of the finger, add a dash of confectioner's sugar, and rub it on the end of the child's tongue to draw the congestion out of the chest.

It helps to expel the phlegm if it is ripe, which will happen automatically if the cause of the coughing is the phlegm. To assist expulsion of phlegm, mash a pinch of gum arabic or a dozen seeds of quince with 1 teaspoon sugar; mix with mother's milk, and feed to the child. Syrup of hyssop seed has a great effect as well. The best diet for this condition is vetch or a rice dish.

If the coughing is followed by phlegm, the child shouldn't eat foods that are dry and produce many calories, especially when there is fever. All efforts should be made to control the fever by lowering the temperature, which alone may cause the phlegm to disappear.

If the coughing and phlegm persist, place a steam vaporizer near the child in the morning. Because the nostrils are blocked by the cold air of dawn, the inside of the chest is warmed by this vapor, and thus the congested matter that is causing the flu is dissolved and the flu will disappear. Keep the head covered as much as possible.

If the coughing is followed by both phlegm and fever, give the following: quince seeds, violet flower, and borage. If you want to soften the stomach and help to promote digestion, dissolve 1/8 teaspoon senna pods in this mixture and feed to the child. If the child is under seven years, give 3 teaspoons; if older, a little more. Vinegar should not be consumed, nor should calorie-rich foods. To stop coughing, especially at night, grind equal parts of bitter almond, gum arabic, and clove.

CAUTION: Opium, although illegal in the West for general consumption, has found its way into some homes. It is very effective in stopping coughs, as well as relieving pain and promoting sleep and rest. However, when the person has coughing followed by phlegm and fever, opium will increase the temperature and dry and harden the phlegm, which may result in emphysema, typhoid fever, swelling of the lungs, or death. In January 1978, a young couple in Arizona gave a very small quantity of opium to their child to stem a cough and promote sleep. The child never awoke. As it is an illegal substance and the dangers inherent in its ignorant use are great, it is not recommended. Great care must be taken when giving any psychoactive or central-nervous-system agent to a child. In all cases, a doctor or experienced medical practitioner should be sought first to correctly diagnose the disease.

Measles and Chicken Pox

Measles are characterized by small red boils the size of millet. Before the red spots can be seen, the skin swells in small bumps; the skin then wrinkles, and finally small boils develop on the surface of the skin. These boils contain a type of blood that is not mature or has not been properly assimilated into the blood composition. Usually, the boil dries to an outer scale which separates and falls off.

Chicken pox is similar to smallpox but less intense. The appearance of measles is preceded by fever, accompanied by pain in the back region, itching, scratchy nose, redness and tearing of the eyes, nightmares, burning sensation of the skin, and/or prickly feeling over the whole body. Some children are also affected by coughing, earache, emphysema, and hoarseness.

Fever in measles is milder or less hot than chickenpox fever, and pain in the back, if present, is less severe than with smallpox. Also, measles appear suddenly, "breaking out" more or less at once, while chicken pox appears over a three- to seven-day period. Measles are usually more dangerous to the life of a child, especially the worst type of measles.

The signs of the mildest forms of measles and chicken pox are that the child is fully conscious, there is no change or coarseness in voice, and the appetite for food and water remains stable. The cause of these diseases is the boiling of the blood, due to the rawness and presence of phlegm that is in the nature of children. Congestion of the blood and other bodily systems results in this boiling of the blood (as evidenced by fever), and the skin boils are the signs of the completion of the boiling process. Rarely, pox or boils appear without the attendant fevering and boiling of the blood.

Prevention of Measles

Measles has been controlled or eliminated (to some extent) by inoculation programs of public health authorities. However, some people do not have access to even rural health care (in the United States as well as many underdeveloped nations), so the following measures are recommended for diet and prevention of these afflictions, especially during the summer, when these diseases are prevalent.

In general, these foods, all of which increase biliousness and heat of the blood, should be avoided: milk, sweet peas, syrups, meat, and eggplant; honey, figs, dates, melons, and grapes should not be eaten by mother or baby. Instead, foods that keep children in a good mood should be given, such as juice of pomegranate, tamarind juice, and other fresh juices. Children should be kept from running and walking in direct sunlight for long periods, sitting close to fire, and any other activities that overexert or overheat their systems.

The best foods during summer months are cold and sour vegetables such as spinach, pumpkin, and purslane, and occasionally beef with vegetables and vinegar.

The best precaution against chickenpox and measles, especially when outbreaks of these diseases occur, is to stop children from eating candies, dry foods, and other foods that cause high-caloric burning inside the body.

When either of these diseases appears, it is necessary also to purify the blood. This can be done by giving special diet and drinks. If the child is full of phlegm, it must be cleared out, and bad or difficult digestion should be avoided. Since smallpox has been eradicated in the United States by vaccines, only information on measles and chicken pox will be given.

The following recipes are given as the most frequently mentioned preventive medicines for measles and chicken pox:

3 teaspoons red rose
3 teaspoons magnesia
2 teaspoons sandalwood paste
2 teaspoons each chickory seeds, purslane seeds, pumpkin seeds, and lettuce seeds
1 teaspoon gum tragacanth
1/2 teaspoon camphor

Grind all together, then sieve and form pills with infusion of fleawort. Adults take 2 pills, children 1 pill. During the warmer summer months, cold showers sometimes prevent smallpox and measles or greatly lessen the severity if contracted.

Fevers of Measles or Chicken Pox

The fever accompanying measles or chicken pox is usually very hot. The child's mouth is bitter, the eyes are yellow, and the urine is rose- or red-colored. The remedy is first to reduce phlegm by mild laxatives; if the fever is mild, a pain reliever can be given, such as herbal tea. Some physicians forbid using medicines that make the blood cold or thick when there are measles with no boils on the skin. They reason that the boiling of the blood at this time is a process of nature to remove waste matter from the system. Medicines that thicken the blood, and thus slow the elimination process, are acting against the natural bodily function.

When boils do finally appear on the skin, cover the child's body with soft clothes and keep warm. The temperature of the room should be moderate. The boils will surface quickly. Burn sandalwood incense and make a slight vapor of camphor to strengthen the heart and mind, and stimulate the natural process of transfer of matter to the surface of the skin. The sign that the matter is thickened is that more boils appear on the chest and do not completely disappear after four days. The sign that the boils are blocked below the surface of the skin is that the skin is rough and very little sweat comes out.

The general condition of the child must be taken into account in treatment. For example, if the pulse and breathing are normal and there is no fainting or loss of consciousness, and if the temperature is normal and there is no blackness of the tongue, make the room a little warm. Do not give cold water, but rather lukewarm water, perhaps with a little anise water from time to time. This formula is useful: 4 teaspoons mother's milk, 4 teaspoons lentils, 3 teaspoons gum arabic. Mix all together and boil until half remains. Give a teaspoonful every few hours. The medicine is more efficacious if you add 2 teaspoons rose water, a few ground figs, and 2 teaspoons anise to the mixture. An alternative: boil a few figs and add a pinch of saffron. You can put a hotwater bottle under the child's blanket to vaporize and open the pores. The child's head should not be under the blanket, for if the vapor goes into his nose, it will cause itching and restlessness.

When the boils have appeared completely, the child should be given cold juices, as much as is readily accepted. Special attention should be paid to the condition of the stomach and bowels. When the boils have completely come out, protection of the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, and intestines is necessary. If boils are appearing in these areas, they will be slight and light in color.

Protection of the Eyes

Put a drop of the following mixture in each eye: sumac soaked in rose water, three times daily. Another good mixture is water of fresh coriander seeds, with seeds of sour pomegranate, and rose water in equal parts; put these drops in the child's eyes. Both medicines have the same effect. If the eyes are swollen, put a bandage over them after using the medicine to cure the swelling. If the child becomes very nervous or restless, untie and remove the bandage from time to time.

Care of the Nose

Drops of vinegar with rose water or flower oil with a little camphor should be rubbed up inside the nose. Apply cold compresses over the nose area. If the blood coming out of the nose is blackish and the child will not sleep and has severe coughing, the illness is severe and medical aid should be sought at once.

Care of the Throat

When the boils appear on the surface of the skin, or even during the preceding time of fever, it is good to give pomegranate (this should not be given to children under two years old). The child should chew the seeds and swallow the juice. Three useful gargles:

� a decoction of sumac, red clover blossoms, and lentils boiled in rose water � iced water mixed with rose water

� black cherry juice

Care of the Lungs

When boils appear, if there is no hoarseness in the throat, take the temperature and check whether the bowels are moving fast or slow. If the temperature is high and the bowels are sluggish, give water of quince and fleawort with sugar in small doses, and put ground almond in the child's mouth. Licking this medicine can be tried if the child won't take it into the mouth. If, in spite of the temperature, the bowels remain loose, take gum arabic, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and seeds of cucumber (1 teaspoon each) and fry each one separately; then grind them together and fry in an infusion of fleawort. Let the child lick this medicine. If the temperature is not high and the bowels are not soft, give fresh butter with sugar, gradually and in small doses.

Care of the Joints

For sore joints and boils, grind sandalwood, clay, and red dover blossoms with a little camphor, add a little rose water and vinegar, and rub onto joints. If a boil appears and opens by itself, no further treatment is necessary. If it doesn't open, a doctor may have to pierce the boil to let out the rheum.

Care of the Intestines

Sometimes, although the boils of measles seem to be drying and clearing, their remnants are left under the skin and transferred to the intestines, spreading the infection there. To avoid this complication, give the child a syrup of myrtle, pills of magnesia, and quince juice, at the time the boils seem to be drying. Care of the intestines is very important at this time.

When the boils have completely appeared, cold juices should be given, and constipation and looseness of bowels regulated. Do not give any laxatives at this time. If the stomach is loosening on its own, do not give anything that will block the bowels too quickly.

Diet

Generally, children affected with measles should be given cold and dry foods, such as barley composite, which can be prepared as follows: Take one pound of barley, split the corns into halves, grind, and remove skins after one hour. Then fry the remaining split barley, put through a sieve, and add lentils and juice of sour pomegranate or green grapes.

If the child's bowels are not soft or loose and there is a feeling of coarseness in the chest and throat but no temperature elevation, give the above mixture with sugar syrup, but do not make it too sweet. Never feed sour foods if the bowels are constipated.

If the bowels are loose, the temperature is high, and the chest and throat are coarse, fry the above composition; cool and refry several times, and mix with magnesia. If there is severe diarrhea, give water of fried barley and ! teaspoon pomegranate in equal parts.

Severe symptoms of measles indicate that the internal temperature is too high, which leads to burning of the blood and biliousness. Everything given should be cold and juicy, like the water of boiled barley. Vinegar can be added to the barley if there is no coughing. If there is coughing, give purslane, melon water, pumpkin water, and similar foods, but these should not be given with vinegar.