A single word with reference of lancing the gums. This operation is in almost all cases unnecessarily performed; and in many it proves positively injurious. And yet it sometimes affords the most important and immediate relief. Where the gums are red and inflamed, in our opinion, they never need to be lanced; but only when in their very slow growth they have changed the gum over them to a dense, firm and unyielding cartilaginous formation, thick and of a whitish color, through with the teeth vainly attempt to make their way; and the irritation of the child’s system threatens to destroy its life by sheer exhaustion, or by inducing fatal convulsions.
Before proceeding to indicate; the remedies to be employed in disorders of dentition, we remark: that the tooth does not mechanically cut its way out of the gum; but its grown causes slight pressure by the crown of the tooth, a pressure excites the absorbents to remove the impediment. In this manner the absorbents do absolutely, when the infant is in a perfectly healthy condition, open up the way for the tooth to escape without pain or suffering. The same law and the same principle pertain in ovulation; but were neglected to be stated in the proper place. Now the duty of the physician to the infant is so to direct the course of events that the evolution of the teeth shall become as painless as any other process of development. All the laws of health should be rigidly enforced, of development. All the laws of health should be rigidly enforced, and every prescription most carefully made; and finally, when the period of dentition fairly commences, if suffering is experienced, or difficulty arises, the following remedies should be carefully and particularly studied and administered, or others, whose strong, characteristics present the picture of the opposite of an orderly and painless process of dentition.
Aconite. When the child has much pain, as appears from constant restlessness, biting its fingers and even its whole hand. Sleepless; much crying; feverish; heat of the head, &c.
Apis. Frequent waking at night with violent screams. Red spots here and there over the whole body. This remedy must sometimes be repeated, in water, day after day, for a week or two.
Arsenic. Undigested, fetid stools, emaciation, dry and shriveled skin.
Belladonna. Much moaning. Awakens from sleep and looks frightened with staring eyes. Face and eyes red, with dilated pupils and hot head. Convulsions followed by sound sleep. Violent starting and jumping whilst sleeping; and at other times.
Borax. The child becomes very nervous, starts and jumps at the least noise, even of the rumpling of a paper, or of a silk dress. It cannot bear a downward motion, even during sleep.
Bryonia. Dry, parched lips dry mouth and constipation, the feces being dry, a nd dark as if burnt.
Calcarea c. In children with large open fontanelles. The head perspires much during sleep, so as to wet the pillow far around. Stools hard and of a chalky appearance. Suitable for very pale and fair children.
Chamomilla. The child starts and jumps much during sleep. It is very cross and wants to be carried; this alone pacifies. One cheek red and the other pale. Diarrhoea, watery and slimy; green and like chopped eggs. Dry hacking cough.
Cina. The child rubs its nose much and is restless in its sleep, and seems unusually hungry. If there are any teeth already, these are grated during sleep. Hacking cough.
Coffea. The child is very excitable and sleepless; it seems in a state of exaltation. It cries and laughs easily. While crying it suddenly laughs quite heartily, and finally cries again.
Ferrum. When an obstinate diarrhoea is the result, composed of slime and undigested food; the diarrhoea is painless, excoriating and exhausting.
Ignatia The child awakens from sleep with piercing cries, and trembles all over. Convulsive jerks of single limbs. Frequent flushes of heat, with perspiration.
Ipecacuanha. The child seems to be sick, nauseated all the time, with no remission, and an occasional vomiting. Diarrhoea, fermented, or of many colors.
Kreosote. Very painful dentition; the teeth commence to decay almost as soon as they appear.
Lycopodium. The child sleeps with its eyes partly open throwing its head from side to side, with moaning. It cries and screams before passing urine. Red sand in its diaper.
Magnesia c. Green and sour-smelling diarrhoea, lasting a long time, and the child rather emaciating, the teeth do not come through. Green and frothy diarrhoea, which may be quite scanty.
Magnesia mur. Slow dentition with distended abdomen and constipation. The stools are usually large and crumble as they pass the verge of the anus.
mercurius sol. Copious salivation with slimy diarrhoea streaked with blood, or green stools with much straining.
Nux v. Large, hard and difficult stools, escaping in a mass. Dry cough. The child is worse as three or four o’clock every morning.
Podophyllum. Painful diarrhoea with screaming and grinding of such teeth as are cut. Rolling of the head from side to side, often with green stools.
Silicea. Scrofulous, wormy children, with profuse salivation, frequent or almost continued grasping at the gums, fever towards evening and heat in the head.
Stannum. In case where Cina is indicated but does not cure. The child will not be quiet except when lying upon its abdomen. Epileptiform convulsions from teething.
Sulphur. White, sour diarrhoea, causing a redness around the anus.
DISEASES OF CHILDREN continued
APHTHAE.
APHTHAE of Thrush, and Noma or Canker, are the names of those diseases in the mouth of infants and children, which correspond respectively to stomatitis and Stomacace in adults. AS described by Leadam, ( Diseases of Females and Children.) the thrush often attacks the infant in the second week, and is characterized by the mouth and tongue being covered with minute whitish blisters, which are rubbed off by the action of sucking, a succession of these vesicles is constantly taking place so long as the disease lasts, which is sometimes five or six weeks. It is often preceded by a granular appearance of the tips of the tongue a few days after birth, which is caused by enlargement of the papillae. The thrush often runs in families, and is a disease of debility; but it is generally caused by irritating secretions in the alimentary canal, from bad digestion or improper food; or by the acidity of the food in the stomach, as well as of that remaining in the infant’s mouth. This affection generally traverses the whole length of the digestive tract; and develops a redness and excoriation at the anus corresponding to that originally appearing in the mouth.
Thrush may constitute a temporary and comparatively trivial disorder, apparently unconnected with any constitutional disturbance. But more often it appears as one of the first of a long train of symptoms indicative of severe gastro-intestinal disorder. And finally, in the last stage of such disorder, towards the close of life, the tongue, the inner surface of the cheeks, and even the margin of the lips and corners of the mouth, may be covered by a whitish, paste-like formation, a true vegetative growth, which being forcibly removed discloses a surface red or raw.
In all except the very mildest forms of thrust, the disorder renders nursing a painful operation to the child; but as it usually appears in connection with or in consequence of serious derangements of the stomach and bowels, such as vomiting and diarrhoea, the proper remedy will be found among those indicated for such conditions. It should always be borne in mind, however, that if the surface of the child is kept constantly clean, and if it is not dressed too warmly, it will seldom or never be troubled with the thrush. But where the thrush appears by itself and is unattended as yet by other morbid symptoms, it may be removed, and the still deeper mischief, to which it would lead, anticipated, by the exhibition of Calcarea, Chamomilla, Borax, Bryonia, Mercurius, Sulphuric acid, Arsenicum, or Muriatic acrid, according to the character of the accompanying conditions, and to the particular appearance of the infant’s mouth. We give indications for a few remedies.
Arsenicum. When the aphthae assumes a livid or bluish appearance, attended with great weakness and diarrhoea.
Borax v. The child frequently lets go the nipple, showing signs of pain in the mouth from nursing.
Bryonia. the mouth is unusually dry with thirst; dry lips, rough and cracking; the child does not like to take hold of the breast; but when once its mouth is moistened and it is fairly at work, it nurses well.
Carbo veget. The mouth is very hot, the tongue almost immovable, and a sanguineous saliva escapes occasionally.
Chamomilla. When the child exhibits much uneasiness and must be carried all the time.
Mercurius sol. MUch salivation, or more than usual moisture in the mouth. There is inflammation in the whole buccal cavity. Ulcers upon the gums.
Staphysagria. When the aphthous patches seem to bleed easily and the gums are spongy.
