y herself will render her milk
of a sufficiently purgative quality to act upon the bowels of her
child. This is the mildest mode of all.

If, however, this does not answer, or is not practicable from the
child being fed artificially, then the mildest aperient medicines must
be chosen to accomplish this purpose. The kind of medicine to be
selected, and the doses in which to be adminstered, will be found in
the section on "Aperient Medicine."[FN#39]

[FN#39] See page 97.

If, however, the bowels of the infant are disposed to be habitually
confined, it should be ascertained whether this may not be dependent
upon its diet. The same food that agrees perfectly well with one child
will frequently cause costiveness in another. An intelligent and
observing mother will soon discover whether this is the source of the
mischief, or not. Boiled milk, for instance, will invariably cause
confined bowels in some children; the same result will follow sago
boiled in beef tea, with others; whilst, on the other hand, the bowels
may frequently be brought into regular order, and their confined state
overcome, by changing the food to Leman's tops and bottoms steeped in
hot water, and a small quantity of unboiled milk added; or prepared
barley, mixed in warm water and unboiled milk, will have the same
effect.

Sometimes children are constitutionally costive, that is, the bowels
are relieved every third or fourth day, not oftener, and yet perfect
health is enjoyed. This occasionally will happen in large families, all
the children, though perfectly healthy and robust, being similarly
affected. When such is found by a mother to be really the habit of her
child, it would be very unwise, because injurious to its health, to
attempt by purgatives to obtain more frequent relief. At the same time
it will be prudent and necessary for her to watch that the regular time
is not exceeded. This condition seldom occurs to the very young infant.

2. IN CHILDHOOD.

Children of sound health, who are judiciously fed, and have sufficient
exercise, very seldom need aperient medicine. Errors in diet, a want of
proper attention to the state of the skin, insufficiency of air and
exercise, in fine, a neglect of those general principles which have
been laid down for the management of health, and upon the observance of
which the due and healthy performance of every function of the body
depends, are the sources of bowel derangements, and particularl