should continue, four or five
grains of magnesia may be mixed with the last meal at night, and a
little warm water thrown up into the bowel as an injection the next
morning.

Diarrhoea occurring in a child brought up by hand, if it be not the
result of overfeeding, will very frequently be found to arise from
unsuitable diet, the food given not being of a kind suited to the
infant's stomach; for what will agree with one child often disagrees
with another. Alteration of diet will sometimes alone suffice in these
cases to cure, if this alteration is only made early enough, before any
considerable irritation of the stomach and bowels has been induced.
Thin arrow-root made with water (prepared very carefully, or the child
will refuse it,) should be given for five or six days; the warm bath
used every night for the same period, a new flannel bandage rolled
round the body, and the child cautiously protected from a damp
atmosphere. The arrow-root, upon the cessation of the diarrhoea, may
have cows' milk added to it, if milk is not found to disagree: when
this is the case, chicken or weak mutton broth, free from fat, or beef-
tea, thickened with farinaceous food, with a little salt added, are the
best substitutes. Should not the diarrhoea yield to the foregoing
measures, and that readily, medical aid ought to be sought. Diarrhoea
is very frequent from the time of weaning to the third year of age, and
certainly in its effects forms so important a disease, that, unless in
the slight form noticed above, a mother is not justified in attempting
its relief.

In conclusion, I would observe, that I do not think a mother justified
in attempting more than what has been laid down here for her guidance.
It is believed that the few and plain common-sense directions given, if
followed, will do much to prevent disease, and even to relieve it in
its milder forms; they will not, however, cure disease itself when
really established: and again I would repeat, let the mother recollect
that to prevent disease is her province--to cure it, is the physician's.

Sect. III.--COSTIVENESS.

1. IN INFANCY.

The principle to act upon in the management of the infant's bowels is
this,--that they should be kept free, and by the mildest and least
irritating means.

If therefore they become accidentally confined (less than two stools
in the four-and-twenty hours), and the infant is suckled, the mother
may ascertain whether an aperient taken b