contented and happy despite occasional
severe attacks of colic. Other children suffer seriously; the degree of
indigestion is considerable, and the nutrition of the child is
interfered with.

Colic is much more frequent in bottle-fed infants than in those fed on
breast milk. Cow's milk, no matter how skillfully it is prepared for
their use, is at best an unsuitable diet and taxes the digestive ability
of robust children. It is quite natural for an infant whose digestive
organs are not strong to develop colic and intestinal indigestion if put
on artificial food. Any condition that causes indigestion may likewise
cause colic. Those children who are always overfeeding,--taking too much
milk, too strong milk, or who are fed irregularly,--are the colicky
babies.

Constipation is frequently associated with colic and may be the actual
cause. A daily movement of the bowel does not necessarily mean that the
bowels are emptying themselves satisfactorily. Despite the daily
movement, there may be considerable fecal matter left in the bowel which
undergoes decomposition. This results in the evolution of large
quantities of gas and severe attacks of colic. Indigestion is very often
caused by conditions which effect the stability of the child's nervous
organism; such conditions are fright, anger, fatigue, exhaustion,
excitement.

The origin of the colic in breast-fed children is very often caused by
some nervous condition of the mother that affects her milk. Constipation
in the mother may cause colic in the child.

Symptoms.--A baby having an attack of colic will cry loudly from time
to time and whine during the interval; it will pull up its legs and bear
down. Its abdomen is tense and hard and distended with gas. With the
expulsion of the gas the pain ceases and the child falls asleep. If the
attack is very severe the prostration and exhaustion is marked; the feet
are cold and the body is bathed in perspiration.

If the colic is constant the child may be fretful and restless most of
the time, being seemingly comfortable for only an hour or two in the
twenty-four.

In older children who cry because of severe pain in the abdomen the
possibility of appendicitis must not be forgotten.

Treatment.--Find out the cause of the colic if possible. If the cause
is located in the mother, the remedy naturally must affect her.
Regulation of her bowel, restriction of her diet, and proper exercise,
may be sufficient to effect a cure of the