The diseases of children : a short introduction to their study / by James Frederic Goodhart.

  • Sir James Goodhart, 1st Baronet
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The diseases of children : a short introduction to their study / by James Frederic Goodhart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    0 (lent of it. Any help that can be obtained in this way is well and good, but it is to come after, not before, a personal examination. .Supposing now that a child is before us, what is to be done in making .a thorough examination ? ()ur lirst care will be not to frighten the child—a task which at once calls into play tact, patience, and control of feeling. A strange face is alone sufficient to make a child cry, but, when that face belongs to tlie doctor, a word very early added to the child’s small repertoiy, and when, as is often thec.ase, it is associated indeliVdy with the memory of castor oil or Uregory’s powder, in- experienced nature can hardly be expected not to revolt —and revolt it often does, regardless sometimes of the most exquisite tact. But much can be done to smooth matters by tlie expenditure of a little trouble : never be in a hurry ; take time, that the child may become accustomed to you ; talk to it, play with it, show it any glittering thing that may be at hand, and give it the stethoscope to play with. Any instrument that it may l:)e necessary to use should lirst be made a ]daything, the subsequent examination being often much facilitated by so doing. Do not touch a child till it has had a good look at you. Plenty of occu- pation is ahbrded in the meantime l)y talking to the mother or nurse. Then, with I’egard to sj)ecial ijistru- ments, the thermometer, for instance, which is con- .stantly in use, put it into the axilla and hold it there gently, with your eye on the column of mercury, talking to the child all the while, and even drawing its attention to it. If the forearm is not resti’ained, it will be pos.sible to do this for a minute or two, during which you may watch the mercury quickly lise to a certain height, and then proceed more leisui'ely. If the child become restless, withdraw the instrument —the half-degi'ce or so which the column may rise afterwards will be of litth^ importance in drawing conclusions, whereas a lit of crying or anv fright will render all further observations dillicvilt. Some J! 2
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