Manual of diseases of children / by James Burnet.

Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Manual of diseases of children / by James Burnet. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    essential points from that of the child. It is more vertically placed, while in shape it resembles more the form of a dilated tube. In the early months there is no fundus present, in fact it is not till about the first year of life that the latter becomes at all well developed. Regurgitation from the stomach is easily brought about during infancy, not only on account of the position of the organ, but also because the oesophageal sphincter is but poorly developed. For this reason it is most important that infants after being fed should neither be moved about nor played with. The stomach tends to become more and more horizontal after the first year. It prob- ably acts more as a receptacle for food material during infancy than as a digestive organ, a fact which is of some importance in connection with feeding. The capacity of the stomach is a matter about which a great deal of ignorance seems to exist. The following table gives an approximate series of figures :— Oz. Table-spoonfuls. At birth .... 1 2 Two weeks .... H o O One month .... 2 4 Two months 34 hr / Three months U 9 Six months.... 6 12 Twelve months . 9 18 Liver.—During the first few years of life the lower margin of the liver can be normally felt about a half to three-quarters of an inch below the costal region anteriorly. Spleen.—In infancy and childhood this organ occupies the same position as it does in the adult. It should be palpated for in every child presenting febrile symptoms.
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