Abstract
A brief historical survey of Infantile Diarrhoea
has been given. The high mortality from this disease
in the part has been shown to have fallen considerably
in recent times. Reasons for this progressive fall
have been discussed. A table, also reproduced graphically,
has been shown to demonstrate the fall in
mortality from Infantile Diarrhoea, in children under
two years of age, for Scotland and Edinburgh 1871-1937
inclusive.
Prophylaxis of the disease has been discussed.
Better education of the doctors, nurses, mothers and
mothers- to -be, has been urged.
The aetiology of Infantile Diarrhoea has been considered
in detail. No single factor has been found to
account for every case. All cases fall into three
groups: -
(1) Enteral. Due to infection in the bowel.
(2) Dietetic. Due to dietetic errors.
(3) Parenteral. Due to infections outwith the. bowel.
All the cases under consideration in this series
have been found to fall into one or other of these
three groups. The parenteral group has been found to
be the largest. The commonest parenteral infections
causing diarrhoea have been found to be upper respiratory
infections, with or without otitis media. The
bottle-fed infant is more liable to develop diarrhoea
from any cause than is the breast-fed child. The
commonest cause of diarrhoea in the breast-fed infant
is upper respiratory infection, usually contracted from
the mother. The Enteral group has been found to be
the smallest, both in the breast -fed and artificially-fed
infant. Cholera Infantum is now practically unknown.
The pathology and morbid anatomy of Infantile
Diarrhoea have been discussed.
The symptoms and signs of all three groups of
have been described. The onset may be sudden and
acute, or gradual and mild. The difficulties in the
diagnosis of aural conditions have been stressed.
The treatment undertaken in the series under
review, has been described in detail. The Raw Apple
Diet was used in some 55 cases. It was not attempted
in the breast-fed infants. Other methods of treatment
have been outlined.
7 cases have been described, and 243 other cases
have been described in classified form.
The results of the clinical investigation, and of
the treatment of these 250 cases have been discussed.
Theories on the mode of action of the Apple Diet have
been reviewed.
