| When children are affected with croup, | | | | small room, adding a few drops of |
| they lose their usual cheerfulness and | | | | eucalyptus or menthol oil. This will |
| become irritated. There is a high | | | | moisten the air and help the child to |
| pitched cracking noise with the intake | | | | breathe more easily. In case of a older |
| of each breath. Some of them develop | | | | child, fill a kettle with sprout, half |
| barking cough. They complain of a slight | | | | full of hot water, adding a little oil |
| obtuse pain in the wind- pipe somewhat | | | | of eucalyptus. The child should be made |
| below its orifice. Slight swelling is | | | | to inhalr steam ensuing from this water. |
| formed on the outer side of the throat | | | | This simple remedy helps to open the |
| opposite the same place. It aches a | | | | wind-pipes and relieve the congestion. |
| little when pressed with a finger. The | | | | If the above treatment is faithfully |
| face seems red and looks puffed up. | | | | carried out, the fever will run its |
| There is fever with hard and very quick | | | | course without any trouble and |
| pulse. The breathing becomes difficult, | | | | complication or serious after- effects. |
| frequent and shorter. Some children are | | | | The child can then be placed on an all |
| obliged to remain in bed, while others | | | | fruit diet for few days. He may eat |
| feel better at times and are able to | | | | fresh juicy fruits like apple, mango, |
| walk about. Their voice becomes hoarse | | | | pineapple, papaya, grapes, pear, peach, |
| and sharp. | | | | and melon during this period. Thereafter |
| The use of antitoxin for the treatment | | | | he may be allowed to gradually adopt a |
| of this disaese may apparently prove | | | | well-balanced diet, according to his |
| successful, but it is harmful in the | | | | age. The emphasis should be on whole |
| long run. The disease can be prevented | | | | grain cereals, raw or lightly-cooked |
| by following a proper diet and avoidance | | | | vegetables or fresh fruits. |
| of indigestion and constipation. | | | | An excellent home remedy for croup is |
| The real treatment for this disease, as | | | | the use of garlic. Chewing a clove of |
| with all other fevers, is avoidance of | | | | garlic dissolves the membranes, reduces |
| solid foods for first few days of the | | | | temperature and relieves the patient. |
| treatment. The child-patient should be | | | | About 15 gms. of garlic can be used in |
| given only orange juice and water in | | | | this way after every three or four hours |
| small quantities so long as the fever | | | | for a week. After the membrane |
| lasts. | | | | disappears , the same quantity of garlic |
| The child with croup should be kept in | | | | should be chewed daily. The croup |
| bed and isolated from others. Cold-packs | | | | patient has no sense of taste or smell |
| applied, after every two hours, to the | | | | and merely finds the garlic hot. |
| throat will be effective. | | | | Onion is another effective home remedy |
| If the child's breathing becomes | | | | for croup. Onions should be roasted on |
| difficult and he seems to be struggling | | | | hot ashes and juice extracted from them. |
| to get his breath, immediate action | | | | This juice should be taken by the |
| should be taken to provide warm, moist, | | | | patient in doses of half a teaspoon |
| air to restore the normal himidity of | | | | mixed with equal quantity of honey three |
| the room. This can be done by boiling a | | | | times daily. |
| pan of water on a stove in a corner of a | | | | |