[3 Mothers’ diagnosis]

Erysipelas.—­The onset is sudden, high fever, and a local redness with a sharply defined margin between it and a healthy skin.  It frequently appears upon the nose and spreads over one cheek or both.  It may show only a smooth raised skin, or there may be vesicles.

Earache.—­This is very common in children.  It comes frequently as an extension through the eustachian canal of a cold.  The ache is only an evidence of congestion or inflammation in the ear.  The child bursts out crying violently and nothing seems to make it stop.  It may cry for some time then stop.  When it is very young it is restless, and wants to move constantly, and refuses to be comforted by the soothing embraces of its mother.  It is quiet only a few moments at a time and again renews its cries and restlessness.  The cries are moaning and seem like hopeless cries.  A child or infant that cries that way and will not be quieted, should be suspected of having earache, and hot applications of dry or wet heat should be applied to the ear.  If such symptoms are neglected, in a few days you are likely to have a discharge running from the external canal (meatus) and perhaps permanent injury may be done to the drum membrane by ulceration.  Warm water poured in the ear frequently relieves common earache.

Gall stones.—­Sudden agonizing pain in the right upper abdomen in the region of the liver, with vomiting, prostration, tenderness in that region.  Pain generally comes at intervals in paroxysms.  There may be pains in the stomach during the weeks when the attack is absent and the patient may think the stomach is the seat of the trouble.

Iritis.—­Pain is severe and worse at night, the iris looks cloudy, muddy, the pupil is small.  There is congestion around the iris (ciliary congestion).

Kidney stones.—­Pain goes from the kidneys down through the ureter into the bladder and into the scrotum.  There may be sand in the urine that makes it look like blood.

La grippe—­The onset is usually sudden, with a chill, and all of the symptoms of an active fever, headache, bone-ache, a general ache all over.  A feeling of extreme weakness; feels miserable and sick.

Lock-jaw (Tetanus).—­History of a wound.  The muscles of the jaw may be stiff and set.  When there are spasms the muscles remain stiff and hard for some time.

Malarial fever.—­Chill, fever, and sweat, or one stage may be absent.  There may be only a slight chilly feeling with fever almost all day and then remission.

[4 Mothers’ diagnosis]

Mumps.—­The swelling is in front and below and behind the ear.  Hard to eat and the swallowing of vinegar is almost impossible.