(African) Surrounded by light
Causes The disease occurs in epidemics affecting especially children under the age of ten years. It is due to the varicella zoster virus, and the condition is an extremely infectious one from child to child. Although an attack confers life-long immunity, the virus may lie dormant and manifest itself in adult life as HERPES ZOSTER or shingles.
Symptoms There is an incubation period of 14–21 days after infection, and then the child becomes feverish or has a slight shivering, or may feel more severely ill with vomiting and pains in the back and legs. Almost at the same time, an eruption consisting of red pimples which quickly change into vesicles ?lled with clear ?uid appears on the back and chest, sometimes about the forehead, and less frequently on the limbs. These vesicles appear over several days and during the second day may show a change of their contents to turbid, purulent ?uid. Within a day or two they burst, or, at all events, shrivel up and become covered with brownish crusts. The small crusts have all dried up and fallen o? in little more than a week and recovery is almost always complete.
Treatment The fever can be reduced with paracetamol and the itching soothed with CALAMINE lotion. If the child has an immune disorder, is suffering from a major complication such as pneumonia, or is very unwell, an antiviral drug (aciclovir) can be used. It is likely to be e?ective only at an early stage. A vaccine is available in many parts of the world but is not used in the UK; the argument against its use is that it may delay chickenpox until adult life when the disease tends to be much more severe.... chickenpox
Habitat: Waste places, roadsides.
Features ? Stem weak, straggling, freely branched; line of white hairs along one side only, changing direction at each pair of leaves. Leaves small, ovate, sessile above, flat stalks lower. Flowers white, very small, petals deeply cleft, singly on axils of upper leaves. Taste slightly salty.Part used ? Herb.Action: Demulcent, emollient, pectoral.
Inflammation of the respiratory organs and internal membranes generally. One ounce of herb in 1 1/2 pints of water simmered down to 1 pint. Dose, wineglassful every two or three hours. Used externally as a poultice for inflamed surfaces, boils, burns and skin eruptions.... chickweedIn recent years persistent child abuse in some children’s homes has come to light, with widespread publicity following o?enders’ appearances in court. Local communities have also protested about convicted paedophiles, released from prison, coming to live in their communities.
In England and Wales, local-government social-services departments are central in the prevention, investigation and management of cases of child abuse. They have four important protection duties laid down in the Children Act 1989. They are charged (1) to prevent children from suffering ill treatment and neglect; (2) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need; (3) when requested by a court, to investigate a child’s circumstances; (4) to investigate information – in concert with the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) – that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer signi?cant harm, and to decide whether action is necessary to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare. Similar provisions exist in the other parts of the United Kingdom.
When anyone suspects that child abuse is occurring, contact should be made with the relevant social-services department or, in Scotland, with the children’s reporter. (See NONACCIDENTAL INJURY (NAI); PAEDOPHILIA.)... child abuse
Chiropractors stress the importance of X-raying patients before applying manipulation. “Patients treated by chiropractors,” reported the Medical Research Council in the British Medical Journal, “were not only no worse off than those treated in hospital but almost certainly fared considerably better and maintained their improvement for two years.” ... chiropractic
Habitat: Northern India.
Features ? Stem purplish-brown, cylindrical below, becoming quadrangular higher up, pithy, nearly quarter-inch thick. Leaves opposite, three to seven longitudinal ribs, entire. Fruit (capsule) one-celled, two valved. Extremely bitter taste.Part used ? Whole plant.Action: Bitter tonic.
In all cases where a tonic is indicated. With suitable hepatics and laxatives, sometimes forms part of prescriptions for liver complaints, dyspepsia and constipation.Dose, two to four tablespoonfuls of 1/2 ounce to 1 pint infusion.... chirettaBen: Kalmegh
Mal: Nilaveppu, Kiriyattu Tam: Nilavempu Kan: KreataImportance: Kalmegh, the Great or Green Chiretta is a branched annual herb. It is useful in hyperdipsia, burning sensation, wounds, ulcers, chronic fever, malarial and intermittent fevers, inflammations, cough, bronchitis, skin diseases, leprosy, pruritis, intestinal worms, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhoids and vitiated conditions of pitta (Warrier et al, 1993). It is used to overcome sannipata type of fever, difficulty in breathing, hemopathy due to the morbidity of kapha and pitta, burning sensation, cough, oedema, thirst, skin diseases, fever, ulcer and worms. It is also useful in acidity and liver complaints (Aiyer and Kolammal, 1962). The important preparations using the drug are Tiktakagheta, Gorocandi gulika, Candanasava, Panchatiktam kasaya, etc. (Sivarajan et al, 1994). A preparation called “Alui” is prepared by mixing powdered cumin (Cuminium cyminum) and large cardamom (Amomum subulatum) in the juice of this plant and administered for the treatment of malaria (Thakur et al, 1989). It is also a rich source of minerals.Distribution: The plant is distributed throughout the tropics. It is found in the plains of India from U.P to Assam, M.P., A.P, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, also cultivated in gardens.Botany: Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall ex.Nees belongs to the family Acanthaceae. It is an erect branched annual herb, 0.3-0.9m in height with quadrangular branches. Leaves are simple, lanceolate, acute at both ends, glabrous, with 4-6 pairs of main nerves. Flowers are small, pale but blotched and spotted with brown and purple distant in lax spreading axillary and terminal racemes or panicles. Calyx-lobes are glandular pubescent with anthers bearded at the base. Fruits are linear capsules and acute at both ends. Seeds are numerous, yellowish brown and sub-quadrate (Warrier et al,1993).Another species of Andrographis is A. echioides (Linn.) Nees. It is found in the warmer parts of India. The plant is a febrifuge and diuretic. It contains flavone-echiodinin and its glucoside-echioidin (Husain et al, 1992).Agrotechnology: The best season of planting Andrographis is May-June. The field is to be ploughed well, mixed with compost or dried cowdung and seedbeds of length 3m, breadth 1/2m and 15cm height are to be taken at a distance of 3m. The plant is seed propagated. Seeds are to be soaked in water for 6 hours before sowing. Sowing is to be done at a spacing of 20cm. Seeds may germinate within 15-20 days. Two weedings, first at one month after planting and the second at 2 month after planting are to be carried out. Irrigation during summer months is beneficial. The plant is not attacked by any serious pests or diseases. Flowering commences from third month onwards. At this stage, plant are to be collected, tied into small bundles and sun-dried for 4-5 days. Whole plant is the economic part and the yield is about 1.25t dried plants/ha (Prasad et al, 1997).Properties and activity: Leaves contain two bitter substances lactone “andrographolid” and “kalmeghin”. The ash contains sodium chloride and potassium salts. Plant is very rich in chlorophyte. Kalmeghin is the active principle that contains 0.6% alkaloid of the crude plant. The plant contains diterpenoids, andrographolide, 14-deoxy-11-oxo-andrographolide, 14-deoxy-11,12-dihydroandrographolide, 14-deoxy andrographolide and neoandrographolide (Allison et al, 1968). The roots give flavones-apigenin-7,4-dio-O-methyl ether, 5-hydroxy-7,8,2’,3’- tetramethoxyflavone, andrographin and panicolin and -sitosterol (Ali et al, 1972; Govindachari et al, 1969). Leaves contain homoandrographolide, andrographosterol and andrographone.The plant is vulnerary, antipyretic, antiperiodic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, depurative, sudorific, anthelmintic, digestive, stomachic, tonic, febrifuge and cholagogue. The plant is antifungal, antityphoid, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic and cholinergic. Shoot is antibacterial and leaf is hypotensive(Garcia et al, 1980). This is used for the inflammation of the respiratory tract. In China, researchers have isolated the andrographolide from which soluble derivative such as 14-deoxy-11, 12-dehydro-andrographolide which forms the subject of current pharmacological and clinical studies. Apigenin 7,4’-O-dimethyl ether isolated from A. paniculata exhibits dose dependent, antiulcer activity in shay rat, histamine induced ulcer in guinea pigs and aspirin induced ulcers in rats. A crude substance isolated from methanolic extract of leaves has shown hypotensive activity. Pre-treatment of rats with leaf (500mg/kg) or andrographolide (5mg/kg) orally prevented the carbon tetrachloride induced increase of blood serum levels of glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase in liver and prevented hepatocellular membrane.... green chirettaThe flea penetrates the skin of the feet and lays eggs.
Chigoe fleas should be removed with a sterile needle, and the wounds treated with an antiseptic.... chigoe
Alternatives. Internal. Prickly Ash, Hawthorn, Cayenne, Blue Flag, Ginger.
Tinctures. To tone the skin. Mix, equal parts: Yarrow, Blue Flag root, Prickly Ash. Few drops tincture Capsicum (Cayenne). One 5ml teaspoon in water before meals thrice daily.
Topical. Oak bark hand or foot baths: handful bark to each 1 pint (500ml) water simmered 20 minutes. Capsicum or Black Bryony (Tamus): cream or lotion.
Friar’s balsam: soak cotton wool and apply.
Traditional. Rub with raw onion. Bathe with potato water. Infusion of Wild Thyme wash (Dr Alfred Vogel). Cider vinegar.
Prophylactic measures: adequate footwear (socks and shoes) before winter comes.
Supplementation. 2 × 300mg Calcium lactate tablets at meals thrice daily. Vitamin E (400iu daily). Vitamin B-complex (500mg daily). ... chilblains
Since the barefoot doctors (paramedics) have been grafted into the public Health Service, mass preventative campaigns with public participation of barefoot doctors have led to a reduction in the mortality of infectious disease.
Chinese doctors were using Ephedra 5000 years ago for asthma. For an equal length of time they used Quinghaosu effectively for malaria. The Chinese first recorded goose-grease as the perfect base for ointments, its penetrating power endorsed by modern scientific research.
While Western medicine appears to have a limited capacity to cure eczema, a modern Chinese treatment evolved from the ancient past is changing the lives of many who take it. The treatment was brought to London by Dr Ding-Hui Luo and she practised it with crowded surgeries in London’s Chinatown.
Chinese herbalism now has an appeal to general practitioners looking for alternative and traditional therapies for various diseases where conventional treatment has proved to be ineffective.
See entry: BAREFOOT DOCTOR’S MANUAL.
Address. Hu Shilin, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. ... chinese medicine
Habitat: Introduced from China; cultivated all over India, up to an altitude of 1,800 m.
Folk: Surajkaanti (Assam), Dasbaha, Dasbichandi (Bengal).Action: Rhizomes—expectorant, deobstruent, resolvent, used in tonsillitis, chest and liver complaints (antiviral against pneumonia).
Presence of alkaloids is reported from the plant, glucoside, belamcan- din from the roots. The leaves and flowers contain a glycoflavone. The seeds tested positive for leucoantho- cyanins.... belamcanda chinensisHabitat: The Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal, at altitudes of 1,500-2,400 m.
Ayurvedic: Daaruharidraa (var.).Folk: Totaro, Kintodaa (Garhwal).Action: Same as that of Berberis aristata.
The root and stem bark contain alkaloids (5 and 4.2% respectively, calculated as berberine.)The alcoholic extract of the roots was found to be better antimicrobial agent than the aqueous extract. The alkaloid palmitine hydroxide possesses an- tispermatogenic properties. See B. aristata and B. vulgaris. Berberis ulicina Hook, known as Khicharmaa in Tibet, is also equated with Daaruharidraa.... berberis chitriaChilalie, Chilalee, Chylali, Chylaly, Chilam, Chylam, Chilaleigh, Chilaly, Chilaley, Chilalea, Chilaleah... chilali
Chymalis, Chimalys, Chymalys... chimalis
Adoption declined as the availability of babies fell with the introduction of the Abortion Act 1968, improving contraceptive services and increasing acceptability of single parenthood.
However, with 10 per cent of couples suffering infertility, the demand continued, leading to the adoption of those previously perceived as di?cult to place – i.e. physically, intellectually and/or emotionally disabled children and adolescents, those with terminal illness, and children of ethnic-minority groups.
Recent controversies regarding homosexual couples as adoptive parents, adoption of children with or at high risk of HIV/AIDS, transcultural adoption, and the increasing use of intercountry adoption to ful?l the needs of childless couples have provoked urgent consideration of the ethical dilemmas of adoption and its consequences for the children, their adoptive and birth families and society generally.
Detailed statistics have been unavailable since 1984 but in general there has been a downward trend with relatively more older children being placed. Detailed reasons for adoption (i.e. interfamily, step-parent, intercountry, etc.) are not available but approximately one-third are adopted from local-authority care.
In the UK all adoptions (including interfamily and step-parent adoption) must take place through a registered adoption agency which may be local-authority-based or provided by a registered voluntary agency. All local authorities must act as agencies, the voluntary agencies often providing specialist services to promote and support the adoption of more di?cult-to-place children. Occasionally an adoption allowance will be awarded.
Adoption orders cannot be granted until a child has resided with its proposed adopters for 13 weeks. In the case of newborn infants the mother cannot give formal consent to placement until the baby is six weeks old, although informal arrangements can be made before this time.
In the UK the concept of responsibility of birth parents to their children and their rights to continued involvement after adoption are acknowledged by the Children Act 1989. However, in all discussions the child’s interests remain paramount. The Act also recognises adopted children’s need to have information regarding their origins.
BAAF – British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering – is the national organisation of adoptive agencies, both local authority and voluntary sector. The organisation promotes and provides training service, development and research; has several specialist professional subgroups (i.e. medical, legal, etc.); and produces a quarterly journal.
Adoption UK is an e?ective national support network of adoptive parents who o?er free information, a ‘listening ear’ and, to members, a quarterly newsletter.
National Organisation for Counselling Adoptees and their Parents (NORCAP) is concerned with adopted children and birth parents who wish to make contact.
The Registrar General operates an Adoption Contact Register for adopted persons and anyone related to that person by blood, half-blood or marriage. Information can be obtained from the O?ce of Population Censuses and Surveys. For the addresses of these organisations, see Appendix 2.... child adoption
Chitrah, Chytra, Chytrah... chitra
Habitat: Nepal, Chota Nagpur and Khasi hills at altitudes of 9001,500 m.
Action: Plant—used in China for fevers and asthma. Root—considered depurative and antirheumatic in Indo-China. The plant is one of the constituent of a tincture formulation used for the treatment of scars.
The rhizomes of the plant are reported to contain the polyfructosan, lobelinin.... lobelia chinensisSpecial needs The Children Act 1989, Education Acts 1981, 1986 and 1993, and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Legislation 1979 impose various statutory duties to identify and provide assistance for children with special needs. They include the chronically ill as well as those with impaired development or disabilities such as CEREBRAL PALSY, or hearing, vision or intellectual impairment. Many CDTs keep a register of such children so that services can be e?ciently planned and evaluated. Parents of disabled children often feel isolated and neglected by society in general; they are frequently frustrated by the lack of resources available to help them cope with the sheer hard work involved. The CDT, through its key workers, does its best to absorb anger and divert frustration into constructive actions.
There are other groups of children who come to the attention of child health services. Community paediatricians act as advisers to adoption and fostering agencies, vital since many children needing alternative homes have special medical or educational needs or have behavioural or psychiatric problems. Many see a role in acting as advocates, not just for those with impairments but also for socially disadvantaged children, including those ‘looked after’ in children’s homes and those of travellers, asylum seekers, refugees and the homeless.
Child protection Regrettably, some children come to the attention of child health specialists because they have been beaten, neglected, emotionally or nutritionally starved or sexually assaulted by their parents or carers. Responsibility for the investigation of these children is that of local-authority social-services departments. However, child health professionals have a vital role in diagnosis, obtaining forensic evidence, advising courts, supervising the medical aspects of follow-up and teaching doctors, therapists and other professionals in training. (See CHILD ABUSE.)
School health services Once children have reached school age, the emphasis changes. The prime need becomes identifying those with problems that may interfere with learning – including those with special needs as de?ned above, but also those with behavioural problems. Teachers and parents are advised on how to manage these problems, while health promotion and health education are directed at children. Special problems, especially as children reach secondary school (aged 11–18) include accidents, substance abuse, psychosexual adjustment, antisocial behaviour, eating disorders and physical conditions which loom large in the minds of adolescents in particular, such as ACNE, short stature and delayed puberty.
There is no longer, in the UK, a universal school health service as many of its functions have been taken over by general practitioners and hospital and community paediatricians. However, most areas still have school nurses, some have school doctors, while others do not employ speci?c individuals for these tasks but share out aspects of the work between GPs, health visitors, community nurses and consultant paediatricians in child health.
Complementing their work is the community dental service whose role is to monitor the whole child population’s dental health, provide preventive programmes for all, and dental treatment for those who have di?culty using general dental services – for example, children with complex disability. All children in state-funded schools are dentally screened at ages ?ve and 15.
Successes and failures Since the inception of the NHS, hospital services for children have had enormous success: neonatal and infant mortality rates have fallen by two-thirds; deaths from PNEUMONIA have fallen from 600 per million children to a handful; and deaths from MENINGITIS have fallen to one-?fth of the previous level. Much of this has been due to the revolution in the management of pregnancy and labour, the invention of neonatal resuscitation and neonatal intensive care, and the provision of powerful antibiotics.
At the same time, some children acquire HIV infection and AIDS from their affected mothers (see AIDS/HIV); the prevalence of atopic (see ATOPY) diseases (ASTHMA, eczema – see DERMATITIS, HAY FEVER) is rising; more children attend hospital clinics with chronic CONSTIPATION; and little can be done for most viral diseases.
Community child health services can also boast of successes. The routine immunisation programme has wiped out SMALLPOX, DIPHTHERIA and POLIOMYELITIS and almost wiped out haemophilus and meningococcal C meningitis, measles and congenital RUBELLA syndrome. WHOOPING COUGH outbreaks continue but the death and chronic disability rates have been greatly reduced. Despite these huge health gains, continuing public scepticism about the safety of immunisation means that there can be no relaxation in the educational and health-promotion programme.
Services for severely and multiply disabled children have improved beyond all recognition with the closure of long-stay institutions, many of which were distinctly child-unfriendly. Nonetheless, scarce resources mean that families still carry heavy burdens. The incidence of SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS) has more than halved as a result of an educational programme based on ?rm scienti?c evidence that the risk can be reduced by putting babies to sleep on their backs, avoidance of parental smoking, not overheating, breast feeding and seeking medical attention early for illness.
Children have fewer accidents and better teeth but new problems have arisen: in the 1990s children throughout the developed world became fatter. A UK survey in 2004 found that one in ?ve children are overweight and one in 20 obese. Lack of exercise, the easy availability of food at all times and in all places, together with the rise of ‘snacking’, are likely to provoke signi?cant health problems as these children grow into adult life. Adolescents are at greater risk than ever of ill-health through substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy. Child health services are facing new challenges in the 21st century.... child development teams (cdts)
History Child health services were originally designed, before the NHS came into being, to ?nd or prevent physical illness by regular inspections. In the UK these were carried out by clinical medical o?cers (CMOs) working in infant welfare clinics (later, child health clinics) set up to ?ll the gap between general practice and hospital care. The services expanded greatly from the mid 1970s; ‘inspections’ have evolved into a regular screening and surveillance system by general practitioners and health visitors, while CMOs have mostly been replaced by consultant paediatricians in community child health (CPCCH).
Screening Screening begins at birth, when every baby is examined for congenital conditions such as dislocated hips, heart malformations, cataract and undescended testicles. Blood is taken to ?nd those babies with potentially brain-damaging conditions such as HYPOTHYROIDISM and PHENYLKETONURIA. Some NHS trusts screen for the life-threatening disease CYSTIC FIBROSIS, although in future it is more likely that ?nding this disease will be part of prenatal screening, along with DOWN’S (DOWN) SYNDROME and SPINA BIFIDA. A programme to detect hearing impairment in newborn babies has been piloted from 2001 in selected districts to ?nd out whether it would be a useful addition to the national screening programme. Children from ethnic groups at risk of inherited abnormalities of HAEMOGLOBIN (sickle cell disease; thalassaemia – see under ANAEMIA) have blood tested at some time between birth and six months of age.
Illness prevention At two months, GPs screen babies again for these abnormalities and start the process of primary IMMUNISATION. The routine immunisation programme has been dramatically successful in preventing illness, handicap and deaths: as such it is the cornerstone of the public health aspect of child health, with more potential vaccines being made available every year. Currently, infants are immunised against pertussis (see WHOOPING COUGH), DIPHTHERIA, TETANUS, POLIOMYELITIS, haemophilus (a cause of MENINGITIS, SEPTICAEMIA, ARTHRITIS and epiglottitis) and meningococcus C (SEPTICAEMIA and meningitis – see NEISSERIACEAE) at two, three and four months. Selected children from high-risk groups are o?ered BCG VACCINE against tuberculosis and hepatitis vaccine. At about 13 months all are o?ered MMR VACCINE (measles, mumps and rubella) and there are pre-school entry ‘boosters’ of diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningococcus C and MMR. Pneumococcal vaccine is available for particular cases but is not yet part of the routine schedule.
Health promotion and education Throughout the UK, parents are given their child’s personal health record to keep with them. It contains advice on health promotion, including immunisation, developmental milestones (when did he or she ?rst smile, sit up, walk and so on), and graphs – called centile charts – on which to record height, weight and head circumference. There is space for midwives, doctors, practice nurses, health visitors and parents to make notes about the child.
Throughout at least the ?rst year of life, both parents and health-care providers set great store by regular weighing, designed to pick up children who are ‘failing to thrive’. Measuring length is not quite so easy, but height measurements are recommended from about two or three years of age in order to detect children with disorders such as growth-hormone de?ciency, malabsorption (e.g. COELIAC DISEASE) and psychosocial dwar?sm (see below).
All babies have their head circumference measured at birth, and again at the eight-week check. A too rapidly growing head implies that the infant might have HYDROCEPHALUS – excess ?uid in the hollow spaces within the brain. A too slowly growing head may mean failure of brain growth, which may go hand in hand with physically or intellectually delayed development.
At about eight months, babies receive a surveillance examination, usually by a health visitor. Parents are asked if they have any concerns about their child’s hearing, vision or physical ability. The examiner conducts a screening test for hearing impairment – the so-called distraction test; he or she stands behind the infant, who is on the mother’s lap, and activates a standardised sound at a set distance from each ear, noting whether or not the child turns his or her head or eyes towards the sound. If the child shows no reaction, the test is repeated a few weeks later; if still negative then referral is made to an audiologist for more formal testing.
The doctor or health visitor will also go through the child’s developmental progress (see above) noting any signi?cant deviation from normal which merits more detailed examination. Doctors are also recommended to examine infants developmentally at some time between 18 and 24 months. At this time they will be looking particularly for late walking or failure to develop appropriate language skills.... child health
as the organ of the sense of taste, and as an organ provided with a delicate sense of touch; and
to play a part in the production of speech. (See VOICE AND SPEECH.) It is usual to classify any taste as: sweet, bitter,
salt and acid, since ?ner distinctions are largely dependent upon the sense of smell. The loss of keenness in taste brought about by a cold in the head, or even by holding the nose while swallowing, is well known. Sweet tastes seem to be best appreciated by the tip of the tongue, acids on its edges, and bitters at the back. There are probably di?erent nerve-?bres and end-organs for the di?erent varieties of taste. Many tastes depend upon the ordinary sensations of the tongue.
Like other sensations, taste can be very highly educated for a time, as in tea-tasters and wine-tasters, but this special adaptation is lost after some years.... functions the chief uses of the tongue are:
Habitat: Cultivated chiefly in Kannauj, Kanpur and Hathras.
English: Bengal Rose, Monthly Rose.... rosa chinensisHabitat: Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim, Assam, and Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Action: Plant—emollient, resolvent. Used as a poultice in erysipelas and for tumours in the breast. Root—used both externally and internally for enhancing blood circulation especially when blue spots and blotches result from blows. The powdered root, mixed with tea, is given to parturient women. Leaves—used for poulticing pimples. The juice is used asa gargle for inflammations of the throat.... gynura pseudo-china
Habitat: Native to China; now cultivated mainly in Northern Bihar, particularly in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts, and Saharanpur, Dehra Dun, Muzaffar- nagar, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Gonda, Basti, Faizabad, Rampur, Bareil- ly, Bahraich, Kheri and Pilibhit districts of Uttar Pradesh.
English: Litchi, Lychee.Action: Fruit—refrigerant during summer. Leaf—used in bites of animals.
Litchi aril contains: total sugars (as invert sugar) 12.1-14.8; reducing sugar 9-13.7; non-reducing sugar 1.0-3.4; acidity (as citric acid) 0.22-0.36%; and ascorbic acid 34.5-45.4 mg/100 g.The plant contains levulinic, malic, citric, lactic, malonic, fumaric, suc- cinic, phosphoric and glutaric acids.The Bark contains friedelin and stig- masterol.Litchi seeds are prescribed in Malaya for neurological disorders and orchi- tis. In seed lipids, fatty acids cyclo- propanoic 42.0; oleic 27.0, palmitic 12.0 and linoleic 11.0%, have been determined.... litchi chinensisAnxiety, phobias and depression are fairly common. For instance, surveys show that up to
2.5 per cent of children and 8 per cent of adolescents are depressed at any one time, and by the age of 18 a quarter will have been depressed at least once. Problems such as OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER, ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER (HYPERACTIVITY SYNDROME), AUTISM, ASPERGER’S SYNDROME and SCHIZOPHRENIA are rare.
Mental-health problems may not be obvious at ?rst, because children often express distress through irritability, poor concentration, dif?cult behaviour, or physical symptoms. Physical symptoms of distress, such as unexplained headache and stomach ache, may persuade parents to keep children at home on school days. This may be appropriate occasionally, but regularly avoiding school can lead to a persistent phobia called school refusal.
If a parent, teacher or other person is worried that a child or teenager may have a mental-health problem, the ?rst thing to do is to ask the child gently if he or she is worried about anything. Listening, reassuring and helping the child to solve any speci?c problems may well be enough to help the child feel settled again. Serious problems such as bullying and child abuse need urgent professional involvement.
Children with emotional problems will usually feel most comfortable talking to their parents, while adolescents may prefer to talk to friends, counsellors, or other mentors. If this doesn’t work, and if the symptoms persist for weeks rather than days, it may be necessary to seek additional help through school or the family’s general practitioner. This may lead to the child and family being assessed and helped by a psychologist, or, less commonly, by a child psychiatrist. Again, listening and counselling will be the main forms of help o?ered. For outright depression, COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY and, rarely, antidepressant drugs may be used.... mental health problems in children
Habitat: The Himalayas from Garhwal to Bhutan, North Bengal, Bihar and Khasi, Aka and Lushai hills.
Folk: Bhui-lukham (Lushai).Action: Plant—anodyne, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory.
The plant contains the flavonoids, quercetin, kaempferol and hydrolys- able tannins, besides gallic acid, methyl gallate and ellagic acid.The flavonoids and tannins showed antioxidant activity. Ellagic acid suppressed increase in lipid peroxidation induced by CCl4 and Cobalt-60 irradiation and this effect was more than that of alpha-tocopherol. Gallic acid showed anti-inflammatory activity against zymosan-induced acute footpad swelling in mice.... osbeckia chinensisBlood accumulates in the liver, which swells.
Liver failure and portal hypertension result.
Treatment is aimed at removing the cause of the obstruction: this may be a blood clot, pressure on the veins from a liver tumour, or a congenital abnormality of the veins.
In most cases, treatment has only a limited effect and, unless a liver transplant can be done, the disease is fatal within 2 years.... budd–chiari syndrome
Child abuse may take the form of physical injury, sexual abuse, emotional mistreatment, and/or neglect; it occurs at all levels of society.
Being deprived or ill-treated in childhood may predispose people to repeat the pattern of abuse with their own children.
Children who are abused or at risk of abuse may be placed in care while the health and social services decide on the best course of action.... they generally heal without treatment child abuse
Habitat: Throughout India and the Andamans.
English: Senega.Folk: Meradu, Maraad, Negali (Maharashtra). Maraad (Nepal).Action: Root—antiasthmatic; used as a substitute for Senega obtained from the American plant Polygala senega. (In Chinese medicine Senega refers to P. tenuifolia Willd.)
Key application: Senega Root— in productive cough, catarrh of the respiratory tract and chronic bronchitis. (German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO.)Senega yielded lactonic lignans, their glycosides and flavonol glycosides. The root gave arctiin, afzelin, myricitrin and rutin. A triterpenic saponin was also obtained from the plant. The root contains salicylic acid, methyl salicylate and senegin (a sapo- nin mixture).Senega is used for chronic bronchitis, catarrh, asthma and croup, as an infusion.Related species are: P. chinesis Linn., synonym P. glomerata Lour; P. tele- phioides Willd., synonym P. brachys- tachya DC. non-Bl., found throughout the plains of India. Both the plants are used as expectorant, antiasthmatic and anticatarrhal.Toxic constituents of Polygala senega root are: triterpene saponins—6- 16% senegasaponins A-D with agly- cone presenegenin or senegin. Sapo- nins irritate GI tract mucosa and cause reflex secretion of mucous in the bronchioles.A French patent is used against graft rejection, eczema and multiple sclerosis as an anti-inflammatory drug.... polygala chinensisHabitat: Argentine, Arid, Mexican, Peruvian and Australian species have been introduced into India.
English: Mesquite.Folk: Khejaraa, Vilaayati Kikar, Kaabuli Kikar.Action: Gum—inferior to Gum arabic. The dry wood contains 0.9, bark 3.0-8.4, and roots 6-7% tannin.
The leaves contain piperidine alkaloids, juliprosinene, juliflorinine and N-methyljuliforidine. Other alkaloids present in the leaves are juliprosine, isojuliprosine, juliflorine, julifloricine and julifloridine.A mixture of alkaloids containing mainly juliprosine and isojuliprosine showed significant antifungal activity against dermatophytes (comparable to griseofulvin).The alkaloid fraction also showed broad spectrum bactericidal action against both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria (comparable to antibiotics like penicillin, streptomycin, ampicillin, sulphamethoxazole and te- tracycline).Significant activity of juliflorine against fungi and bacteria, and that of julifloricine against bacteria has also been reported.The fruit gave a flavone glycoside, patulitrin which exhibited cytotoxic activity.... prosopis chilensisHabitat: The temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan at 1,3002,400 m.
Folk: Tatri, Arkhar (Punjab).Action: Galls—astringent and expectorant. Used in ointments and suppositories employed in the treatment of haemorrhoids, swellings and wounds. Fruits— spasmolytic. Used for colic, diarrhoea and dysentery.
Dry galls contain 50 to 80% tannin (in the form of Gallo tannic acid); small amounts of fat, resin and gum. The stem-bark contains 10.5% tannin. The fruit contains tannin, gallic acid and potassium acid salts, together with small amounts of aluminium, calcium, magnesium and iron acid salts of malic, tartaric and citric acids.The heartwood contained the flavo- noids, pongapin, tetramethoxyfisetin and demethoxykanugin, and a diben- zoylmethane, ovalitenone.Rhus hookeri Sahni & Bahadur, synonym R. insignis Hk. f. is found in Sik- kim Himalaya from Nepal to Bhutan at 1,600-2,000 m and in Khasi Hills at 1,500 m. Juice of the plant is a powerful vesicant. The fruit contain a fat similar to that found in the fruit of R. javanica.... rhus chinensisChild guidance professionals include psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric social workers. For young children, play therapy may be used for diagnosis. Older children may be offered counselling, psychotherapy, or group therapy. Family therapy may be used in cases where there are difficulties between the child and 1 or both parents.... child guidance
Habitat: A large, climbing shrub or small tree occurring throughout India, including the Andaman Islands.
English: Saptrangi.Ayurvedic: Saptachakraa, Swarn- muula, Saptarangi.Folk: Ingali (Maharashtra), Modhuphal (Bengal), Cherukuranti (Kerala).Action: Roots—used in diabetes. Also used for amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea and genito-urinary and venereal diseases.
The root bark contains proantho- cyanidins, consisting of monomeric leucopelargonidin, its monomer, dimer and tetramer; triterpenoids (friedelin and its derivatives), mangi- ferine, phlobatannin, and glucosidal tannins.The stem yielded gutta, dulcitol and proanthocyanidin consisting of dimer of leucopelargonidin.Dosage: Root—50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... salacia chinensisHabitat: Japan, China and Cochin China.
Ayurvedic: Chobachini, Chopachi- ni, Dweepaantar-Vachaa, Madhus- nuhi, Hriddhaatri.Unani: Chobchini.Siddha/Tamil: Parangi chakkai.Action: Tubers—used as alterative in venereal diseases, chronic skin diseases and rheumatic affections. Used as official sarsaparilla. (China of homoeopathic medicine is Peruvian bark, not Smilax china.)
Sarsaparilla (Smilax species) is used in Oriental as well as in Western herbal for its alterative, gentle circulatory stimulant and mild testosterone activity.The root is known for its steroidal saponins. Pro-sapogenin-A of dioscin, dioscin, gracillin. Me-protogracillin, Me-protodioscin and its 22-hydroxy- analog; besides beta-sitosterol gluco- side, smilaxin, two furostan and one spirostane glycosides have been isolated from the root.Dosage: Root—50-100 mg powder. (CCRAS.)... smilax chinaHabitat: Temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan and in Khasi Hills.
English: Chiretta.Ayurvedic: Kiraata, Kairaata, Kiraataka, Kandatikta, Kiraatatikta, Kiraatatiktaka, Katutikta, Trin- nimba, Bhuunimba, Aranyatikta, Raamasenaka. Bhuunimba (also equated with Andrographis paniculata).Unani: Chiraitaa.Siddha: Nilavembu.Action: Blood purifier and bitter tonic (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India); used in skin diseases. Other properties: antiinflammatory (experimentally, the benzene extract was comparable with phenylbutazone and betamethasone in induced arthritis); hypoglycaemic (xanthone, swerchirin, lowers blood sugar), astringent, stomachic (in dyspepsia and diarrhoea); antimalarial (before the discovery of Peruvian bark), anthelmintic; antiasthmatic, bechic; and as a liver tonic (several active principles are hepatoprotective).
The herb contains oxygenated xan- thone derivatives, including decus- satin, mangiferin, swerchirin, swer- tianin, isobellidifolin; iridoids including chiratin, alkaloids including gen- tianine, gentiocrucine, enicoflavine and glycosyl flavones.Antitubercular activity has been claimed in xanthones. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Green chiretta is equated with Andrographis paniculata Nees, Acantha- ceae.Dosage: Whole plant—1-3 g powder; 20-30 g for decoction. (API, Vol. I.)... swertia chirayitaSymptoms: Slight fever with temperature rising 39°-40° (102°-104°), sore throat, heavy nasal discharge, rashes come in crops soon to progress to milky white blisters which shrivel into scabs. Irritability. The virus may lie latent in the ganglia of sensory and somatic nerves for many years to manifest later as shingles.
Object of the therapy is to reduce the temperature and promote a healthy outcropping of the rash.
Alternatives. Ensure adequate fluid intake. Antihistamine herbs: Lobelia, Goldenseal root, Parsley root, Juniper. Mucous membranes: spots on: Goldenseal, Myrrh. Ears: spots in: Instil oil Mullein or contents of Vitamin E capsule.
Teas: Boneset, Elderflowers and Peppermint, Marigold, Chamomile.
Tea. Formula. Equal parts: Red Clover, Boneset, Yarrow.
Maria Treben’s tea. Marigold 3; Nettles 1; Yarrow 1. Prepare: all teas, one heaped teaspoon to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-15 minutes. 1 cup freely.
Tinctures. Alternatives. (1) Combine, Echinacea 2; Poke root 1; Goldenseal 1. (2) Combine, Wild Indigo 2; Marigold 1; Myrrh quarter; Dose: as many drops as the age of the child, in a little water. (Adults: One 5ml teaspoon) Dose: 3-4 times daily.
Gargle and Mouthwash, where spots appear on mucous membranes: 5 drops Tincture Myrrh or Goldenseal (or combined), in warm water.
Topical. Aloe Vera. Evening Primrose oil. Oil from Vitamin E capsule. Wash with distilled extract Witch Hazel, Lavender water, or Chamomile tea.
Cayenne. Pinch Cayenne in teas, or few drops Tincture Capsicum in tinctures heightens action.
Note: For restlessness add, equal parts, Skullcap or Chamomile. For severe itching, wash with potato water or Chamomile tea.
Diet. Commence 3-day fast, with herb teas and fruit juices only. Vitamins A and C. Carrot juice.
High Temperature. If serious: tinctures – Pleurisy root 1; Lobelia 1; Catnep 2; Valerian 1. One 5ml teaspoon every 2 hours. Reduced to thrice daily when temperature abates.
Patients suffer less itching if kept cool. ... chicken pox
Anti-depressants should not be given for bed-wetting, drugs for sleep problems or strong laxatives for the chronically constipated. Mild herbal alternatives exist. Fresh carrot juice daily helps a child to avoid some complaints. Some herbs are not advised for children under 12, except under the care of a qualified practitioner.
Parental smoking habits are known to be responsible for crying and digestive symptoms in infants. Sleeplessness. German Chamomile or Balm tea: children 2-10 years quarter to half a cup; over 10 years: 1 cup. Babies: 3-6 teaspoons in feeding bottle – sweeten with honey if necessary.
Night seizures, with screaming: Passion Flower tea. 1 heaped teaspoon to cup boiling water; infuse 5-15 minutes. Strain. A few teaspoons at bedtime. When a brain storm starts place pinch of salt on the tongue. Calcium deficiency. Nettle tea. Carrot juice. Cod Liver oil with fresh orange juice.
Colic. Any tea: Dill, Catnep, Spearmint or Fennel. Few teaspoons frequently. Abdominal massage: 3 drops Chamomile oil in teaspoon olive oil.
Constipation. Prune or carrot juice. Dandelion coffee.
Cough. Oil of Thyme – few drops in water.
Crusta Lacta (milk rash). Weak teas: Plantain, Heartsease, Red Clover. Anoint with St John’s Wort oil. Buttermilk, Wheatgerm.
Diarrhoea. Teas: Yarrow, Tormentil. Breast feeding during the first 4-6 months of life reduces the risk of children’s diarrhoea.
Digestion, weak. Teas: Fennel, Caraway, Dill. 1 teaspoon crushed seeds to cup boiling water. Infuse 15 minutes in a covered vessel. Teaspoon doses for under 2s; half-1 cup thereafter. Also for flatulence. Feverishness. Alarm at a baby’s fever and fractiousness may attract complete medical treatment including nose drops, cough linctus, antipyretics and antibiotics, together with something to let the parents get some sleep. Avoid where possible. Mild fevers: teas – Yarrow, Marigold, Thyme, Elderflowers and Peppermint, Catmint, Carragheen Moss. Sweeten with honey. Topical: Flannels wrung out in these hot teas. Zinc can cut short the common cold. Echinacea tablets/capsules offer antiviral protection.
It is common for a child to convulse with fever. A feverish child, kept cool, is less likely to have convulsions. Remove most of child’s clothes so he can lose heat through the skin. Fruit juices (Vitamin C) in abundance. Do not feed solid foods. Wash in lukewarm (not cold) water.
Eyes. Deep hollows under the eyes reveal exhaustion, for which blood and nerve tonics and iron supplements are indicated.
Growth problems. Under-developed children respond well to herbal aids: Gentian, Ginseng, Horsetail, Marigold, Oats, German Chamomile, Wood Betony, Kelp, Alfalfa. Supplementation with brewer’s yeast, Calcium, Pollen and Zinc yield convincing results.
Hyperactivity. Nerve restoratives for highly-strung children: Teas: Lime flowers, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, B-vitamins. Porridge. Tablets: Passion flower, Valerian, Skullcap. Vitamins B6 and C. Powders: formula. Passion flower 2; Valerian 1; Liquorice 1. Dose: 250mg (one 00 capsule or one-sixth teaspoon) thrice daily.
Irritability and impaired school performance may be due to Tartrazine and other additives, sugar, and anticonvulsant drugs. See previous paragraph.
Infection. Infection of the upper respiratory tract may manifest as inflammation of the middle ear, nasal discharge or tonsillitis. Echinacea tablets, powder or liquid extract indicated. For specific infection such as measles, see under MEASLES, or other appropriate entry.
Skin. Reject cow’s in favour of goat’s milk. See appropriate entry for each skin disease (ECZEMA, etc). Care of skin after bathing: St John’s Wort oil, Evening Primrose oil. ... children
Action: antispasmodic, antidiarrhoeal, antimicrobial, anti-emetic, carminative, anti-putrescent, aromatic, febrifuge, mild analgesic.
Uses: Flatulent dyspepsia, colic, irritable bowel, diverticulosis. Influenza and colds. Leucorrhoea (5 drops oil in honey before meals). Lung affections: chest rub. Loss of weight and malaise. Deficiency of stomach acid. Snakebite.
Preparations: Thrice daily, or more frequently in acute cases.
Tea: Quarter to half a teaspoon in each cup boiling water, hot tea or other beverage.
Tincture BPC (1949). Dose 30-60 drops (2-4ml).
Inhalant: Inhale steam from 20-30 drops oil or essence in 1 pint boiling water, with head covered. Chest-rub. 5 drops oil in 2 teaspoons Almond or Olive oil.
Not a front-line remedy. Much used to flavour medicines and toothpastes. Avoid in pregnancy. Combines well with Ginger (equal parts). ... cinnamon, chinese
Behavioural problems that are common in babies and young children include feeding difficulties (see feeding, infant) and sleeping problems, such as waking repeatedly in the night. In toddlers, breath-holding attacks, tantrums, separation anxiety, and head-banging are problems best dealt with by a consistent and appropriate approach. Problems with toilet-training are usually avoided if the training is delayed until the child is physically and emotionally ready.
Between the ages of 4 and 8, behavioural problems such as nail-biting and thumb-sucking, clinginess, nightmares, and bed-wetting (see enuresis) are so common as to be almost normal.
They are best dealt with by a positive approach that concentrates on rewarding good behaviour.
In most cases, the child grows out of the problem, but sometimes medical help may be needed.... behavioural problems in children
Slow progress in the 1st stage of a normal labour due to inadequate contractions of the uterus is usually treated with intravenous infusions of synthetic oxytocin. If the mother cannot push strongly enough, or contractions are ineffective in the 2nd stage of labour, the baby may be delivered by forceps delivery, vacuum extraction, or caesarean section. Rarely, a woman has eclampsia during labour, requiring treatment with anticonvulsant drugs and oxygen, and induction of labour or caesarean section. Bleeding before labour (antepartum haemorrhage) or during labour may be due to premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus or, less commonly, to a condition called placenta praevia, in which the placenta lies over the opening of the cervix. Blood loss after the delivery (postpartum haemorrhage) is usually due to failure of the uterus to contract after delivery, or to
retention of part of the placenta. If the baby lies in the breech position (see breech delivery), caesarean section may be necessary. Multiple pregnancies (see pregnancy, multiple) carry an increased risk of premature labour and of problems during delivery. If the mother’s pelvis is too small in proportion to the head of her baby, delivery by caesarean section is necessary.... childbirth, complications of
Although there is wide variation in individual rates of progress, most children develop certain skills within predictable age ranges.
For example, most infants start to walk at 12–18 months.
Capability for new skills is linked to the maturity of the child’s nervous system.
Individual rates of maturity are determined genetically and modified by environmental factors in the uterus and after birth.
Development is assessed in early childhood by looking at abilities in 4 main areas: locomotion; hearing and speech; vision and fine movement; and social behaviour and play.
(See also developmental delay.)... child development
growth steadily decreases. Puberty marks another major period of growth, which continues until adult height and weight are reached, usually at about age 16–17 in girls and 19–21 in boys.
Body shape changes during childhood because different areas grow at different rates. For example, at birth, the head is already about three quarters of its adult size; it grows to almost full size during the first year. Thereafter, it becomes proportionately smaller because the body grows at a much faster rate.
Growth can be influenced by heredity and by environmental factors such as nutrition and general health. Hormones also play an important role, particularly growth hormone, thyroid hormones, and, at puberty, the sex hormones.
A chronic illness, such as cystic fibrosis, may retard growth. Even a minor illness can slow growth briefly, although the growth rate usually catches up when the child recovers. In some cases, slow growth may be the only sign that a child is ill or malnourished, in which case it is known as failure to thrive. However, short stature does not necessarily indicate poor health. Abnormally rapid growth is rare. Usually, it is a familial trait, but it may occasionally indicate an underlying disorder, such as a pituitary gland tumour causing gigantism. (See also age; child development.)... growth, childhood
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