p. 15 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 43, No. 33. (8/22/1916)

Earlier text: HIS TEMPESTUOUS PRECURSORS

Nature's Danger Signal

By L. A. Hansen

An Imperative Call to Immediate Action

ARTICLE THREE

By L. A. HANSEN Associate Editor Life and Health

"Do not give him drugs except on the doctor's advice and direction."

"SUMMER complaint," or diarrhea, is one of the most-to-be-feared child destroyers. Mothers need to give the utmost attention to the prevention of this disease. Fortunately, however, there are a number of things that can be done, even after the disease appears, that may be successful in combating it, especially if done in time.

The suggestions here given are not intended to take the place of the services of the physician, but are merely to aid the mother whose care of her child must supplement that of the physician, or who possibly may be so situated that the immediate help of a doctor is not available.

The very first symptoms must be taken by the mother as imperative call to immediate action. Any digestive complaint in summer may be ominous, though it may seem at first ever so slight and innocent. It may quickly develop a serious disorder, and a little delay may mean fatal results. There should be no delay in calling a doctor. "Only a case of summer diarrhea" has too often made a funeral.

What Indulgent Mothers Forget

ALL medical treatment should belong to the physician. This is particularly true when baby is the patient. Do not give him drugs except on the doctor's advice and direction. Baby's stomach and bowels are very delicate and sensitive; and the use of drugs, the full action of which may be unknown to you, and very likely is not stated on the label, may cause trouble that can never be remedied.

Diarrhea in any form, from the simplest to the most serious, is caused by the presence of poisonous bacteria, or germs, in the intestinal tract, generally the result of some error in feeding. Baby may have been overfed, either by breast or by bottle, by too much food at a time, or by too frequent feedings. Indulgent mothers may forget that baby's stomach is of limited capacity, and allow more food than it can take care of. The result will be fermentation, and then irritation of the sensitive mucous membrane, followed by diarrhea. The trouble may be caused by particles of food, such as meat, corn, potatoes, or other foods, that were not properly chewed, and hence could not be digested.

The most common cause of diarrhea is milk that already has bacteria in it. With the favorable conditions of warmth and food found in the intestines, these rapidly multiply.

Stern Measures Imperative

THERE are a number of symptoms, or signs, to warn the mother of danger. The bowel movements will be more frequent than usual. The stools become thin or watery. There may be lumps of undigested curds, and perhaps mucus. The odor will be offensive. The color will vary, perhaps becoming green. The appetite begins to fail. The tongue is coated. There is more or less fever, according to the severity of the attack. Vomiting may occur. Gas may form, causing distention of bowels, and a rigid abdomen, with relief when gas is expelled.

What should be done? — First, stop feeding. More milk adds food for the germs. Give no food for at least twenty-four hours, perhaps longer. Give instead drinks of cool, boiled water at feeding times and between times. It is at this point that the destiny of many babies is determined by the mother's attitude — whether she yields to sympathetic tendencies, either of herself or of friends, to give baby something to eat, or whether she considers his real needs, and gives strict heed to them.

The digestive tract must be emptied of all food. The vomiting and diarrhea are natural efforts to accomplish this. Encourage vomiting to empty the stomach. Give a teaspoonful of castor oil to empty the bowels. If baby will not take it otherwise, it may be given in orange juice.

To aid further the emptying of the bowels, give a high enema of about a pint of tepid water to which a teaspoonful of salt has been added. This requires care, however. Attach a soft rubber catheter to the hose of a fountain syringe, grease with vaseline or olive oil, and insert slowly and carefully about six inches into the bowel, allowing the water to run while inserting, to distend the bowel ahead of the tube. Hold the syringe bag or enema can about two feet above the baby's body. Allow the air and a little water to escape before using.

Use Fomentations or Poultices

WARM applications over the abdomen will be helpful. Fomentations or poultices, changed as frequently as necessary to have them bearably hot, may be used for an hour. Follow with a cool compress of several thicknesses of cheesecloth, covered with a towel. This treatment may be repeated every four or five hours.

Fomentations are given with a woolen cloth—a piece of blanket, underwear, or other similar material—wrung out of hot water until as dry as possible, and folded inside a soft dry cloth. There should be two fomentation cloths, so that one may be applied while the other is being prepared. Care must be observed not to burn the baby.

Poultices may be made of linseed or bran, mixed with boiling water. Make thick enough to cut with a knife. Spread on cloth. Make two, and alternate in using. Fomentation cloths are preferable to poultices.

Sponging the body with cool or tepid water will aid in reducing fever, and will help to induce sleep. Place cool, wet cloths on the head. Allow plenty of fresh air. Do not be afraid of baby's catching cold; a baby with fever will not catch cold.

A child should be kept as quiet as possible when there is a tendency to bowel trouble. It should not be carried about, nor should it be allowed to run around or play. To be on its feet or to be moved much, aggravates the trouble.

Directions for Feeding

THE problem of feeding the baby during and after diarrhea is a serious one. The disease causes a nutritional waste, greater or less according to the duration of the attack. This waste is to be overcome as quickly as possible. At the same time, there is an inflamed condition of the digestive tract, which must not be irritated. Improper feeding may but prolong the difficulty.

After withholding food twenty-four hours, or possibly longer, give barley water, made by cooking two tablespoonfuls of barley in a quart of water for two or three hours, straining, and adding a little salt.

Egg water may be given after the first twenty hours. Beat the whites of two eggs in a pint of water until they are thoroughly mixed and the albumen is dissolved. Strain through a cloth, and add salt. This may be fed freely.

Rice water will also be permissible and helpful. Soak two tablespoonfuls of rice in three cups of cold water, heat gradually to the boiling point, and boil till the rice is soft. Strain, and add salt.

Milk should be withheld while diarrhea continues. The preparations mentioned will nourish for some time. They should be kept on ice between feedings.

The hands should always be washed after changing baby's napkins or handling them. This is particularly important when there is summer diarrhea, as the disease is communicable by soiled hands or utensils. The soiled napkins should be boiled in case of diarrhea.

No More Good-Byes

By William Covert

"THERE shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. . . . And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done." Rev. 21: 4-6.

In the hallowed state and time herein foretold, the songs and the rejoicings of the redeemed will relate to a deeper and sweeter appreciation of the Saviour's love than they have known on earth. There in scenes of glory will be sung new and beautiful songs, yet they will be connected with that ancient story which saints have loved so long. The righteousness of Christ and the wonders of His cross will never cease to be the theme of study — above all others most suggestive and most profound. Centuries will pass, and millenniums multiply on the great calendar of the ages, and still the sweetest of all names will be Jesus. Then, and onward, all will sing, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."

And who will sing this song, and how long? — "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Rev. 5: 12, 13.

Eternity will afford no time for estrangement from Jesus; for though one should visit a thousand worlds, and form the acquaintance

of every inhabitant in them, yet he will hear from them all, in every place, something about the love of God through Jesus. Christ will be in all who are there, for Christ shall be all in all.

These promises of unlimited and unbroken joy speak of a period beyond pain or sorrow. Everything, everywhere, in all of God's dominion, will then be in every respect just what God and His Son, in their council before anything was made, agreed that all things should be. There will be neither excess nor superfluity. There will be enough in everything and of everything to make infinite harmony.

With such conditions, can there be a place of torture in which sinners shall suffer? If a time is coming when every creature will sing God's praises, can the wicked be suffering and uttering lamentations during that same time? Or can there come a time when it will be said, "There is no more pain," if sinners are to suffer to all eternity the most intense pain? — No. Such a condition of things would forever prevent harmony. God, in His eternal purpose, did not provide for the existence of that which neither wisdom nor love can desire; and Satan cannot force God to bring in such a condition of things. It would be a dismal shadow over the beauty of the worlds.

But soon the day will be here when sin and sorrow, pain and death, are no more. And even now, the eternal dawn is near its breaking, when the brightness will appear. Then dates need be counted no more. Nor will man grow old, for decrepitude cannot come to the land of immortality. No funeral bell will toll, and curfew will not be rung, for there shall be no night there. New acquaintances will be formed; but no final good-byes will be said, for all will know there will be another meeting. WILLIAM COVERT.

Heaven's Love Letter to Lost Man

By C. B. Stephenson

"O THAT there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!" Deut. 5: 29.

In the light of this and other scriptures, it is clear that God in love and mercy commands His people for their good. It is not to exercise His authority, nor is He more exalted by the compliance of the people with His statutes. He loves us with an everlasting love, and therefore gives good laws, to save us from ruin.

The prophet Ezekiel makes the following merciful exhortation: "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

Sometimes the commandment of the Lord cuts directly across our pathway, requiring us to give up many things which we value very highly. Sometimes, in order to keep all the commandments, we must give up a lucrative position and a promising future; but the Lord sees that the only thing we can do and be saved is to turn about and obey His word. He knows that though we may prosper in this life for a brief period, the time will come when all of our earthly accumulations will be swept from us, and we with them be lost. He therefore calls upon us to keep His law for our good forever.

If you should see a man taking a course that would result in his destruction, you would certainly warn him of his danger. You would do it because you loved him and desired to do him a favor. If you should see a blind man nearing a precipice, you would hasten to warn him of his immediate danger. You would do thus because you love and pity him. So the Lord is not willing that any should perish. He says, "Thou shalt not," or, "Thou shalt," to prevent us from committing a sin and bringing upon ourselves condemnation.

The psalmist says, "Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." Ps. 19: 11. I was nearing a railroad crossing recently; and just before reaching the track, I heard the whistle of a fast approaching train. The engineer sounded his whistle as a warning to passers-by not to attempt to cross the road. It would be very dangerous to do so. He gave the warning with an earnest desire to prevent injury to any one. Likewise God, in His blessed law, warns us of the danger of transgression. He says that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6: 23), and that "sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3: 4).

God is love, and He has loved us "with an everlasting love," and is "not willing that any should perish." The Bible is Heaven's love letter to lost man. Its counsel is for the salvation of the lost, given in mercy by Him who "so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 16.

David spoke of the great reward. The apostle John wrote of it in the following words: "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." The reward is eternal life; and God points out, in His law and gospel, how we may obtain this precious boon. If our occupation leads us to violate these conditions, we should gladly give it up, and arrange our work in harmony with His will. "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8: 36. C. B. STEPHENSON.

The

By Editor

USE of the VOICE

This is the title of a pocket manual on breathing, reading, and speaking, by George B. Starr, of Loma Linda College of Medical Evangelists. It is just completed, and is going to fill a long felt want among speakers generally. Of its plan the author says:

"The author of this pocket manual searched in vain the bookstores of this and other countries for a pocket sized instruction booklet on the speaking voice."

"Many excellent treatises were found, dealing exhaustively with voice culture in its various features, but usually accompanied with so many selections for reading and recitation as to make them cumbersome and expensive. To meet this apparent lack, and to furnish, in a brief and comprehensive form, practical suggestions to speakers, this little booklet has been written."

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VALUE OF VOICE MAS- TERY THE POWER OF SPEECH REWARD OF DILIGENCE THE NASAL TWANG SHORT AND CLEAR KNOW YOUR INSTRU- MENT BREATHING PRONUNCIATION ARTICULATION COLDS HINTS OBJECT OF THE MINISTRY

VOICE TRAINING FOR WORKERS

The book contains a number of illustrations, and has been especially planned for pocket use. Bound in red leather. Price, 75c. Address your tract society.

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Strikes and Rumors of Strikes

By L. E. F.

DESPITE the fact that this is the most prosperous period in American history, and wages were never higher nor as high, yet there were more strikes and lockouts in the United States during the first six months of 1916 than in the entire year of 1915. Authoritative statistics compiled by the government's Bureau of Labor show that between December 1 and June 1, 1,432 labor disputes were reported, while during the entire year of 1915, the number was 1,405. In the month of May alone, 496 strikes were started.

On every hand, we see and hear of strikes and rumors of strikes. The conflict between capital and labor grows keener with the rapidly passing years. Hope of permanent and equitable adjustment seems as far away as ever. Even now there are prospective strikes of menacing proportions.

Little do we know of the grave conditions that lie just before us. But this one thing we do know,—every word recorded in Sacred Scripture concerning these last days will meet its fulfillment. For many years, we have maintained that the strained relations between organized labor and consolidated capital will grow more intense. And the rumblings and mutterings of the industrial volcano are growing more frequent. They are becoming more violent and ominous. Some day, they will burst forth. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Some day, and that soon, there will be a fearful harvest.

We base our belief upon these succinct, unequivocal statements of Holy Writ: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the Judge standeth before the door." James 5: 1-9.

Could language be more concise, yet explicit? "Rich men" in the "last days," with their "heaps" of gold! Then, the "hire of the laborers" "kept back by fraud"! And with what result?—"Miseries" that will cause men to "weep and howl." The comparatively severe industrial conflicts of to-day will reach their superlative degree before long.

Let us not forget the admonition: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. . . . Stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Great wrongs will never be righted by the commission of greater ones. Violence is inconsistent and unbecoming for the Christian. Vengeance belongs to God. He will repay.

This is the counsel we give. Let us live the Golden Rule. Let us stand unmoved amid the coming industrial conflict, with feet firmly planted on the immovable principles of the kingdom of Christ, unswayed by the surgings of human passion and hate. L. E. F.

Epidemic of Wife-Beating

By L. E. F.

FROM many quarters come the reports of an increase in wife-beating. In various sections of the country, it has become so prevalent as almost to assume the proportions of an epidemic. Newspapers have referred to it as such.

Extreme measures are used in some places, in the effort to check this brutal practice. According to press reports, "Kansas City, Kansas, is the first city to take drastic and unusual steps to curb the nation-wide spread of wife-beating; and the procedure it has taken is sensational in the extreme."

It has revived and erected a modified form of the public pillory of colonial times, at which to chastise wife-thrashers. A two-inch iron pipe, six feet in height, has been set in a seventy-five-pound hitching weight. About a foot from the base is an iron ring, to which a chain with ankle irons is attached. It has been placed at the busiest corner in town.

There has been considerable criticism for and against the revival of this severe form of punishment, but into this controversy we do not wish to enter. We do, however, desire to call attention to this indisputable fact,—that nineteen hundred years ago, the Divine Book foretold the coming of just such outbreaks and epidemics, which are growing more frequent and sinister as we approach the finale of earth's history.

Here is the inspired description: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be . . . without natural affection, . . . fierce." 2 Tim. 3: 1-3. The evidences that we have reached earth's closing hours thicken around us. L. E. F.

The Coming Heat Wave

By L. E. F.

ALL the world knows of the terrific heat wave that recently held the East in its relentless grip. Chicago suffered most. For nineteen long, weary days and nights—the longest duration of unbroken heat in the city's history—the populace suffered. There were 325 deaths in that city alone, directly attributable to the heat. In addition, there was a heavy toll of deaths from heat exhaustion, suicide, and drowning. The number of prostrations from heat was over 2,600. Eighty-seven persons were bitten by rabid dogs during the heat siege, while 890 horses dropped dead in the streets within five days.

Great mobs stormed the beaches. So great was the demand for bathing suits at some of the resorts, that the crowds of men and women fighting for admission created riots that necessitated the calling of the police. Fifty thousand applicants for bathing suits were turned away during one day at the Municipal Beach. And it is stated that Lake Michigan had a temperature of eighty degrees at a depth of five feet.

The heat wave was almost without precedent. It extended from the Alleghenys to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Ohio River to Hudson Bay. As one newspaper, through its editorial, expressed it:

"Seventy people dead from heat in one Chicago day— New York stewing— Boston frying— Philadelphia boiling— St. Louis roasting."

Such were the conditions. But severe and distressing as they were, yet, according to the unfailing Word of prophecy, they will be utterly forgotten in a terrible heat wave that will before long envelop the earth, when the sun will literally scorch men with fire. The prediction is recorded in Rev. 16: 8, 9. We quote it:

"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory."

The most dreadful judgments ever sent on the earth will be the seven last plagues. Mercy will then have been withdrawn from the earth. Human probation will have closed, and every case will be decided for eternity. The cup of human guilt will be filled up. The last honest soul will have availed himself of salvation. The final period will be placed upon the last page of earth's history. The wine of God's wrath will be poured upon a corrupt generation.

The seven last plagues will be literal. One by one they will be poured out upon the elements, until the very course of nature is changed. Upon the earth, the sea, the fountains of water, they fall. The sun, which has shone alike upon the just and the unjust, then scorches unrepentant men with fire. Bitter night settles upon the earth. The very air itself is poisoned. Great hailstones descend. The voice that shakes heaven and earth will cry, "It is done." All this, as recorded in Revelation 16, will immediately precede the return of Christ.

How consoling to the Christian is this promise, backed by all the power of the living God: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Ps. 91: 1. But those who, before the close of probation's last hour, seek not this shadow, will be prostrated under the pitiless glare of a sun that will "scorch men with fire." Shall we not choose the better part? Let us do the wise thing. L. E. F.

The Manufacture of Munitions of War

By Editor

WE understand that Hudson Maxim is responsible for the statement, "If there is any business in this world that should receive high honor, it is the manufacture of munitions of war." We suppose one's viewpoint will determine whether or not he can agree with this statement of Hudson Maxim's. The consistent Christian must differ.