_Where should the temperature of infants and young children be taken?_

The rectum is altogether the best place, and next to this the groin.
The rectal temperature is from half a degree to a degree higher than
that in the groin.

_How long should the thermometer be left in place to take the
temperature?_

Two minutes in the rectum, and five minutes in the groin.

_Is the temperature of a young child a good guide as to the severity
of its symptoms in illness?_

As a rule it is. A temperature of 100° to 102° F. commonly means a mild
illness, and one of 104° F. or over a serious one. The duration of the
fever is, however, even more important than the height of the
temperature. It should be remembered that in all young children slight
causes often produce a high temperature which lasts for a few hours;
one should not therefore be unduly alarmed unless the temperature
continues high, or is accompanied by other important signs of illness.

_Is not a high temperature a more serious symptom in a young child
than in an adult?_

The opposite is rather the case. Young children are extremely
sensitive to conditions which produce fever, and the thermometer often
gives an exaggerated idea of the severity of the symptoms. A cause
which in an adult might produce a temperature of 102° F. or 103° F.,
in a young child would very likely be accompanied by a temperature of