Habitual constipation at a later period is difficult to overcome by
diet alone. It sometimes depends upon the fact that the proteids are
too high, and sometimes that the fat is too low. Hence it is more
frequent when infants are fed upon plain milk variously diluted (page
90), then when 7-per-cent or 10-per-cent milk is used, and diluted to
a greater degree. But it is not desirable to use a top-milk containing
more than ten per cent fat for this purpose, nor is it wise to carry
the fat in the food above 4 per cent (i.e., 8 ounces of 10-per-cent
milk, or 12 ounces of 7-per-cent milk, in a 20-ounce mixture) or other
disturbances of digestion may be produced.

In some cases the use, in place of milk sugar, of ordinary brown
sugar, in half the quantity, is of assistance; or of some of the
malted foods (Mellin's food, malted milk, cereal milk) also in the
place of milk sugar.

The substitution of the milk of magnesia for the lime-water as
recommended on page 60 will often be found useful.

To infants over nine months old, orange juice may be given.

_What special modifications are required during very hot weather?_

During the warm season it is well to make the proportion of fat less
than during cold weather. During short periods of excessive heat it
should be much less. The fat is reduced by using 7-per-cent milk in
place of 10-per-cent (i.e., the Second instead of the First Series of
formulas, page 71), or plain milk in place of the 7-per-cent milk in
the Second and Third Series (page 90). At such times also the usual