time in a place. It puts on very much the appearance of the child
having been stung by nettles--hence its name. It produces great heat,
itching, and irritation, sometimes to such a degree as to make him
feverish, sick, and fretful. He is generally worse when he is warm in
bed, or when the surface of his body is suddenly exposed to the air.
Rubbing the skin, too, always aggravates the itching and the tingling,
and brings out a fresh crop.

The _cause_ of nettle-rash may commonly be traced to improper feeding;
although, occasionally, it proceeds from teething.

_What to do_.--It is a complaint of no danger, and readily gives way
to a mild aperient, and to attention to diet. There is nothing better
to relieve the irritation of the skin than a warm bath. If it be a
severe attack of nettle-rash, by all means call in a medical man.

_What NOT to do_.--Do not apply cold applications to his skin, and do
not wash him (while the rash is out) in quite _cold_ water. Do not
allow him to be in a draught, but let him be in a well-ventilated
room. If he be old enough to eat meat, keep it from him for a few
days, and let him live on milk and farinaceous diet. Avoid strong
purgatives, and calomel, and grey-powder.

106. _What are the symptoms and the treatment of Red-gum_?

Red-gum, tooth-rash, red-gown, is usually owing to irritation from
teething; not always from the cutting but from the evolution--the
"breeding," of the teeth. It is also sometimes owing to unhealthy
stools irritating the bowels, and showing itself, by sympathy, on the
skin. Red-gum consists of several small papulae, or pimples, about the