This disease comes, as a rule, from malnutrition; it is really slow starvation. Such infants frequently have a sufficient amount of food, but the food is not suited to their natural condition; they are starving on plenty. Many of the artificial "infant foods" contain starch and other materials absolutely unfitted to the digestion of a newly-born babe. The infant will grow thinner and thinner as the days go by, until it finally presents that wasted, worn, shriveled, old appearance which follows starvation. Milk of poor quality will bring about the same conditions.

Do not undertake to treat a marasmus baby unless you have the advice of a physician. Modified milk will frequently bring a child back to normal condition in a few weeks. "Skin Feeding" sometimes becomes necessary: - when the child is being prepared for bed, give it a warm sponge bath, dry the skin carefully and rub all over with cod liver oil; do it gently but thoroughly, using at least two teaspoonfuls for the inunction.

As the child grows older, if it has teeth and increases in weight, give barley water and top milk, using sugar of milk in the same proportions as in modified milk. If the child is very young and very ill, feed every hour a table-spoonful of cream and water, for two or three days, then give modified milk and keep up the oil inunctions.