This file was produced from images generously made available by theCanadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions. 

ADVICE TO A MOTHER

ON THEMANAGEMENT OF HER CHILDRENAND ON THETREATMENT ON THE MOMENTOF SOME OF THEIR MORE PRESSING ILLNESSESAND ACCIDENTS

BY

PYE HENRY CHAVASSE, FELLOW OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND, FELLOW OF THEOBSTETRICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, FORMERLY PRESIDENT OF QUEEN'S COLLEGEMEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY, BIRMINGHAM. 

"Lo, children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and gift thatcometh of the Lord. "

PREFACE. 

This Book has been translated into French, into German, into Polish, and into Tamil (one of the languages of India); it has beenextensively published in America; and is well-known wherever theEnglish language is spoken. 

The Twelfth Edition--consisting of twenty thousand copies--beingexhausted in less than three years, the THIRTEENTH EDITION is nowpublished. 

One or two fresh questions have been asked and answered, and two orthree new paragraphs have I been added. 

PYE HENRY CHAVASSE. 

214, HAGLEY ROAD, EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM, _June_, 1878. 

CONTENTS. 

PART I--INFANCY. 

PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONABLUTIONMANAGEMENT OF THE NAVELNAVEL RUPTURE--GROIN RUPTURECLOTHINGDIETVACCINATION AND RE-VACCINATIONDENTITIONEXERCISESLEEPTHE BLADDER AND THE BOWELSAILMENTS, DISEASE, ETC. CONCLUDING REMARKS ON INFANCY

PART II--CHILDHOOD

ABLUTIONCLOTHINGDIETTHE NURSERYEXERCISEAMUSEMENTSEDUCATIONSLEEPSECOND DENTITIONDISEASE, ETC. WARM BATHSWARM EXTERNAL APPLICATIONSACCIDENTS

PART III--BOYHOOD AND GIRLHOOD

ABLUTION, ETC. MANAGEMENT OF THE HAIRCLOTHINGDIETAIR AND EXERCISEAMUSEMENTSEDUCATIONHOUSEHOLD WORK FOR GIRLSCHOICE OF PROFESSION OR TRADESLEEPON THE TEETH AND GUMSPREVENTION OF DISEASE, ETC. CONCLUDING REMARKSINDEX

ADVICE TO A MOTHER. 

PART I. --INFANCY

 _Infant and suckling. _--I. SAMUEL _A rose with all its sweetest leaves yet folded. _--BYRON. _Man's breathing Miniature!_--COLERIDGE. 

PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION

1. _I wish to consult you on many subjects appertaining to themanagement and the care of children; will you favour me with youradvice and counsel_?

I shall be happy to accede to your request, and to give you the fruitsof my experience in the clearest manner I am able, and in the simplestlanguage I can command--freed from all technicalities. I willendeavour to guide you in the management of the health of youroffspring;--I will describe to you the _symptoms_ of the diseases ofchildren;--I will warn you of approaching danger, in order that youmay promptly apply for medical assistance before disease has gainedtoo firm a footing;--I will give you the _treatment_ on the moment; ofsome of their more pressing illnesses--when medical aid cannot at oncebe procured, and where delay may be death;--I will instruct you, incase of accidents, on the _immediate_ employment of remedies--whereprocrastination may be dangerous;--I will tell you how a sick childshould be nursed, and how a sick-room ought to be managed;--I I willuse my best energy to banish injurious practices from the nursery;--Iwill treat of the means to prevent disease where it be possible;--Iwill show you the way to preserve the health of the healthy, --and howto strengthen the delicate;--and will strive to make a medical man'stask more agreeable to himself, --and more beneficial to hispatient, --by dispelling errors and prejudices, and by proving theimportance of your _strictly_ adhering to his rules. If I canaccomplish any of these objects, I shall be amply repaid by thepleasing satisfaction that I have been of some little service to therising generation. 

2. _Then you consider it important that I should be made acquaintedwith, and be well informed upon, the subjects you have just named_?

Certainly! I deem it to be your imperative duty to _study_ thesubjects well. The proper management of children is a vitalquestion, --a mother's question, --and the most important that can bebrought under the consideration of a parent; and, strange to say, itis one that has been more neglected than any other. How many mothersundertake--the responsible management of children without previousinstruction, or without forethought; they undertake it, as though itmay be learned either by intuition or by instinct, or byaffection. The consequence is, that frequently they are in a sea oftrouble and uncertainty, tossing about without either rule or compass;until, too often, their hopes and treasures are shipwrecked and lost. 

The care and management, and consequently the health and futurewell-doing of the child, principally devolve upon the mother, "for itis the mother after all that has most to do with the making or marringof the man. " [Footnote: _Good Words_, Dr W. Lindsay Alexander, March1861. ] Dr Guthrie justly remarks that--"Moses might have never beenthe man he was unless he had been nursed by his own mother. How manycelebrated men have owed their greatness and their goodness to amother's training!" Napoleon owed much to his mother. "'The fate of achild, ' said Napoleon, 'is always the work of his mother;' and thisextraordinary man took pleasure in repeating, that to his mother heowed his elevation. All history confirms this opinion. .. " Thecharacter of the mother influences the children more than that of thefather, because it is more exposed to their daily, hourlyobservation. --_Woman's Mission_. 

I am not overstating the importance of the subject in hand when I say, that a child is the most valuable treasure in the world, that "he isthe precious gift of God, " that he is the source of a mother'sgreatest and purest enjoyment, that he is the strongest bond ofaffection between her and her husband, and that

 "A babe in a house is a well-spring of pleasure, A messenger of peace and love. "--_Tupper_, I have, in the writing of the following pages, had one objectconstantly in view--namely, health--

 "That salt of life, which does to all a relish give, Its standing pleasure, and intrinsic wealth, The body's virtue, and the soul's good fortune--health. "

If the following pages insist on the importance of one of a mother'sduties more than another it is this, --_that the mother herself lookwell into everything appertaining to the management of her own child_. 

Blessed is that mother among mothers of whom it can be said, that "shehath done what she could" for her child--for his welfare, for hishappiness, for his health!

For if a mother hath not "done what she could for herchild"--mentally, morally, and physically--woe betide the unfortunatelittle creature;--better had it been for him had he never been born!

ABLUTION

3. _Is a new-born infant, for the first time, to be washed in warmor in cold water_?

It is not an uncommon plan to use _cold_ water from the first, underthe impression of its strengthening the child. This appears to be acruel and barbarous practice, and is likely to have a contrarytendency. Moreover, it frequently produces either inflammation of theeyes, or stuffing of the nose, or inflammation of the lungs, orlooseness of the bowels. Although I do not approve of _cold_ water, weought not to run into an opposite extreme, as _hot_ water would weakenand enervate the babe, and thus would predispose him to disease. Lukewarm _rain_ water will be the best to wash him with. This, if it besummer, should have its temperature gradually lowered, until it bequite cold, if it be winter, a _dash_ of warm water ought still to beadded, to take oft the chill [Footnote: A nursery basin (Wedgwoodemake is considered the best), holding either six or eight quarts ofwater, and which will be sufficiently large to hold the whole body ofthe child. The baton is generally fitted into a wooden frame whichwill raise it to a convenient height for the washing of the baby. ] (Bythermometer = 90 to 92 degrees. )

It will be necessary to use soap--Castile soap being the best for thepurpose--it being less irritating to the skin than the ordinarysoap. Care should be taken that it does not get into the eyes, as itmay produce either inflammation or smarting of those organs. 

If the skin be delicate, or if there be any excoriation or"breaking-out" on the skin, then glycerine soap, instead of theCastile soap, ought to be used. 

4. _At what age do you recommend a mother to commence washing herinfant either in the tub, or in the nursery basin_?

As soon as the navel string comes away [Footnote: Sir Charles Locockstrongly recommends that an infant should be washed _in a tub_ fromthe very commencement. He says, --"All those that I superintend _begin_with a tub. "--_Letter to the Author_. ] Do not be afraid of water, --andthat in plenty, --as it is one of the best strengtheners to a child'sconstitution. How many infants suffer, for the want of water fromexcoriation!

5. _Which do you prefer--flannel or sponge--to wash a child with_?

A piece of flannel is, for the first part of the washing veryuseful--that is to say, to use with the soap, and to loosen the dirtand the perspiration; but for the finishing-up process, a sponge--alarge sponge--is superior to flannel, to wash all away, and tocomplete the bathing. A sponge cleanses and gets into all the nooks, corners, and crevices of the skin. Besides, sponge, to finish up with, is softer and more agreeable to the tender skin of a babe thanflannel. Moreover, a sponge holds more water than flannel, and thusenables you to stream the water more effectually over him. A largesponge will act Like a miniature shower bath, and will thus brace andstrengthen him. 

6. _To prevent a new-born babe from catching cold, is it necessary towash his head with brandy_?

It is _not necessary_. The idea that it will prevent cold iserroneous, as the rapid evaporation of heat which the brandy causes ismore likely to give than to prevent cold. 

7. _Ought that tenacious, paste like substance, adhering to the skinof a new-born babe, to be washed off at the first dressing_?

It should, provided it be done with a soft sponge and with care. Ifthere be any difficulty in removing the substance, gently rub it, bymeans of a flannel, [Footnote: Mrs Baines (who has written so much andso well on the Management of Children), in a _Letter_ to the Author, recommends flannel to be used in the _first_ washing of an infant, which flannel ought afterwards to be burned; and that the spongeshould be only used to complete the process, to clear off what theflannel had already loosened. She also recommends that every childshould have his own sponge, each of which should have a particulardistinguishing mark upon it, as she considers the promiscuous use ofthe same sponge to be a frequent cause of _ophthalmia_ (inflammationof the eyes). The sponges cannot be kept too clean. ] either with alittle lard, or fresh butter, or sweet-oil. After the parts have beenwell smeared and gently rubbed with the lard, or oil, or butter, letall be washed off together, and be thoroughly cleansed away, by meansof a sponge and soap and warm water, and then, to complete theprocess, gently put him in for a minute or two in his tub. If thispaste like substance be allowed to remain on the skin, it mightproduce either an excoriation, or a "breaking-out" Besides, it isimpossible, if that tenacious substance be allowed to remain on it, for the skin to perform its proper functions. 

8. _Have you any general observations to make on the washing of anew-born infant_?

A babe ought, every morning of his life, to be thoroughly washed fromhead to foot, and this can only be properly done by putting him bodilyeither into a tub or into a bath, or into a large nursery basin, halffilled with water. The head, before placing him in the bath, should befirst wetted (but not dried), then immediately put him into the water, and, with a piece of flannel well soaked, cleanse his whole body, particularly his arm pits, between his thighs, his groins, and hishams, then take a large sponge in hand, and allow the water from it, well filled, to stream all over the body, particularly over his backand loins. Let this advice be well observed, and you will find theplan most strengthening to your child. The skin must, after everybath, be thoroughly but quickly dried with warm, dry, soft towels, first enveloping the child in one, and then gently absorbing themoisture with the towel, not roughly scrubbing and rubbing his tenderskin as though a horse were being rubbed down. 

The ears must, after each ablution, be carefully and well dried with asoft dry napkin, inattention to this advice has sometimes caused agathering in the ear--a painful and distressing complaint, and atother times it has produced deafness. 

Directly after the infant is dried, all the parts that are at alllikely to be chafed ought to be well powdered. After he is well driedand powdered, the chest, the back, the bowels, and the limbs should begently rubbed, taking care not to expose him unnecessarily during suchfriction. 

He ought to be partially washed every evening, indeed it may benecessary to use a sponge and a little warm water frequently duringthe day, namely, each time after the bowels have been relieved. _Cleanliness is one of the grand incentives to health_, and thereforecannot be too strongly insisted upon. If more attention were paid tothis subject, children would be more exempt from chafings, "breakings-out, " and consequent suffering, than they at presentare. After the second month, if the babe be delicate, the addition oftwo handfuls of table-salt to the water he is washed with in themorning will tend to brace and strengthen him. 

With regard to the best powder to dust an infant with, there isnothing better for general use than starch--the old fashioned starch_made of wheaten flour_--reduced by means of a pestle and mortar to afine powder, or Violet Powder, which is nothing more than finelypowdered starch scented, and which may be procured of any respectablechemist. Some others are in the habit of using white lead, but asthis is a poison, it ought _on no account_ to be resorted to. 

9. _If the parts about the groin and fundament be excoriated, what isthen the best application_?

After sponging the parts with tepid _rain water_, holding him over histub, and allowing the water from a well filled sponge to stream overthe parts, and then drying them with a soft napkin (not rubbing, butgently dabbing with the napkin), there is nothing better than dustingthe parts frequently with finely powdered Native Carbonate ofZinc-Calamine Powder. The best way of using this powder is, tying up alittle of it in a piece of muslin, and then gently dabbing the partswith it. 

Remember excoriations are generally owing to the want of water, --tothe want of an abundance of water. An infant who is every morning wellsoused and well swilled with water seldom suffers either fromexcoriations, or from any other of the numerous skin diseases. Cleanliness, then, is the grand preventative of, and the best remedyfor excoriations. Naaman the Syrian was ordered "to wash and beclean, " and he was healed, "and his flesh came again like unto theflesh of a little child and he was clean. " This was, of course, amiracle; but how often does water, without any special intervention, act miraculously both in preventing and in curing skin diseases!

An infant's clothes, napkins especially, ought never to be washed withsoda; the washing of napkins with soda is apt to produce excoriationsand breakings-out. "As washerwomen often deny that they use soda, itcan be easily detected by simply soaking a clean white napkin in freshwater and then tasting the water; if it be brackish and salt, soda hasbeen employed. " [Footnote: Communicated by Sir Charles Locock to theAuthor. ]

10. _Who is the proper person to wash and dress the babe_?

The monthly nurse, as long as she is in attendance; but afterwards themother, unless she should happen to have an experienced, sensible, thoughtful nurse, which, unfortunately, is seldom the case. [Footnote:"The Princess of Wales might have been seen on Thursday taking anairing in a brougham in Hyde Park with her baby--the future King ofEngland--on her lap, without a nurse, and accompanied only by MrsBrace. The Princess seems a very pattern of mothers, and it iswhispered among the ladies of the Court that every evening the motherof this young gentleman may be seen in a flannel dress, in order thatshe may properly wash and put on baby's night clothes, and see himsafely in bed. It is a pretty subject for a picture. "--_Pall MallGazette_. ]

11. _What is the best kind of apron for a mother, or for a nurse, towear, while washing the infant_?

Flannel--a good, thick, soft flannel, usually calledbathcoating--apron, made long and full, and which of course ought tobe well dried every time before it is used. 

12. _Perhaps you will kindly recapitulate, and give me further adviceon the subject of the ablution of my babe_. 

Let him by all means, then, as soon as the navel-string has separatedfrom the body, be bathed either in his tub, or in his bath, or in hislarge nursery-basin, for if he is to be strong and hearty, in thewater every morning he must go. The water ought to be slightly warmerthan new milk. It us dangerous for him to remain for a long period inhis bath, this, of course, holds good in a ten fold degree if thechild have either a cold or pain in his bowels. Take care that, immediately after he comes out of his tub, he is well dried with warmtowels. It is well to let him have his bath the first thing in themorning, and before he has been put to the breast, let him be washedbefore he has his breakfast, it will refresh him and give him anappetite. Besides, he ought to have his morning ablution on an emptystomach, or it may interfere with digestion, and might producesickness and pain. In putting him in his tub, let his head be thefirst part washed. We all know, that in bathing in the sea, now muchbetter we can bear the water if we first wet our head, if we do not doso, we feel shivering and starved and miserable. Let there be nodawdling in the washing, let it be quickly over. When he is thoroughlydried with warm _dry_ towels, let him be well rubbed with the warmhand of the mother or of the nurse. As I previously recommended, whiledrying him and while rubbing him, let him repose and kick and stretcheither on the warm flannel apron, or else on a small blanket placed onthe lap. One bathing in the tub, and that in the morning, issufficient, and better than night and morning. During the day, as Ibefore observed, he may, after the action either of his bowels or ofhis bladder, require several spongings of lukewarm water, _forcleanliness is a grand incentive to health and comeliness_. 

Remember it is absolutely necessary to every child from his earliestbabyhood to have a bath, to be immersed every morning of his life inthe water. This advice, unless in cases of severe illness, admits ofno exception. Water to the body--to the whole body--is a necessity oflife, of health, and of happiness, it wards off disease, it brace? thenerves, it hardens the frame, it is the finest tonic in the world. Oh, if every mother would follow to the very letter this counsel how muchmisery, how much ill-health might then be averted!

MANAGEMENT OF THE NAVEL. 

13. _Should the navel-string be wrapped in SINGED rag_?

There is nothing better than a piece of fine old linen rag, _unsinged_; when singed, it frequently irritates the infant's skin. 

14. _How ought the navel-string to be wrapped in the rag_?

Take a piece of soft linen rag, about three inches wide and fourinches long, and wrap it neatly round the navel string, in the samemanner you would around a cut finger, and then, to keep on the rag, tie it with a few rounds of whity-brown thread. The navel-string thuscovered should, pointing upwards, be placed on the belly of the child, and must be secured in its place by means of a flannel belly-band. 

15. _If after the navel-string has been secured, bleeding should (inthe absence of the medical man) occur, how must it be restrained_?

The nurse or the attendant ought immediately to take off the rag, andtightly, with a ligature composed of four or five whity-brown threads, retie the navel-string; and to make assurance doubly sure, after oncetying it, she should pass the threads a second time around thenavel-string, and tie it again; and after carefully ascertaining thatit no longer bleeds, fasten it up in the rag as before. Bleeding ofthe navel-string rarely occurs, yet, if it should do so--the medicalman not being at hand--the child's after-health, or even his life, may, if the above directions be not adopted, be endangered. 

16. _When does the navel-string separate from the child_?

From five days to a week after birth; in some cases not until ten daysor a fortnight, or even, in rare cases, not until three weeks. 

17. _If the navel-string does not at the end of a week came away, ought any means to be used to cause the separation_?

Certainly not, it ought always to be allowed to drop off, which, whenin a fit state, it will readily do. Meddling with the navel stringhas frequently cost the babe a great deal of suffering, and in somecases even his life. 

18. _The navel is sometimes a little sore, after the navel-stringcomes away, what ought then to be done_?

A little simple cerate should be spread on lint, and be applied everymorning to the part affected, and a white-bread poultice, every night, until it is quite healed. 

NAVEL RUPTURE--GROIN RUPTURE. 

19. _What are the causes of a rupture of the navel? What ought to bedone? Can it be cured_?

(1) A rupture of the navel is sometimes occasioned by a meddlesomenurse. She is very anxious to cause the navel-string to separate fromthe infant's body, more especially when it is longer in coming awaythan usual. She, therefore, before it is in a fit state to drop off, forces it away. (2) The rapture, at another time, is occasioned by thechild incessantly crying. A mother, then, should always bear in mind, that a rupture of the navel is often caused by much crying, and thatit occasions much crying, indeed, it is a frequent cause of incessantcrying. A child, therefore, who, without any assignable cause, isconstantly crying, should have his navel carefully examined. 

A rupture of the navel ought always to be treated early--the earlierthe better. Ruptures of the navel can only be _cured_ in infancy andin childhood. If it be allowed to run on until adult age, a _cure_ isimpossible. Palliative means can then only be adopted. 

The best treatment is a Burgundy pitch plaster, spread on a soft pieceof wash leather, about the size of the top of a tumbler, with aproperly-adjusted pad (made from the plaster) fastened on the centreof the plaster, which will effectually keep up the rupture, and in afew weeks will cure it. It will be necessary, from time to time, torenew the plaster until the cure be effected. These plasters will befound both more efficacious and pleasant than either truss or bandage;which latter appliances sometimes gall, and do more harm than they dogood. 

20. _If an infant have a groin-rupture (an inguinal rupture), can thatalso be cured_?

Certainly, if, soon after birth, it be properly attended to. Consult amedical man, and he will supply you with a well-fitting truss, _whichwill eventually cure him_. If the truss be properly made (under thedirection of an experienced surgeon) by a skilful surgical-instrumentmaker, a beautiful, nicely-fitting truss will be supplied, which willtake the proper and exact curve of the lower part of the infant'sbelly, and will thus keep on without using any under-strap whatever--agreat desideratum, as these under-straps are so constantly wetted andsoiled as to endanger the patient constantly catching cold. But ifthis under-strap is to be superseded, the truss must be made exactlyto fit the child--to fit him like a ribbon; which is a difficult thingto accomplish unless it be fashioned by a skilful workman. It is onlylately that these trusses have been made without under-straps. Formerly the under-straps were indispensable necessaries. 

These groin-ruptures require great attention and supervision, as therupture (the bowel) must, before putting on the truss be cautiouslyand thoroughly returned into the belly; and much care should be usedto prevent the chafing and galling of the tender skin of the babe, which an ill-fitting truss would be sure to occasion. But if care andskill be bestowed on the case, a perfect cure might in due time beensured. The truss must not be discontinued, until a _perfect_ cure beeffected. 

Let me strongly urge you to see that my advice is carried out to thevery letter, as a groin-rupture can only be _cured_ in infancy and inchildhood. If it be allowed to ran on, unattended to, until adult age, he will be obliged to wear a truss _all his life_, which would be agreat annoyance and a perpetual irritation to him. 

CLOTHING. 

21. _Is it necessary to have a flannel cap in readiness to put on assoon as the babe is born_?

Sir Charles Locock considers that a flannel cap is _not_ necessary, and asserts that all his best nurses have long discarded flannelcaps. Sir Charles states that since the discontinuance of flannel capsinfants have not been more liable to inflammation of the eyes. Suchauthority is, in my opinion, conclusive. My advice, therefore, to youis, discontinue by all means the use of flannel caps. 

22. _What kind of a belly-band do you recommend--a flannel or a calicoone_?

I prefer flannel, for two reasons--first, on account of its keepingthe child's bowels comfortably warm; and secondly, because of its notchilling him (and thus endangering cold, &c. ) when he wetshimself. The belly-band ought to be moderately, but not tightlyapplied, as, if tightly applied, it would interfere with the necessarymovement of the bowels. 

23. _When should the belly-band be discontinued_?

When the child is two or three months old. The best way of leaving itoff is to tear a strip off daily for a few mornings, and then to leaveit off altogether. "Nurses who take charge of an infant when themonthly nurse leaves, are frequently in the habit of at once leavingoff the belly-band, which often leads to ruptures when the child criesor strains. It is far wiser to retain it too long than too short atime; and when a child catches whooping-cough, whilst still veryyoung, it is safer to resume the belly-band. " [Footnote: Communicatedby Sir Charles Locock to the Author. ]

24. _Have you any remarks to make on the clothing of on infant_?

A babe's clothing ought to be light, warm, loose, and free frompins. (1. ) _It should be light_, without being too airy. Many infant'sclothes are both too long and too cumbersome. It is really painful tosee how some poor little babies are weighed down with a weight ofclothes. They may be said to "bear the burden, " and that a heavy one, from the very commencement of their lives! How absurd, too, thepractice of making them wear _long_ clothes. Clothes to cover achild's feet, and even a little beyond, may be desirable; but forclothes, when the infant is carried about, to reach to the ground, isfoolish and cruel in the extreme. I have seen a delicate baby almostready to faint under the infliction. (2. ) _It should be warm_, without being too warm. The parts that ought to be kept warm are thechest, the bowels, and the feet. If the infant be delicate, especiallyif he be subject to inflammation of the lungs, he ought to wear a fineflannel, instead of his usual shirts, which should be changed asfrequently. (3. ) _The dress should be loose_, so as to prevent anypressure upon the blood-vessels, which would otherwise impede thecirculation, and thus hinder a proper development of the parts. Itought to be loose about the chest and waist, so that the lungs and theheart may have free play. It should be loose about the stomach, sothat digestion may not be impeded; it ought to be loose about thebowels, in order that the spiral motion of the intestines may not beinterfered with--hence the importance of putting on a belly-bandmoderately slack; it should be loose about the sleeves, so that theblood may course, without let or hindrance, through the arteries andveins; it ought to be loose, then, everywhere, for nature delights infreedom from restraint, and will resent, sooner or later, anyinterference. Oh, that a mother would take common sense, and notcustom, as her guide! (4. ) _As few pins_ should be used in thedressing of a baby as possible. Inattention to this advice has causedmany a little sufferer to be thrown into convulsions. 

The generality of mothers use no pins in the dressing of theirchildren; they tack every part that requires fastening with a needleand thread. They do not even use pins to fasten the baby'sdiapers. They make the diapers with loops and tapes, and thusaltogether supersede the use of pins in the dressing of an infant. The plan is a good one, takes very little extra time, and deserves tobe universally adopted. If pins be used for the diapers, they ought tobe the Patent Safety Pins. 

25. _Is there any necessity for a nurse being particular in airing aninfant's clothes before they are put on? If she were less particular, would it not make him more hardy_?

A nurse cannot be too particular on this head. A babe's clothes oughtto be well aired the day before they are put on, as they should _not_be put on warm from the fire. It is well, where it can be done, to lethim have clean clothes daily. Where this cannot be afforded, theclothes, as soon as they are taken off at night, ought to be wellaired, so as to free them from the perspiration, and that they may beready to put on the following morning. It is truly nonsensical toendeavour to harden a child, or any one else, by putting on dampclothes!

26. _What is your opinion of caps for an infant_?

The head ought to be kept cool; caps, therefore, are unnecessary. Ifcaps be used at all, they should only be worn for the first month insummer, or for the first two or three months in winter. If a babe taketo caps, it requires care in leaving them off, or he will catch cold. When you are about discontinuing them, put a thinner and a thinner oneon, every time they are changed, until you leave them off altogether. 

But remember, my opinion is, that a child is better _without_ caps;they only heat his head, cause undue perspiration, and thus make himmore liable to catch cold. 

If a babe does not wear a cap in the day, it is not at all necessarythat he should wear one at night. He will sleep more comfortablywithout one, and it will be better for his health. Moreover, night-caps injure both the thickness and beauty of the hair. 

27. _Have you any remarks to make on the clothing of an infant, when, in the winter time, he is sent out for exercise_?

Be sure that he is well wrapped up. He ought to have under his cloak aknitted worsted spencer, which should button behind, and if theweather be very cold, a shawl over all, and, provided it be dry above, and the wind be not in the east or in the north-east, he may thenbrave the weather. He will then come from his walk refreshed andstrengthened, for cold air is an invigorating tonic. In a subsequentConversation I will indicate the proper age at which a child should befirst sent out to take exercise in the open air. 

28. _At what age ought an infant "to be shortened?"_

This, of course, will depend upon the season. In the summer, the righttime "for shortening a babe, " as it is called, is at the end of twomonths, in the winter, at the end of three months. But if the righttime for "shortening" a child should happen to be in the spring, letit be deferred until the end of May. The English springs are verytrying and treacherous, and sometimes, in April the weather is almostas cold, and the wind as biting as in winter. It is treacherous, forthe sun is hot, and the wind, which is at this time of the yearfrequently easterly, is keen and cutting I should far prefer "toshorten" a child in the winter than in the early spring. 

DIET

29. _Are you an advocate for putting a baby to the breast soon afterbirth, or for waiting, as many do, until the third day_?

The infant ought to be put to the bosom soon after birth, theinterest, both of the mother and of the child demands it. It will beadvisable to wait three or four hours, that the mother may recoverfrom her fatigue, and, then, the babe must be put to the breast. Ifthis be done, he will generally take the nipple with avidity. 

It might be said, at so early a period that there is no milk in thebosom; but such is not usually the case. There generally is a_little_ from the very beginning, which acts on the baby's bowels likea dose of purgative medicine, and appears to be intended by nature tocleanse the system. But, provided there be no milk at first, the veryact of sucking not only gives the child a notion, but, at the sametime, causes a draught (as it is usually called) in the breast, andenables the milk to flow easily. 

Of course, if there be no milk in the bosom--the babe having beenapplied once or twice to determine the fact--then you must wait for afew hours before applying him again to the nipple, that is to say, until the milk be secreted. 

An infant, who, for two or three days, is kept from the breast, andwho is fed upon gruel, generally becomes feeble, and frequently, atthe end of that time, will not take the nipple at all. Besides, thereis a thick cream (similar to the biestings of a cow), which, if notdrawn out by the child, may cause inflammation and gathering of thebosom, and, consequently, great suffering to the mother. Moreover, placing him _early_ to the breast, moderates the severity of themother's after pains, and lessens the risk of her flooding. A new-bornbabe must _not_ have gruel given to him, as it disorders the bowels, causes a disinclination to suck, and thus makes him feeble. 

30. _If an infant show any disinclination to suck, or if he appearunable to apply his tongue to the nipple, what ought to be done_?

Immediately call the attention of the medical man to the fact, inorder that he may ascertain whether he be tongue-tied. If he be, thesimple operation of dividing the bridle of the tongue will remedy thedefect, and will cause him to take the nipple with ease and comfort. 

31. _Provided there be not milk AT FIRST, what ought then to be done_?

Wait with patience; the child (if the mother have no milk) will not, for at least twelve hours, require artificial food. In the generalityof instances, then, artificial food is not at all necessary; but if itshould be needed, one-third of new milk and two-thirds of warm water, slightly sweetened with loaf sugar (or with brown sugar, if the babe'sbowels have not been opened), should be given, in small quantities ata time, every four hours, until the milk be secreted, and then it mustbe discontinued. The infant ought to be put to the nipple every fourhours, but not oftener, until he be able to find nourishment. 

If after the application of the child for a few times, he is unable tofind nourishment, then it will be necessary to wait until the milk besecreted. As soon as it is secreted, he must be applied with greatregularity, _alternately_ to each breast. 

I say _alternately_ to each breast. _This is most importantadvice_. Sometimes a child, for some inexplicable reason, prefers onebreast to the other, and the mother, to save a little contention, concedes the point, and allows him to have his own way. And what isfrequently the consequence?--a gathered breast!

We frequently hear of a babe having no notion of sucking. This "nonotion" may generally be traced to bad management, to stuffing himwith food, and thus giving him a disinclination to take the nipple atall. 

32. _How often should a mother suckle her infant_?

A mother generally suckles her baby too often, having him almostconstantly at the breast. This practice is injurious both to parentand to child. The stomach requires repose as much as any other part ofthe body; and how can it have if it be constantly loaded withbreast-milk? For the first month, he ought to be suckled, about everyhour and a half; for the second month, every two hours, --graduallyincreasing, as he becomes older, the distance of time between, untilat length he has it about every four hours. 

If a baby were suckled at stated periods, he would only look for thebosom at those times, and be satisfied. A mother is frequently in thehabit of giving the child the breast every time he cries, regardlessof the cause. The cause too frequently is that he has been too oftensuckled--his stomach has been overloaded, the little fellow isconsequently in pain, and he gives utterance to it by cries. Howabsurd is such a practice! We may as well endeavour to put out a fireby feeding it with fuel. An infant ought to be accustomed toregularity in everything, in times for sucking, for sleeping, &c. Nochildren thrive so well as those who are thus early taught. 

33. _Where the mother is MODERATELY strong, do you advise that theinfant should have any other food than the breast_?

Artificial food must not, for the first five or six months, be given, if the parent be _moderately_ strong, of course, if she be feeble, a_little_ food will be necessary. Many delicate women enjoy betterhealth whilst ambling than at any other period of their lives. 

It may be well, where artificial food, in addition to the mother's ownmilk, is needed, and before giving any farinaceous food whatever (forfarinaceous food until a child is six or seven months old isinjurious), to give, through a feeding bottle, every night andmorning, in addition to the mother's breast of milk, the following_Milk-Water-and Sugar-of Milk Food_--

 Fresh milk, from ONE cow, Warm water, of each a quarter of a pint, Sugar of milk one tea spoonful

The sugar of milk should first be dissolved in the warm water, andthen the fresh milk _unboiled_ should be mixed with it. The sweeteningof the above food with sugar-of-milk, instead of with lump sugar, makes the food more to resemble the mother's own milk. The infant willnot, probably, at first take more than half of the above quantity at atime, even if he does so much as that but still the above are theproper proportions, and as he grows older, he will require the wholeof it at a meal. 

34. _What food, when a babe is six or seven months old, is the bestsubstitute for a mother's milk?_

The food that suits one infant will not agree with another. (1) Theone that I have found the most generally useful, is made asfollows--Boil the crumb of bread for two hours in water, takingparticular care that it does not burn, then add only a _little_lump-sugar (or _brown_ sugar, if the bowels be costive), to make itpalatable. When he is six or seven months old, mix a little newmilk--the milk of ONE cow--with it gradually as he becomes older, increasing the quantity until it be nearly all milk, there being onlyenough water to boil the bread, the milk should be poured boiling hoton the bread. Sometimes the two milks--the mother's and the cow'smilk--do not agree, when such is the case, let the milk be left out, both in this and in the foods following, and let the food be made withwater, instead of with milk and water. In other respects, until thechild is weaned, let it be made as above directed, when he is weaned, good fresh cow's milk MUST, as previously recommended, be used. (2) Orcut thin slices of bread into a basin, cover the bread with _cold_water, place it in an oven for two hours to bake, take it out, beatthe bread up with a fork, and then slightly sweeten it. This is anexcellent food. (3) If the above should not agree with the infant(although, if properly made, they almost invariably do), "tousles-mois" may be given. [Footnote: "Tous les mois" is the starchobtained from the tuberous roots of various species of _canna_, and isimported from the West Indies. It is very similar to arrow root. Isuppose it is called "tous les-mois, " as it is good to be eaten allthe year round. ](4) Or Robb's Biscuits, as it is "among the best breadcompounds made out of wheat-flour, and is almost always readilydigested. "--_Routh_. 

(5) Another good food is the following--Take about a pound of flourput it in a cloth, tie it up tightly, place it a saucepanful of water, and let it boil for four or five hours, then take it out, peel off theouter rind, and the inside will be found quite dry, which grate. (6)Another way of preparing an infant's food, is to bake flour--biscuitflour--in a slow oven, until it be of a light fawn colour. Baked flourought after it is baked, to be reduced, by means of a rolling pin, toa fine powder, and should then be kept in a covered tin, ready foruse. (7) An excellent food for a baby is baked crumbs of bread. Themanner of preparing it is as follows--Crumb some bread on a plate, putit a little distance from the fire to dry. When dry, rub the crumbs ina mortar, and reduce them to a fine powder, then pass them through asieve. Having done which, put the crumbs of bread into a slow oven, and let them bake until they be of a light fawn colour. A smallquantity either of the boiled, or of the baked flour, or of the bakedcrumb of bread, ought to be made into food, in the same way as gruelis made, and should then be slightly sweetened, according to the stateof the bowels, either with lump or with brown sugar. 

(8) Baked flour sometimes produces constipation, when such is thecase, Mr. Appleton, of Budleigh Salterton, Devon, wisely recommends amixture of baked flour, and prepared oatmeal, [Footnote: If there isany difficulty in obtaining _prepared_ oatmeal, Robinson's ScotchOatmeal will answer equally as well. ] in the proportion of two of theformer and one of the latter. He says--"To avoid the constipatingeffects, I have always had mixed, before baking, one part of preparedoatmeal with two parts of flour, this compound I have found bothnourishing, and regulating to the bowels. One table-spoonful of it, mixed with a quarter of a pint of milk, or milk and water, when wellboiled, flavoured and sweetened with white sugar, produces a thick, nourishing, and delicious food for infants or invalids. " He goes on toremark--"I know of no food, after repeated trials, that can be sostrongly recommended by the profession to all mothers in the rearingof their infants, without or with the aid of the breasts, at the sametime relieving them of much draining and dragging whilst nursing withan insufficiency of milk, as baked flour and oatmeal. " [Footnote:_British Medical Journal_, Dec 18, 1858]

(9) A ninth food may be made with "Farinaceous Food for Infants, prepared by Hards of Dartford". If Hard's Farinaceous food producescostiveness--as it sometimes does--let it be mixed either with equalparts or with one third of Robinson's Scotch Oatmeal. The mixture ofthe two together makes a splendid food for a baby. (10) A tenth, andan excellent one, may be made with rusks, boiled for an hour in water, which ought then to be well beaten up, by means of a fork, andslightly sweetened with lump sugar. Great care should be taken toselect good rusks, as few articles vary so much in quality. (11) Aneleventh is--the top crust of a baker's loaf, boiled for an hour inwater, and then moderately sweetened with lump sugar. If, at any time, the child's bowels should be costive, _raw_ must be substituted for_lump_ sugar. (12) Another capital food for an infant is that made byLemann's Biscuit Powder. [Footnote: Lemann's Biscuit Powder cannot betoo strongly recommended--It is of the finest quality, and may beobtained of Lemann, Threadneedle Street, London. An extended and anextensive experience confirms me still more in the good opinion I haveof this food. ] (13) Or, Brown and Polson's Patent Corn Flour will befound suitable. Francatelli, the Queen's cook, in his recent valuablework, gives the following formula for making it--"To onedessert-spoonful of Brown and Polson, mixed with a wineglassful ofcold water, add half a pint of boiling water, stir over the fire forfive minutes, sweeten lightly, and feed the baby, but if the infant isbeing brought up by the hand, this food should then be mixed withmilk--not otherwise. " (14) A fourteenth is Neaves' Farinaceous Food forInfants, which is a really good article of diet for a babe, it is notso binding to the bowels as many of the farinaceous foods are, whichis a great recommendation. 

(15) The following is a good and nourishing food for a baby:--Soak foran hour, some _best_ rice in cold water; strain, and add fresh waterto the rice; then let it simmer till it will pulp through a sieve; putthe pulp and the water in a saucepan, with a lump or two of sugar, andagain let it simmer for a quarter of an hour; a portion of this shouldbe mixed with one-third of fresh milk, so as to make it of theconsistence of good cream. This is an excellent food for weak bowels. 

When the baby is six or seven months old, new milk should be added toany of the above articles of food, in a similar way to thatrecommended for boiled bread. 

(16. ) For a delicate infant, lentil powder, better known as Du Barry's"Ravalenta Arabica, " is invaluable. It ought to be made into food, with new milk, in the same way that arrow-root is made, and should bemoderately sweetened with loaf-sugar. Whatever food is selected oughtto be given by means of a nursing bottle. 

If a child's bowels be relaxed and weak, or if the motions beoffensive, the milk _must_ be boiled, but not otherwise. The following(17) is a good food when an infant's bowels are weak andrelaxed:--"Into five large spoonfuls of the purest water, rub smoothone dessert-spoonful of fine flour. Set over the fire five spoonfulsof new milk, and put two bits of sugar into it; the moment it boils, pour it into the flour and water, and stir it over a slow fire twentyminutes. "

Where there is much emaciation, I have found (18) genuine arrow-root[Footnote: Genuine arrow-root, of first-rate quality, and at areasonable price, may be obtained of H. M. Plumbe, arrow-rootmerchant, 8 Alie Place. Great Alie Street. Aldgate, London, E. ] a veryvaluable article of food for an infant, as it contains a great deal ofstarch, which starch helps to form fat and to evolve caloric(heat)--both of which a poor emaciated chilly child stands so much inneed of. It must be made with equal parts of water and of good freshmilk, and ought to be slightly sweetened with loaf sugar; a smallpinch of table salt should be added to it. 

Arrow-root will not, as milk will, give bone and muscle; but it willgive--what is very needful to a delicate child--fat andwarmth. Arrow-root, as it is principally composed of starch, comesunder the same category as cream, butter, sugar, oil, andfat. Arrowroot, then, should always be given with new milk (mixed withone-half of water); it will then fulfil, to perfection, the exigenciesof nourishing, of warming, and fattening the child's body. 

New milk, composed in due proportions as it is, of cream and of skimmilk--the very acme of perfection--is the only food, _which of itselfalone, _ will nourish and warm and fatten. It is, for a child, _parexcellence, _ the food of foods!

Arrow-root, and all other farinaceous foods are, for a child, onlysupplemental to milk--new milk being, for the young, the staple foodof all other kinds of foods whatever. 

But bear in mind, _and let there be no mistake about it, _ thatfarinaceous food, be it what it may, until the child be six or sevenmonths old, until, indeed, he _begin_ to cut his teeth, is notsuitable for a child; until then, _The Milk-water-salt-and-sugar Food_(see page 29) is usually, if he be a dry-nursed child, the bestartificial food for him. 

I have given you a large and well-tried infant's dietary to chosefrom, as it is sometimes difficult to fix on one that will suit; but, remember, if you find one of the above to agree, keep to it, as a baberequires a simplicity in food--a child a greater variety. 

Let me, in this place, insist upon the necessity of great care andattention being observed in the preparation of any of the abovearticles of diet. A babe's stomach is very delicate, and will revoltat either ill-made, or lumpy, or burnt food. Great care ought to beobserved as to the cleanliness of the cooking utensils. The abovedirections require the strict supervision of the mother. 

Broths have been recommended, but, for my own part, I think that, fora _young_ infant, they are objectionable; they are apt to turn acid onthe stomach, and to cause flatulence and sickness, they, sometimes, disorder the bowels and induce griping and purging. 

Whatever artificial food is used ought to be given by means of abottle, not only as it is a more natural way than any other of feedinga baby, as it causes him to suck as though he were drawing it from themother's breasts, but as the act of sucking causes the salivary glandsto press out their contents, which materially assist digestion. Moreover, it seems to satisfy and comfort him more than it otherwisewould do. 

One of the best, if not _the best_ feeding bottle I have yet seen, isthat made by Morgan Brothers, 21 Bow Lane, London. It is called "TheAnglo-French Feeding Bottle" S Maw, of 11 Aldersgate Street, London, has also brought out an excellent one--"The Fountain Infant's FeedingBottle" Another good one is "Mather's Infant's Feeding Bottle" Eitherof these three will answer the purpose admirably. I cannot speak interms too highly of these valuable inventions. 

The food ought to be of the consistence of good cream, and should bemade fresh and fresh. It ought to be given milk warm. Attention mustbe paid to the cleanliness of the vessel, and care should be takenthat the milk be that of ONE cow, [Footnote: I consider it to be ofimmense importance to the infant, that the milk be had from ONE cow. Awriter in the _Medical Times and Gazette_ speaking on this subject, makes the following sensible remarks--"I do not know if a practicecommon among French ladies when they do not nurse, has obtained theattention among ourselves which it seems to me to deserve. When theinfant is to be fed with cow milk that from various cows is submittedto examination by the medical man and if possible, tried on somechild, and when the milk of any cow has been chosen, no other milk isever suffered to enter the child's lips for a French lady would assoon offer to her infant's mouth the breasts of half a dozenwet-nurses in the day, as mix together the milk of various cows, whichmust differ, even as the animals themselves, in its constituentqualities. Great attention is also paid to the pasture, or other foodof the cow thus appropriated. "] and that it be new and of goodquality, for if not it will turn acid and sour, and disorder thestomach, and will thus cause either flatulence or looseness of thebowels, or perhaps convulsions. The only way to be sure of having itfrom _one_ cow, is (if you have not a cow of your own), to have themilk from a _respectable_ cow keeper, and to have it brought to yourhouse in a can of your own (the London milk cans being the best forthe purpose). The better plan is to have two cans, and to have themilk fresh and fresh every night and morning. The cans, after eachtime of using, ought to be scalded out, and, once a week the canshould be filled with _cold_ water, and the water should be allowed toremain in it until the can be again required. 

Very little sugar should be used in the food, as much sugar weakensthe digestion. A small pinch of table-salt ought to be added towhatever food is given, as "the best savour is salt. " Salt is mostwholesome--it strengthens and assists digestion, prevents theformation of worms, and, in small quantities, may with advantage begiven (if artificial food be used) to the youngest baby. 

35. _Where it is found to be absolutely necessary to give an infantartificial food_ WHILST SUCKLING, _how often ought he to be fed_?

Not oftener than twice during the twenty four hours, and then only in_small_ quantities at a time, as the stomach requires rest, and at thesame time, can manage to digest a little food better than it can agreat deal. Let me again urge upon you the importance, if it be atall practicable, of keeping the child _entirely_ to the breast for thefirst five or six months of his existence. Remember there is no_real_ substitute for a mother's milk, there is no food so welladapted to his stomach, there is no diet equal to it in developingmuscle, in making bone, or in producing that beautiful plump roundedcontour of the limbs, there is nothing like a mother's milk _alone_ inmaking a child contented and happy, in laying the foundation of ahealthy constitution, in preparing the body for a long life, in givinghim tone to resist disease, or in causing him to cut his teeth easilyand well, in short, _the mothers milk is the greatest temporalblessing an infant can possess_. 

As a general rule, therefore, when the child and the mother aretolerably strong, he is better _without artificial_ food until he haveattained the age of three or four months, then, it will usually benecessary to feed him with _The Milk-water-and-sugar-of milk Food_(see p 19) twice a day, so as gradually to prepare him to be weaned(if possible) at the end of nine months. The food mentioned in theforegoing Conversation will, when he is six or seven months old, bethe best for him. 

36. _When the mother is not able to suckle her infant herself, whatought to be done_?

It must first be ascertained, _beyond all doubt_, that a mother is notable to suckle her own child Many delicate ladies do suckle theirinfants with advantage, not only to their offspring, but tothemselves. "I will maintain, " says Steele, "that the mother growsstronger by it, and will have her health better than she would haveotherwise She will find it the greatest cure, and preservative for thevapours [nervousness] and future miscarriages, much beyond any otherremedy whatsoever Her children will be like giants, whereas otherwisethey are but living shadows, and like unripe fruit, and certainly if awoman is strong enough to bring forth a child, she is beyond all doubtstrong enough to nurse it afterwards. "

Many mothers are never so well as when they are nursing, besides, suckling prevents a lady from becoming pregnant so frequently as sheotherwise would. This, if she be delicate, is an importantconsideration, and more especially if she be subject to miscarry. Theeffects of miscarriage are far more weakening than those of suckling. 

A hireling, let her be ever so well inclined, can never have theaffection and unceasing assiduity of a mother, and, therefore, cannotperform the duties of suckling with equal advantage to the baby. 

The number of children who die under five years of age isenormous--many of them from the want of the mother's milk. There is aregular "parental baby-slaughter"--"a massacre of the innocents"--constantly going on in England, in consequence of infants being thusdeprived of their proper nutriment and just dues! The mortality fromthis cause is frightful, chiefly occurring among rich people who areeither too grand, or, from luxury, too delicate to perform suchduties; poor married women, as a rule, nurse their own children, and, in consequence reap their reward. 

If it be ascertained, _past all doubt_, that a mother cannot suckleher child, then, if the circumstances of the parents will allow--andthey ought to strain a point to accomplish it--a healthy wet-nurseshould be procured, as, of course, the food which nature has suppliedis far, very far superior to any invented by art. Never bring up ababy, then, if you can possibly avoid it, on _artificial_food. Remember, as I proved in a former Conversation, there is inearly infancy no _real_ substitute for either a mother's or awet-nurse's milk. It is impossible to imitate the admirable and subtlechemistry of nature. The law of nature is, that a baby, for the firstfew months of his existence, shall be brought up by the breast, andnature's law cannot be broken with impunity. [Footnote: For furtherreasons why artificial food is not desirable, at an early period ofinfancy, see answer to 35th question, page 26. ] It will beimperatively necessary then--

 "To give to nature what is nature's due. "

Again, in case of a severe illness occurring during the first ninemonths of a child's life, what a comfort either the mother's or thewet-nurse's milk is to him! It often determines whether he shall liveor die. But if a wet-nurse cannot fill the place of a mother, thenasses' milk will be found the best substitute, as it approachesnearer, in composition, than any other animal's, to human milk; but itis both difficult and expensive to obtain. The next best substitute isgoats' milk. Either the one or the other ought to be milked fresh andfresh, when wanted, and should be given by means of a feeding-bottle. Asses' milk is more suitable for a _delicate_ infant, and goats' milkfor a _strong_ one. 

If neither asses' milk nor goats' milk can be procured, then thefollowing _Milk-water-salt-and-sugar Food_, from the verycommencement, should be given; and as I was the author of the formula, [Footnote: It first appeared in print in the 4th edition of _Advice toa Mother_, 1852. ] I beg to designate it as--_Rye Chavasse's MilkFood_:--

 New milk, the produce of ONE _healthy_ cow; Warm water, of each, equal parts; Table salt, a few grains--a small pinch; Lump sugar, a sufficient quantity, to slightly sweeten it. 

The milk itself ought not to be heated over the fire, [Footnote: Itnow and then happens that if the milk be not boiled, the motions of aninfant are offensive; _when such is the case_, let the milk be boiled, but not otherwise. ] but should, as above directed, be warmed by thewater; it must, morning and evening, be had fresh and fresh. The milkand water should be of the same temperature as the mother's milk, thatis to say, at about ninety degrees Fahrenheit. It ought to be given bymeans of either Morgan's, or Maw's, or Mather's feeding-bottle, [Footnote: See answer to Question 24, page 24. ] and care must betaken to _scald_ the bottle out twice a day, for if attention be notpaid to this point, the delicate stomach of an infant is soondisordered. The milk should, as he grows older, be gradually increasedand the water decreased, until two-thirds of milk and one-third ofwater be used; but remember, that either _much_ or _little_ water must_always_ be given with the milk. 

The above is my old form, and which I have for many years used withgreat success. Where the above food does not agree (and no food excepta healthy mother's own milk does _invariably_ agree) I occasionallysubstitute sugar-of milt for the lump sugar, in the proportion of atea spoonful of sugar-of milk to every half pint of food. 

If your child bring up his food, and if the ejected matter besour-smelling, I should advise you to leave out the sugar-of milkaltogether, and simply to let the child live, for a few days, on milkand water alone, the milk being of _one_ cow, and in the proportion oftwo-thirds to one-third of _warm_ water--not _hot_ water, the milkshould not be scalded with _hot_ water, as it injures its properties, besides, it is only necessary to give the child his food with thechill just off. The above food, where the stomach is disordered, is anadmirable one, and will often set the child to rights without givinghim any medicine whatever. Moreover, there is plenty of nourishment init to make the babe thrive, for after all it is the milk that is theimportant ingredient in all the foods of infants, they can live on it, and on it alone, and thrive amazingly. 

Mothers sometimes say to me, that farinaceous food makes their babesflatulent, and that my food (_Pye Chavasse's Milk Food_) has not thateffect. 

The reason of farinaceous food making babes, until they have_commenced_ cutting their teeth, "windy" is, that the starch of thefarinaceous food (and all farinaceous foods contain more or less ofstarch) is not digested, and is not, as it ought to be, converted bythe saliva into sugar [Footnote: See Pye Chavasse's _Counsel to aMother_, 3d edition. ] hence "wind" is generated, and pain andconvulsions often follow in the train. 

The great desideratum, in devising an infant's formula for food, is tomake it, until he be nine months old, to resemble as much as possible, a mother's own milk, and which my formula, as nearly as ispracticable, does resemble hence its success and popularity. 

As soon as a child begins to cut his teeth the case is altered, and_farinaceous food, with milk and with water_, becomes an absolutenecessity. 

I wish, then, to call your especial attention to the following-facts, for they are facts--Farinaceous foods, _of all kinds_, before a child_commences_ cutting his teeth (which is when he is about six or sevenmonths old) are worse than useless--they are, positively, injurious, they are, during the early period of infant life, perfectlyindigestible, and may bring on--which they frequently do--convulsions. A babe fed on farinaceous food alone would certainly dieof starvation, for, "up to six or seven months of age, infants havenot the power of digesting farinaceous or fibrinous substances"--DrLetheby on _Food_. 

A babe's salivary glands, until he be six or seven months old, doesnot secrete its proper fluid--namely, ptyalin, and consequently thestarch of the farinaceous food--and all farinaceous food containsstarch--is not converted into dextrine and grape-sugar, and is, therefore, perfectly indigestible and useless--nay, injurious to aninfant, and may bring on pain and convulsions, and even death, hence, the giving of farinaceous food, until a child be six or seven monthsold, is one and the principal cause of the frightful infant mortalityat the present time existing in England, and which is a disgrace toany civilized land!

In passing, allow me to urge you never to stuff a babe--never tooverload his little stomach with food, it is far more desirable togive him a little not enough, than to give him a little too much. Manya poor child has been, like a young bird, killed with stuffing. If achild be at the breast, and at the breast alone, there is no fear ofhis taking too much, but if he be brought up on artificial food, thereis great fear of his over loading his stomach. Stuffing a child bringson vomiting and bowel-complaints, and a host of other diseases whichnow it would be tedious to enumerate. Let me, then, urge you on noaccount, to over load the stomach of a little child. 

There will, then, in many cases, be quite sufficient nourishment inthe above. I have known some robust infants brought up on it, and onit along, without a particle of farinaceous food, or of any otherfood, in any shape or form whatever. But if it should not agree withthe child, or if there should not be sufficient nourishment in it, then the food recommended in answer to No. 34 question ought to begiven, with this only difference--a little new milk must from thebeginning be added, and should be gradually increased, until nearlyall milk be used. 

The milk, as a general rule, ought to be _unboiled_; but if it purgeviolently, or if it cause offensive motions--which it sometimesdoes--then it must be boiled. The moment the milk boils up, it shouldbe taken off the fire. 

Food ought for the first month to be given about every two hours; forthe second month, about every three hours; lengthening the space oftime as the baby advances in age. A mother must be careful not toover-feed a child, as over-feeding is a prolific source of disease. 

Let it be thoroughly understood, and let there be no mistake about it, that a babe during the first nine months of his life, MUST have--it isabsolutely necessary for his very existence--milk of some kind, as thestaple and principal article of his diet, either mother's, wet-nurse's, or asses', or goats', or cow's milk. 

37. _How would you choose a wet-nurse_?

I would inquire particularly into the state of her health; whether shebe of a healthy family, of a consumptive habit, or if she or any ofher family have laboured under "king's evil;" ascertaining if there beany seams or swellings about her neck; any eruptions or blotches uponher skin; if she has a plentiful breast of milk, and if it be of goodquality [Footnote: "It should be thin, and of a bluish-white colour, sweet to the taste, and when allowed to stand, should throw up aconsiderable quantity of cream, "--_Maxell and Evenson on the Diseasesof Children_. ] (which may readily be ascertained by milking a littleinto a glass); if she has good nipples, sufficiently long for the babyto hold; that they be not sore; and if her own child be of the same, or nearly of the same age, as the one you wish her to nurse. Ascertain, whether she menstruate during suckling; if she does, themilk is not so good and nourishing, and you had better decline takingher. [Footnote: Sir Charles Locock considers that a woman whomenstruates during lactation is objectionable as a wet-nurse, and"that as a mother with her first child is more liable to thatobjection, that a second or third child's mother is more eligible thana first"--_Letter to the Author_. ] Assure yourself that her own babeis strong and healthy that he be free from a sore mouth, and from a"breaking-out" of the skin. Indeed, if it be possible to procure sucha wet-nurse, she ought to be from the country, of ruddy complexion, ofclear skin, and of between twenty and five-and-twenty years of age, anthe milk will then be fresh, pure, and nourishing. 

I consider it to be of great importance that the infant of thewet-nurse should be, as nearly as possible, of the same age as yourown, as the milk varies in quality according to the age of thechild. For instance, during the commencement of suckling, the milk isthick and creamy, similar to the biestings of a cow, which, if givento a babe of a few months old, would cause derangement of the stomachand bowels. After the first few days, the appearance of the milkchanges; it becomes of a bluish-white colour, and contains lessnourishment. The milk gradually becomes more and more nourishing asthe infant becomes older and requires more support. 

In selecting a wet-nurse for a very small and feeble babe, you mustcarefully ascertain that the nipples of the wet-nurse are good andsoft, and yet not very large. If they be very large, the child's mouthbeing very small, he may not be able to hold them. You must note, too, whether the milk flows readily from the nipple into the child's mouth;if it does not, he may not have strength to draw it, and he would soondie of starvation. The only way of ascertaining whether the infantreally draws the milk from the nipple, can be done by examining themouth of the child _immediately_ after his taking the breast, andseeing for yourself whether there be actually milk, or not, in hismouth. 

Very feeble new-born babes sometimes cannot take the bosom, be thenipples and the breasts ever so good, and although Maw's nipple-shieldand glass tube had been tried. In such a case, cow'smilk-water-sugar-and-salt, as recommended at page 29, must be given insmall quantities at a time--from two to four tea-spoonfuls--butfrequently; if the child be awake, every hour, or every half hour, both night and day, until he be able to take the breast. If, then, apuny, feeble babe is only able to take but little at a time, and thatlittle by tea-spoonfuls, he must have little and often, in order that"many a little might make a mickle. "

I have known many puny, delicate children who had not strength to holdthe nipple in their mouths, but who could take milk and water (asabove recommended) by tea-spoonfuls only at a time, with steadyperseverance, and giving it every half hour or hour (according to thequantity swallowed), at length be able to take the breast, andeventually become strong and hearty children; but such cases requireunwearied watching, perseverance, and care. Bear in mind, then, thatthe smaller the quantity of the milk and water given at a time, theoftener must it be administered, as, of course, the babe must have acertain quantity of food to sustain life. 

38. _What ought to be the diet either of a wet-nurse, or of a mother, who is suckling_?

It is a common practice to cram a wet-nurse with food, and to give herstrong ale to drink, to make good nourishment and plentiful milk! Thispractice is absurd; for it either, by making the nurse feverish, makesthe milk more sparing than usual, or it causes the milk to be grossand unwholesome. On the other hand, we must not run into an oppositeextreme. The mother, or the wet-nurse, by using those means mostconducive to her own health, will best advance the interest of herlittle charge. 

A wet-nurse, ought to live somewhat in the following way:--Let her forbreakfast have black tea, with one or two slices of cold meat, if herappetite demand it, but not otherwise. It is customary for a wet-nurseto make a hearty luncheon; of this I do not approve. If she feeleither faint or low at eleven o'clock, let her have either a tumblerof porter, or of mild fresh ale, with a piece of dry toast soaked init. She ought not to dine later than half-past one or two o'clock; sheshould eat, for dinner, either mutton or beef, with either mealypotatoes, or asparagus, or French beans, or secale, or turnips, orbroccoli, or cauliflower, and stale bread. Rich pastry, soups, gravies, high-seasoned dishes, salted meats, greens, and cabbage, mustone and all be carefully avoided; as they only tend to disorder thestomach, and thus to deteriorate the milk. 

It is a common remark, that "a mother who is suckling may eatanything. " I do not agree with this opinion. Can impure or improperfood make pure and proper milk, or can impure and improper milk makegood blood for an infant, and thus good health?

The wet-nurse ought to take with her dinner a moderate quantity ofeither sound porter, or of mild (but not old or strong) ale. Teashould be taken at half past five or six o'clock; supper at nine, which should consist either of a slice or two of cold meat, or ofcheese if she prefer it, with half a pint of porter or of mild ale;occasionally a basin of gruel may with advantage be substituted. Hotand late suppers are prejudicial to the mother, or to the wet-nurse, and, consequently, to the child. The wet-nurse ought to be in bedevery night by ten o'clock. 

It might be said, that I have been too minute and particular in myrules for a wet-nurse; but when it is considered of what importancegood milk is to the well-doing of an infant, in making him strong androbust, not only now, but as he grows up to manhood, I shall, I trust, be excused for my prolixity. 

39. _Have you any more hints to offer with regard to the management ofa wet-nurse_?

A wet-nurse is frequently allowed to remain in bed until a late hourin the morning, and during the day to continue in the house, as if shewere a fixture! How is it possible that any one, under suchtreatment, can continue healthy! A wet nurse ought to rise early, and, if the weather and season will permit, take a walk, which will giveher an appetite for breakfast, and will make a good meal for herlittle charge. This, of course, cannot, during the winter mouths, bedone; but even then, she ought, some part of the day, to take everyopportunity of walking out; indeed, in the summer time she should livehalf the day in the open air. 

She ought strictly to avoid crowded rooms; her mind should be keptcalm and unruffled, as nothing disorders the milk so much as passion, and other violent emotions of the mind; a fretful temper is veryinjurious, on which account you should, in choosing your wet-nurse, endeavour to procure one of a mild, calm, and placid disposition. [Footnote: "'The child is poisoned. '

'Poisoned! by whom?'

'By you. You have been fretting. '

'Nay, indeed, mother. How can I help fretting!'

'Don't tell me, Margaret. A nursing mother has no business tofret. She must turn her mind away from her grief to the comfort thatlies in her lap. Know you not that the child pines if the mother vexesherself?'"--_The Cloister and the Hearth_. By Charles Reade. ]

A wet-nurse ought never to be allowed to dose her little charge eitherwith Godfrey's Cordial, or with Dalby's Carminative, or with Syrup ofWhite Poppies, or with medicine of any kind whatever. Let herthoroughly understand this, and let there be no mistake in thematter. Do not for one moment allow your children's health to betampered and trifled with. A baby's health is too precious to bedoctored, to be experimented upon, and to be ruined by an ignorantperson. 

40. _Have the goodness to state at what age a child ought to beweaned_?

This, of course, must depend both upon the strength of the child, andupon the health of the parent; on an average, nine months is theproper time. If the mother be delicate, it may be found necessary towean the infant at six months; or if he be weak, or labouring underany disease, it may be well to continue suckling him for twelvemonths; but after that time, the breast will do him more harm thangood, and will, moreover, injure the mother's health, and may, if shebe so predisposed, excite consumption. 

41. _How would you recommend a mother to act when, she weans herchild_?

She ought, as the word signifies, do it gradually--that is to say, sheshould, by degrees, give him less and less of the breast, and more andmore of artificial food; at length, she must only suckle him at night;and lastly, it would be well for the mother either to send him away, or to leave him at home, and, for a few days, to go away herself. 

A good plan is, for the nurse-maid to have a half-pint bottle of newmilk--which has been previously boiled [Footnote: The previous boilingof the milk will prevent the warmth of the bed turning the milk sour, which it otherwise would do. ]--in the bed, so as to give a little tohim in lieu of the breast. The warmth of the body will keep the milkof a proper temperature, and will supersede the use of lamps, ofcandle-frames, and of other troublesome contrivances. 

42. _While a mother is weaning her infant, and after she have weanedhim, what ought to be his diet_?

Any one of the foods recommended in answer to question 34. 

43. _If a child be suffering severely from "wind, " is there anyobjection to the addition of a small quantity either of gin or ofpeppermint to his food to disperse it_?

It is a murderous practice to add either gin or peppermint of theshops (which is oil of peppermint dissolved in spirits) to hisfood. Many children have, by such a practice, been made puny anddelicate, and have gradually dropped into an untimely grave. An infantwho is kept, for the first five or six months, _entirely_ to thebreast--more especially if the mother be careful in her owndiet--seldom suffers from "wind;" those, on the contrary, who havemuch or improper food, [Footnote: For the first five or six monthsnever, if you can possibly avoid it, give artificial food to an infantwho is sucking. There is nothing, in the generality of cases, thatagrees, for the first few months, like the mother's milk _alone_. ]suffer severely. 

Care in feeding, then, is the grand preventative of "wind;" but if, notwithstanding all your precautions, the child be troubled withflatulence, the remedies recommended under the head of Flatulence willgenerally answer the purpose. 

44. _Have you any remarks to make on sugar for sweetening a baby'sfood_?

A _small_ quantity of sugar in an infant's food is requisite, sugarbeing nourishing and fattening, and making cow's milk to resemblesomewhat, in its properties human milk; but, bear in mind, _it must beused sparingly. _ _Much_ sugar cloys the stomach, weakens thedigestion, produces acidity, sour belchings, and wind:--

 "Things sweet to taste, prove in digestion sour. "

 _Shakspeare. _

If a babe's bowels be either regular or relaxed, _lump_ sugar is thebest for the purpose of sweetening his food; if his bowels areinclined to be costive, _raw_ sugar ought to be substituted for lumpsugar, as _raw_ sugar acts on a young babe as an aperient, and, in thegenerality of cases, is far preferable to physicking him with openingmedicine. An infant's bowels, whenever it be practicable (and itgenerally is), ought to be regulated by a judicious dietary ratherthan by physic. 

VACCINATION AND RE-VACCINATION. 

45. _Are you an advocate for vaccination_?

Certainly. I consider it to be one of the greatest blessings everconferred upon mankind. Small-pox, before vaccination was adopted, ravaged the country like a plague, and carried off thousands annually;and those who did escape with their lives were frequently madeloathsome and disgusting objects by it. Even inoculation (which iscutting for the small-pox) was attended with danger, more especiallyto the unprotected--as it caused the disease to spread like wildfire, and thus it carried off immense numbers. 

Vaccination is one, and an important cause of our increasingpopulation; small-pox, in olden times, decimated the country. 

46. _But vaccination does not always protect a child from, small-pox_?

I grant you that it does not _always_ protect him, _neither doesinoculation_; but when he is vaccinated, if he take the infection, heis seldom pitted, and very rarely dies, and the disease assumes acomparatively mild form. There are a few, very few fatal casesrecorded after vaccination, and these may be considered as onlyexceptions to the general rule; and, possibly, some of these may betraced to the arm, when the child was vaccinated, not having takenproper effect. 

If children, and adults were _re-vaccinated_, --say every seven yearsafter the first vaccination, --depend upon it, even these rare caseswould not occur, and in a short time small-pox would be known only byname. 

47. _Do you consider it, then, the imperative duty of a mother, inevery case, to have, after the lapse of every seven years, herchildren re-vaccinated_?

I decidedly do: it would be an excellent plan for _every_ person, onceevery seven years to be re-vaccinated, and even oftener, if small-poxbe rife in the neighbourhood. Vaccination, however frequentlyperformed, can never do the slightest harm, and might do inestimablegood. Small-pox is both a pest and a disgrace, and ought to beconstantly fought and battled with, until it be banished (which it mayreadily be) the kingdom. 

I say that small-pox is a pest; it is worse than the plague, for ifnot kept in subjection, it is more general--sparing neither young norold, rich nor poor, and commits greater ravages than the plague everdid. Small-pox is a disgrace: it is a disgrace to any civilised land, as there is no necessity for its presence, if cow-pox were properlyand frequently performed, small-pox would be unknown. Cow-pox is aweapon to conquer small-pox and to drive it ignominiously from thefield. 

My firm belief, then, is, that if _every_ person were, _every sevenyears_, duly and properly vaccinated, small-pox might be utterlyexterminated; but as long as there are such lax notions on thesubject, and such gross negligence, the disease will always berampant, for the poison of small-pox never slumbers nor sleeps, butrequires the utmost diligence to eradicate it. The great Dr Jenner, the discoverer of cow-pox as a preventative of small-pox, stronglyadvocated the absolute necessity of _every_ person being re-vaccinatedonce every seven years, or even, oftener, if there was an epidemic ofsmall-pox in the neighbourhood. 

48. _Are you not likely to catch not only the cow-pox, but any otherdisease that the child has from whom the matter is taken_?

The same objection holds good in cutting for small pox(inoculation)--only in a ten-fold degree--small-pox being such adisgusting complaint. Inoculated small-pox frequently produced andleft behind inveterate "breakings-out, " scars, cicatrices, andindentations of the skin, sore eyes, blindness, loss of eyelashes, scrofula, deafness--indeed, a long catalogue of loathsome diseases. Amedical man, of course, will be careful to take the cow-pox matterfrom a healthy child. 

49. _Would it not be well to take the matter direct from the cow_?

If a doctor be careful--which, of course, he will be--to take thematter from a healthy child, and from a well-formed vesicle, Iconsider it better than taking it _direct_ from the cow, for thefollowing reasons:--The cow-pox lymph, taken direct from the cow, produces much more violent symptoms than after it has passed throughseveral persons; indeed, in some cases, it has produced effects assevere as cutting for the small-pox, besides, it has caused, in manycases, violent inflammation and even sloughing of the arm. There arealso several kinds of _spurious_ cow-pox to which the cow is subject, and which would be likely to be mistaken for the _real_ lymph. Again, if even the _genuine_ matter were not taken from the cow _exactly_ atthe proper time, it would he deprived of its protecting power. 

50. _At what age do you recommend an infant to be first vaccinated_?

When he is two months old, as the sooner he is protected thebetter. Moreover, the older he is the greater will be the difficultyin making him submit to the operation, and in preventing his arm frombeing rubbed, thus endangering the breaking of the vesicles, andthereby interfering with its effects. If small-pox be prevalent in theneighbourhood, he may, with perfect safety, be vaccinated at themonth's end; indeed if the small-pox be near at hand, he _must_ bevaccinated, regardless of his age, and regardless of everything else, for small-pox spares neither the young nor the old, and if a new-bornbabe should unfortunately catch the disease, he will most likely die, as at his tender age he would not have strength to battle with such aformidable enemy. "A case, in the General Lying-in-Hospital, Lambeth, of small-pox occurred in a woman a few days after her admission, andthe birth of her child. Her own child was vaccinated when only fourdays old, and all the other infants in the house varying from one dayto a fortnight and more. All took the vaccination; and the woman's ownchild, which suckled her and slept with her; and all escaped the smallpox. " [Footnote: Communicated by Sir Charles Locock to the Author. ]

51. _Do you consider that taking of matter from a child's arm weakensthe effect of vaccination on the system_?

Certainly not, provided it has taken effect in more than oneplace. The arm is frequently much inflamed, and vaccinating otherchildren from it abates the inflammation, and thus affords relief. _Itis always well to leave one vesicle undisturbed_. 

52. _If the infant have any "breaking out" upon the skin, ought thatto be a reason for deferring the vaccination_?

It should, as two skin diseases cannot well go on together; hence thecow-pox might not take, or, if it did, might not have its propereffect in preventing small-pox. "It is essential that the vaccine budor germ have a congenial soil, uncontaminated by another poison, which, like a weed, might choke its healthy growth. "--_Dendy_. Themoment the skin be free from the breaking-out, he must bevaccinated. A trifling skin affection, like red gum, unless it besevere, ought not, at the proper age to prevent vaccination. Ifsmall-pox be rife in the neighbourhood, the child _must_ bevaccinated, regardless of any "breaking-out" on the skin. 

53. _Does vaccination make a child poorly_?

At about the fifth day after vaccination, and for three or four days, he is generally a little feverish; the mouth is slightly hot, and hedelights to have the nipple in his mouth. He does not rest so well atnight; he is rather cross and irritable; and, sometimes, has a slightbowel-complaint. The arm, about the ninth or tenth day, is usuallymuch inflamed--that is to say it is, for an inch or two or more aroundthe vesicles, red, hot, swollen, and continues in this state for a dayor two, at the end of which time the inflammation graduallysubsides. It might be well to state that the above slight symptoms aredesirable, as it proves that the vaccination has had a proper effecton his system, and that, consequently, he is more likely to bethoroughly protected from any risk of catching small-pox. 

54. _Do you approve, either during or after vaccination, of givingmedicine, more especially if he be a little feverish_?

No, as it would be likely to work off some of its effects, and thuswould rob the cow-pox of its efficacy on the system. I do not like tointerfere with vaccination _in any way whatever_ (except, at theproper time, to take a little matter from the arm), but to allow thepock to have full power upon his constitution. 

What do you give the medicine for? If the matter that is put into thearm be healthy, what need is there of physic! And if the matter be notof good quality, I am quite sure that no physic will make it so! Look, therefore, at the case in whatever way you like, physic aftervaccination is _not_ necessary; but, on the contrary, hurtful. If thevaccination produce slight feverish attack, it will, without theadministration of a particle of medicine, subside in two or threedays. 

55. _Have you any directions to give respecting the arm AFTERvaccination_?

The only precaution necessary is to take care that the arm be notrubbed; otherwise the vesicles may be prematurely broken, and theefficacy of the vaccination may be lessened. The sleeve, invaccination, ought to be large and soft, and should not be tiedup. The tying up of a sleeve makes it hard, and is much more likely torub the vesicles than if it were put on the usual way. 

56. _If the arm, AFTER vaccination, be much inflamed, what ought to bedone_?

Smear frequently, by means of a feather or a camel's hair brush, alittle cream on the inflamed part. This simple remedy will affordgreat comfort and relief. 

57. _Have the goodness to describe the proper appearance, after thefalling-off of the scab of the arm_?

It might be well to remark, that the scabs ought always to be allowedto fall off of themselves. They must not, on any account, be picked ormeddled with. With regard to the proper appearance of the arm, afterthe falling-off of the scab, "a perfect vaccine scar should be ofsmall size, circular, and marked with radiations and indentations. "--_Gregory_. 

DENTITION

58. _At what time does dentition commence_?

The period at which it commences is uncertain. It may, as a rule, besaid that a babe begins to cut his teeth at seven months old. Somehave cut teeth at three months; indeed, there are instances on recordof infants having been born with teeth. King Richard the Third is saidto have been an example. Shakspeare notices it thus:--

 "YORK. --Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast, That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old. 'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth, Grandam, this would have been a biting jest. "

When a babe is born with teeth, they generally drop out. On the otherhand, teething, in some children does not commence until they are ayear and a half or two years old, and, in rare cases, not until theyare three years old. There are cases recorded of adults who have nevercut any teeth. An instance of the kind came under my own observation. 

Dentition has been known to occur in old age. A case is recorded byM. Carre, in the _Gazette Medicale de Paris_ (Sept 15, 1860), of anold lady, aged eighty-five, who cut several teeth after attaining thatage!

59. _What is the number of the FIRST set of teeth, and in what orderdo they generally appear_?

The first or temporary set consists of twenty. The first set of teethare usually cut in pairs. "I may say that nearly invariably the orderis--1st, the lower front incissors [cutting teeth], then the upperfront, then the _upper_ two lateral incissors, and that not uncommonlya double tooth is cut before the two _lower_ laterals; but at allevents the lower laterals come 7th and 8th, and, not 5th and 6th, asnearly all books on the subject testify. " [Footnote: Sir CharlesLocock in a _Letter_ to the Author. ] Then the first grinders, in thelower jaw, afterwards the first upper grinders, then the lowercorner-pointed or canine teeth, after which the upper corner oreye-teeth, then the second grinders in the lower jaw, and lastly, thesecond grinders of the upper jaw. They do not, of course, alwaysappear in this rotation. Nothing is more uncertain than the order ofteething. A child seldom cuts his second grinders until after he istwo years old. _He is, usually, from the time they first appear, twoyears in cutting the first set of teeth_. As a rule, therefore, achild of two years old has sixteen, and one of two years and a halfold, twenty teeth. 

60. _If an infant be feverish or irritable, or otherwise poorly, andif the gums be hot, swollen, and tender, are you an advocate for theirbeing lanced_?

Certainly; by doing so he will, in the generality of instances, bealmost instantly relieved. 

61. _But it has been stated that lancing the gums hardens them_?

This is a mistake--it has a contrary effect. It is a well-known fact, that a part which has been divided gives way much more readily thanone which has not been cut. Again, the tooth is bound down by a tightmembrane, which, if not released by lancing, frequently brings onconvulsions. If the symptoms be urgent, it may be necessary from timeto time to repeat the lancing. It would, of course, be the height offolly to lance the gums unless they be hot and swollen, and unless thetooth, or the teeth, be near at hand. It is not to be considered apanacea for every baby's ill, although, in those cases where thelancing of the gums is indicated, the beneficial effect is sometimesalmost magical. 

62. _How ought the lancing of a child's gums to be performed_?

The proper person, of course, to lance his gums is a medical man. Butif, perchance, you should be miles away and be out of the reach ofone, it would be well for you to know how the operation ought to beperformed. Well, then, let him lie on the nurse's lap upon his back, and let the nurse take hold of his hands in order that he may notinterfere with the operation. 

Then, _if it be the upper gum_ that requires lancing, you ought to goto the head of the child, looking over, as it were, and into hismouth, and should steady the gum with the index finger of your lefthand; then, you should take hold of the gum-lancet with your righthand--holding as if it were a table-knife at dinner--and cut firmlyalong the inflamed and swollen gum and down to the tooth, until theedge of the gum-lancet grates on the tooth. Each incision ought toextend along the ridge of the gum to about the extent of each expectedtooth. 

_If it be the lower gum_ that requires lancing, you must go to theside of the child, and should steady the outside of the jaw with thefingers of the left hand, and the gum with the left thumb, and thenyou should perform the operation as before directed. 

Although the lancing of the gums, to make it intelligible to anon-professional person, requires a long description, it is, in pointof fact, a simple affair, is soon performed, and gives but littlepain. 

63. _If teething cause convulsions, what ought to be done_?

The first thing to be done (after sending for a medical man) is tofreely dash water upon the face, and to sponge the head with coldwater, and as soon as warm water can be procured, to put him into awarm bath [Footnote: For the precautions to be used in putting a childinto a warm bath, see the answer to question on "Warm Baths. "] of 98degrees Fahrenheit. If a thermometer be not at hand, [Footnote: Nofamily, where there are young children, should be without Fahrenheit'sthermometer. ] you must plunge your own elbow into the water: acomfortable heat for your elbow will be the proper heat for theinfant. He must remain in the bath for a quarter of an hour, or untilthe fit be at an end. The body must, after coming out of the bath, bewiped with warm and dry and coarse towels; he ought then to be placedin a warm blanket. The gums must be lanced, and cold water should beapplied to the head. An enema, composed of table salt, of olive oil, and warm oatmeal gruel--in the proportion of one table-spoonful ofsalt, of one of oil, and a tea-cupful of gruel--ought then to beadministered, and should, until the bowels have been well opened, berepeated every quarter of an hour; as soon as he comes to himself adose of aperient medicine ought to be given. 

It may be well, for the comfort of a mother, to state that a child inconvulsions is perfectly insensible to all pain whatever; indeed, areturn to consciousness speedily puts convulsions to the rout. 

64. _A nurse is in the habit of giving a child, who is teething, either coral, or ivory, to bite: do you approve of the plan_?

I think it a bad practice to give him any hard, unyielding substance, as it tends to harden the gums, and, by so doing, causes the teeth tocome through with greater difficulty. I have found softer substances, such as either a piece of wax taper, or an India-rubber ring, or apiece of the best bridle leather, or a crust of bread, of greatservice. If a piece of crust be given as a gum-stick, he must, whilebiting it, be well watched, or by accident he might loosen a largepiece of it, which might choke him. The pressure of any of theseexcites a more rapid absorption of the gum, and thus causes the toothto come through more easily and quickly. 

65. _Have you any objection to my baby, when he is cutting his teeth, sucking his thumb_?

Certainly not: the thumb is the best gum-stick in the world:--it isconvenient; it is handy (in every sense of the word): it is of theright size, and of the proper consistence, neither too hard nor toosoft; there is no danger, as of some artificial gum-sticks, of itsbeing swallowed, and thus of its choking the child. The sucking of thethumb causes the salivary glands to pour out their contents, and thusnot only to moisten the dry mouth, but assist the digestion; thepressure of the thumb eases, while the teeth are "breeding, " the painand irritation of the gums, and helps, when the teeth are sufficientlyadvanced, to bring them through the gums. Sucking of the thumb willoften make a cross infant contended and happy, and will frequentlyinduce a restless babe to fall into a sweet refreshing sleep. Trulymay the thumb be called a baby's comfort. By all means, then, let yourchild suck his thumb whenever he likes, and as long as he chooses todo so. 

There is a charming, bewitching little picture of a babe sucking histhumb in Kingsley's _Water Babies_, which I heartily commend to yourfavourable notice and study. 

66. _But if an infant be allowed to suck his thumb, will it not belikely to become a habit, and stick to him for years--until, indeed, he become a big boy_?

After he have cut the whole of his first set of teeth, that is to say, when he is about two years and a half old, he might, if it be likelyto become a habit, be readily cured by the following method, namely, by making a paste of aloes and water, and smearing it upon histhumb. One or two dressings will suffice as after just tasting thebitter aloes he will take a disgust to his former enjoyment, and thehabit will at once be broken. 

Many persons I know have an objection to children sucking theirthumbs, as for instance, --

 "Perhaps it's as well to keep children from plums, And from pears in the season, and sucking their thumbs. " [Footnote: _Ingoldsby Legends_. ]

My reply is, --

 P'rhaps 'tis as well to keep children from pears; The pain they might cause, is oft follow'd by tears; 'Tis certainly well to keep them from plums; But certainly not from sucking their thumbs! If a babe suck his thumb 'Tis an ease to his gum; A comfort; a boon; a calmer of grief; A friend in his need--affording relief; A solace; a good; a soother of pain; A composer to sleep; a charm; and a gain. 

 'Tis handy, at once, to his sweet mouth to glide; When done with, drops gently down by his side; 'Tis fix'd, like an anchor, while the babe sleeps. And the mother, with joy, her still vigil keeps. 

67. _A child who is teething dribbles, and thereby wets his chest, which frequently causes him to catch cold; what had better be done_?

Have in readiness to put on several _flannel_ dribbling bibs, so thatthey may be changed as often as they become wet; or, if he dribble_very much_, the oiled silk dribbling-bibs, instead of the flannelones, may be used, and which may be procured at any baby-linen warehouse. 

68. _Do you approve of giving a child, during teething, much fruit_?

No; unless it be a few ripe strawberries or raspberries, or a roastedapple, or the juice of five or six grapes--taking care that he doesnot swallow either the seeds or the skin--or the insides of ripegooseberries, or an orange. Such fruits, if the bowels be in a costivestate, will be particularly useful. 

All stone fruit, _raw_ apples or pears, ought to be carefully avoided, as they not only disorder the stomach and the bowels, --causingconvulsions, gripings, &c. , --but they have the effect of weakening thebowels, and thus of engendering worms. 

69. _Is a child, during teething, more subject to disease, and, if so, to what complaints, and in what manner may they be prevented_?

The teeth are a fruitful source of suffering and of disease; and are, with truth, styled "our first and our last plagues. " Dentition is themost important period of a child's life, and is the exciting cause ofmany infantile diseases; during this period, therefore, he requiresconstant and careful watching. When we consider how the teeth elongateand enlarge in his gums, pressing on the nerves and on the surroundingparts, and thus how frequently they produce pain, irritation, andinflammation; when we further contemplate what sympathy there is inthe nervous system, and how susceptible the young are to pain, nosurprise can be felt, at the immense disturbance, and the consequentsuffering and danger frequently experienced by children while cuttingtheir _first_ set of teeth. The complaints or the diseases induced bydentition are numberless, affecting almost every organ of thebody, --the _brain_, occasioning convulsions, water on the brain, &c. ;the _lungs_, producing congestion, inflammation, cough, &c. ; the_stomach_, exciting sickness, flatulence, acidity, &c, ; the _bowels_, inducing griping, at one time costiveness, and at another timepurging; the _skin_, causing "breakings-out. "

To prevent these diseases, means ought to be used to invigorate achild's constitution by plain, wholesome food, as recommended underthe article of diet; by exercise and fresh air; [Footnote: The youngof animals seldom suffer from cutting their teeth--and what is thereason? Because they live in the open air, and take plenty ofexercise; while children are frequently cooped up in close rooms, andare not allowed the free use of their limbs. The value of fresh airis well exemplified in the Registrar-General's Report for 1843; hesays that in 1, 000, 000 deaths, from all diseases, 616 occur in thetown from teething while 120 only take place in the country from thesame cause. ] by allowing him, weather permitting, to be out of doors agreat part of every day; by lancing the gums when they get red, hot, and swollen; by attention to the bowels, and if he suffer more thanusual, by keeping them rather in a relaxed state by any simpleaperient, such as either castor oil, or magnesia and rhubarb, &c. ;and, let me add, by attention to his temper: many children are madefeverish and ill by petting and spoiling them. On this subject Icannot do better than refer you to an excellent little work entitledAbbot's _Mother of Home_, wherein the author proves the greatimportance of _early_ training. 

70. _Have the goodness to describe the symptoms and the treatment ofPainful Dentition_?

Painful dentition may be divided into two forms--(1) the Mild; and (2)the Severe. In the _mild_ form the child is peevish and fretful, andputs his fingers, and everything within reach, to his mouth, he likesto have his gums rubbed, and takes the breast with avidity, indeed itseems a greater comfort to him than ever. There is generally aconsiderable flow of saliva, and he has frequently a more loose stateof bowels than is his wont. 

Now, with regard to the more _severe_ form of painful dentition--Thegums are red, swollen, and hot, and he cannot without expressing painbear to have them touched, hence, if he be at the breast, he isconstantly loosing the nipple. There is dryness of the mouth, althoughbefore there had been a great flow of saliva. He is feverish, restless, and starts in his sleep. His face is flashed. His head isheavy and hot. He is sometimes convulsed. [Footnote: See answer toQuestion 63. ] He is frequently violently griped and purged, andsuffers severely from flatulence. He is predisposed to many andsevere diseases. 

The _treatment, _ of the _mild_ form, consists of friction, of the gumwith the finger, with a little "soothing syrup, " as recommended by SirCharles Locock, [Footnote: Soothing syrup--Some of them probablycontain opiates, but a perfectly safe and useful one is a littleNitrate of Potass in syrup of Roses--one scruple to half anounce. --_Communicated by Sir Charles Locock to the Author. _ This'soothing syrup' is not intended to be given us a mixture but to beused as an application to rub the gums with. It may be well to statethat it is a perfectly harmless remedy even if a little of it wereswallowed by mistake. ] a tepid bath of about 92 degrees Fahrenheit, every night at bed time, attention to diet and to bowels, fresh airand exercise. For the mild form, the above plan will usually be allthat is required. If he dribble, and the bowels be relaxed, so muchthe better. The flow of saliva and the increased action of the bowelsafford relief, and therefore must not be interfered with. In the_mild_ form, lancing of the gums is not desirable. The gums ought notto be lanced, unless the teeth be near at hand, and unless the gums bered, hot, and swollen. 

In the _severe_ form a medical man should be consulted early, as moreenergetic remedies will be demanded; that is to say, the gums willrequire to be freely lanced, warm baths to be used, and medicines tobe given, to ward off mischief from the head, from the chest, and fromthe stomach. 

If you are living in the town, and your baby suffers much fromteething, take him into the country. It is wonderful what change ofair to the country will often do, in relieving a child who ispainfully cutting his teeth. The number of deaths in London, fromteething, is frightful; it is in the country comparatively trifling. 

71. _Should an infant be purged during teething or indeed, during anyother time, do you approve of either absorbent or astringent medicinesto restrain it_?

Certainly not. I should look upon, the relaxation as an effort ofnature to relieve itself. A child is never purged without a cause;that cause, in the generality of instances, is the presence of eithersome undigested food, or acidity, or depraved motions, that want avent. 

The better plan is, in such a case, to give a dose of aperientmedicine, such as either castor oil, or magnesia and rhubarb; and thuswork it off. IF WE LOCK UP THE BOWELS, WE CONFINE THE ENEMY, AND THUSPRODUCE MISCHIEF. [Footnote: I should put this in capitals, it is soimportant and is often mistaken. --C. Locock. ] If he be purged morethan usual, attention should be paid to the diet--if it be absolutelynecessary to give him artificial food while suckling--and care must betaken not to overload the stomach. 

72. _A child is subject to a slight cough during dentition--called bynurses "tooth-cough"--which a parent would not consider of sufficientimportance to consult a doctor about: pray tell me, is there anyobjection to a mother giving her child a small quantity either ofsyrup of white poppies, or of paregoric, to ease it_?

A cough is an effort of nature to bring up any secretion from thelining membrane of the lungs, or from the bronchial tubes, hence itought not to be interfered with. I have known the administration ofsyrup of white poppies, or of paregoric, to stop the cough, andthereby to prevent the expulsion of the phlegm, and thus to produceeither inflammation of the lungs, or bronchitis. Moreover, bothparegoric and syrup of white poppies are, for a young child, dangerousmedicines (unless administered by a judicious medical man), and _oughtnever to be given by a mother_. 

In the month of April 1844, I was sent for, in great haste, to aninfant, aged seventeen months, who was labouring under convulsions andextreme drowsiness, from the injudicious administration of paregoric, which had been given to him to ease a cough. By the promptadministration of an emetic he was saved. 

73. _A child, who is teething, is subject to a "breaking-out, " moreespecially behind the ears--which is most disfiguring, and frequentlyvery annoying what would you recommend_?

I would apply no external application to cure it, as I should lookupon it as an effort of the constitution to relieve itself, and shouldexpect, if the "breaking-out" were repelled, that either convulsions, or bronchitis, or inflammation of the lungs, or water on the brain, would be the consequence. The only plan I should adopt would be, to bemore careful in his diet, to give him less meat (if he be old enoughto eat animal food), and to give him, once or twice a week, a fewdoses of mild aperient medicine, and, if the irritation from the"breaking-out" be great, to bathe it, occasionally, either with alittle warm milk and water, or with rose water. 

EXERCISE. 

74. _Do you recommend exercise in the open air for a baby? and if so, how soon after birth_?

I am a great advocate for his having exercise in the open air. "Theinfant in arms makes known its desire for fresh air, by restlessness, it cries, for it cannot speak its wants, is taken abroad and isquiet. "

The age at which he ought to commence taking exercise will, of course, depend upon the season and upon the weather. If it be summer, and theweather be fine, he should he carried in the open air, a week or afortnight after birth, but if it be winter, he ought not on anyaccount to be taken out under the month, and not even then, unless theweather be mild for the season, and it be the middle of the day. Atthe end of two months he should breathe the open air morefrequently. And after the expiration of three months, he ought to becarried out _every day_, even if it be wet under foot, provided it befine above, and the wind be neither in an easterly nor in anorth-easterly direction. By doing so we shall make him strong andhearty, and give the skin that mottled appearance which is socharacteristic of health. He must, of course, be well clothed. 

I cannot help expressing my disapprobation of the practice ofsmothering up an infant's face with a handkerchief, with a veil orwith any other covering, when he is taken out into the air. If hisface be so muffled up, he may as well remain at home, as under suchcircumstances, it is impossible for him to receive any benefit fromthe invigorating effects of the fresh air. 

75. _Can you devise any method to induce a babe himself to takeexercise_?

He must be encouraged to use muscular exertion, and, for this purpose, he ought to be frequently laid either upon a rug, or carpet, or thefloor. He will then stretch his limbs and kick about with perfectglee. It is a pretty sight, to see a little fellow kicking andsprawling on the floor. He crows with delight and thoroughly enjoyshimself. It strengthens his back, it enables him to stretch his limbs, and to use his muscles, and is one of the best kinds of exercise avery young child can take. While going through his performances hisdiaper, if he wear one, should be unfastened, in order that he mightgo through his exercises untrammelled. By adopting the above plan, thebabe quietly enjoys himself--his brain is not over excited by it; thisis an important consideration, for both mothers and nurses are apt torouse, and excite very young children to their manifest detriment. Ababe requires rest, and not excitement. How wrong it is, then, foreither a mother or a nurse to be exciting and rousing a new bornbabe. It is most injurious and weakening to his brain. In the earlyperiod of his existence his time ought to be almost entirely spent insleeping and in sucking!

76. _Do you approve of tossing an infant much about_?

I have seen, a child tossed nearly to the ceiling! Can anything bemore cruel or absurd! Violent tossing of a young babe ought never tobe allowed, it only frightens him, and has been known to bring onconvulsions. He should be gently moved up and down (not tossed), suchexercises causes a proper circulation of the blood, promotesdigestion, and soothes to sleep. He must always be kept quietimmediately after taking the breast, if he be tossed _directly_afterwards, it interferes with his digestion, and is likely to producesickness. 

SLEEP

77. _Ought the infant's sleeping apartment to be kept warm_?

The lying-in room is generally kept too warm, its heat being, in manyinstances, more that of an oven than of a room. Such a place is mostunhealthy, and is fraught with danger both to the mother and thebaby. We are not, of course, to run into an opposite extreme, but areto keep the chamber at a moderate and comfortable temperature. Thedoor ought occasionally to be left ajar, in order the more effectuallyto change the air and thus to make it more pure and sweet. 

A new born babe, then, ought to be kept comfortably warm, but not verywarm. It is folly in the extreme to attempt to harden a very youngchild either by allowing him, in the winter time, to be in a bedroomwithout a fire, or by dipping him in _cold_ water, or by keeping himwith scant clothing on his bed. The temperature of a bedroom, in thewinter time, should be, as nearly as possible, at 60 deg. Fahr. Althoughthe room should be comfortably warm, it ought from time to time to beproperly ventilated. An unventilated room soon becomes foul, and, therefore, unhealthy. How many in this world, both children andadults, are "poisoned with their own breaths!"

An infant should not be allowed to look at the glare either of a fireor of a lighted candle, as the glare tends to weaken the sight, andsometimes brings on an inflammation of the eyes. In speaking to, andin noticing a baby, you ought always to stand _before_, and not_behind_ him, or it might make him squint. 

78. _Ought a babe to lie alone from the first_?

Certainly not: at first--say, for the first few months--he requiresthe warmth of another person's body, especially in the winter; butcare must be taken not to overlay him, as many infants, fromcarelessness in this particular, have lost their lives. After thefirst few months he had better lie alone, on a horse-hair mattress. 

79. _Do you approve of rocking an infant to sleep_?

I do not. If the rules of health be observed, he will sleep bothsoundly and sweetly without rocking; if they be not, the rocking mightcause him to fall into a feverish, disturbed slumber, but not into arefreshing, calm sleep. Besides, if you once take to that habit, hewill not go to sleep without it. 

80. _Then don't you approve of a rocking-chair, and of rockers to thecradle_?

Certainly not: a rocking-chair, or rockers to the cradle, may beuseful to a lazy nurse or mother, and may induce a child to sleep, butthat restlessly, when he does not need sleep, or when he is wet anduncomfortable, and requires "changing;" but will not cause him to havethat sweet and gentle and exquisite slumber so characteristic of ababy who has no artificial appliances to make him sleep. No! rockersare perfectly unnecessary, and the sooner they are banished thenursery the better will it be for the infant community. I do not knowa more wearisome and monotonous sound than the everlasting rockings toand fro in some nurseries, they are often accompanied by a dolorouslullaby from the nurse, which adds much to the misery and depressinginfluence of the performance. 

81. _While the infant is asleep, do you advise the head of the crib tobe covered with a handkerchief, to shade his eyes from the light, and, if it be summer time, to keep off the flies_?

If the head of the crib be covered, the babe cannot breathe freely, the air within the crib becomes contaminated, and thus the lungscannot properly perform their functions. If his sleep is to berefreshing, he must breathe pure air. I do not even approve of a headto a crib. A child is frequently allowed to sleep on a bed with thecurtains drawn completely close, as though it were dangerous for abreath of air to blow upon him [Footnote: I have somewhere read thatif a cage containing a canary, be suspended at night within a bedwhere a person is sleeping, and the curtains be drawn closely around, that the bird will, in the morning, in all probability, be founddead!] This practice is most injurious. An infant must have the fullbenefit of the air of the room, indeed, the bed room door ought to befrequently left ajar, so that the air of the apartment may be changed, taking care, of course, not to expose him to a draught. If the flies, while he is asleep, annoy him, let a net veil be thrown over his face, as he can readily breathe through net, but not through a handkerchief. 

82. _Have you any suggestions to offer as to the way a babe should bedressed when he is put down to sleep_?

Whenever he be put down to sleep, be more than usually particular thathis dress be loose in every part, be careful that there be neitherstrings nor bands, to cramp him. Let him, then, during repose, be morethan ordinarily free and unrestrained--

 "If, whilst in cradled rest your infant sleeps. Your watchful eyes unceasing vigil keeps Lest cramping bonds his pliant limbs constrain, And cause defects that manhood may retain. "

83. _Is it a good sign for a young child to sleep much_?

A babe who sleeps a great deal thrives much more than one who doesnot. I have known many children, who were born [Footnote: It may beinteresting to a mother to know the average weight of new borninfants. There is a paper on the subject in the _Medical Circular_(April 10, 1861) and which has been abridged in _Braithwaite'sRetrospect of Medicine_ (July and December 1861). The following areextracts--"Dr. E. Von Siebold presents a table of the weights of 3000infants (1586 male and 1414 female) weighed immediately afterbirth. From this table (for which we have not space) it results thatby far the greater number of the children, 2215 weighed between 6 and8 lbs. From 5 3/4 to 6 lbs. The number rose from 99 to 268, and from 8 to8 1/4 lbs. They fell from 226 to 67, and never rose again at any weightto 100. From 8 3/4 to 9 1/2 lbs. They sank from 61 to 8, rising however at9 1/2 lbs. To 21. Only six weighed 10 lbs. , one 10 3/4 lbs. And two 11lbs. The author has never but once met with a child weighing 11lbs. The most frequent weight in the 3000 was 7 lbs, numbering 426. Itis a remarkable fact, that until the weight of 7 lbs the femaleinfants exceeded the males in number, the latter thenceforwardpredominating. 

From these statements, and those of various other authors here quoted, the conclusion may be drawn that the normal weight of a mature newborn infant is not less than six nor more than 8 lbs. , the averageweight being 6 1/2 or 7 lbs. , the smaller number referring to female andthe higher to male infants. "] small and delicate, but who slept thegreatest part of their time, become strong and healthy. On the otherhand, I have known those who were born large and strong, yet who sleptbut little, become weak and unhealthy. 

The common practice of a nurse allowing a baby to sleep upon her lapis a bad one, and ought never to be countenanced. He sleeps cooler, more comfortably, and soundly in his crib. 

The younger an infant is the more he generally sleeps, so that duringthe early months he is seldom awake, and then only to take the breast. 

84. _How is it that much sleep causes a young child to thrive sowell_?

If there be pain in any part of the body, or if any of the functionsbe not properly performed, he sleeps but little. On the contrary, ifthere be exemption from pain, and if there be a due performance of allthe functions, he sleeps a great deal, and thus the body becomesrefreshed and invigorated. 

85. _As much sleep is of such advantage, if an infant sleep butlittle, would you advise composing medicine to be given to him_?

Certainly not. The practice of giving composing medicine to a youngchild cannot he too strongly reprobated. If he does not sleep enough, the mother ought to ascertain if the bowels be in a proper state, whether they be sufficiently opened, that the motions be of a goodcolour--namely, a bright yellow, inclining to orange colour--and freefrom slime or from bad smell. An occasional dose of rhubarb andmagnesia is frequently the best composing medicine he can take. 

86. _We often hear of coroner's inquests upon infants who have beenfound dead in bed--accidentally overlaid what is usually the cause_?

Suffocation, produced either by ignorance, or by carelessness. From_ignorance_ in mothers, in their not knowing the common laws of life, and the vital importance of free and unrestricted respiration, notonly when babies are up and about, but when they are in bed andasleep. From _carelessness_, in their allowing young and thoughtlessservants to have the charge of infants at night, more especially asyoung girls are usually heavy sleepers, and are thus too muchoverpowered with sleep to attend to their necessary duties. 

A foolish mother sometimes goes to sleep while allowing her child tocontinue sucking. The unconscious babe, after a tune, looses thenipple, and buries his head in the bed-clothes. She awakes in themorning, finding, to her horror, a corpse by her side, with his noseflattened, and a frothy fluid, tinged with, blood, exuding from hislips. A mother ought, therefore, never to go to sleep until her childhave finished sucking. 

_The following are a few rules to prevent an infant from beingaccidentally overlaid_--(1. ) Let your baby while asleep have plenty ofroom in the bed. (2. ) Do not allow him to be too near to you; or if hehe unavoidably near you (from the small size of the bed), let his facebe turned to the opposite side. (3. ) Let him lie fairly either on hisside, or on his back. (4. ) Be careful to ascertain that his mouth benot covered with the bed-clothes; and, (5. ) Do not smother his facewith clothes, as a plentiful supply of pure air is as necessary whenhe is awake, or even more so, than when he is asleep. (6. ) Never lethim lie low in the bed. (7. ) Let there be _no_ pillow near the onehis head is resting on, lest he roll to it, and thus bury his head init Remember, a young child has neither the strength nor the sense toget out of danger; and, if he unfortunately either turn on his face, or bury his head in a pillow that is near, the chances are that hewill be suffocated, more especially as these accidents usually occurat night, when the mother, or the nurse, is fast asleep. (8. ) Neverintrust him at night to a young and thoughtless servant. 

THE BLADDER AND THE BOWELS OF AN INFANT. 

87. _Have you any hints to offer respecting the bowels and the bladderof an infant during the first three months of his existence_?

A mother ought daily to satisfy herself as to the state of the bladderand the bowels of her child. She herself should inspect the motions, and see that they are of a proper colour (bright-yellow, inclining toorange), and consistence (that of thick gruel), that they are neitherslimy, nor curdled, nor green; if they should be either the one or theother, it is a proof that she herself has, in all probability, beenimprudent in her diet, and that it will be necessary for the futurethat she be more careful both in what she eats and in what she drinks. 

She ought, moreover, to satisfy herself that the urine does not smellstrongly, that it does not stain the diapers, and that he makes asufficient quantity. 

A frequent cause of a child crying is, he is wet, and uncomfortable, and wants drying and changing, and the only way he has of informinghis mother of the fact is by crying lustily, and thus telling her inmost expressive language of her thoughtlessness and carelessness. 

88. _How soon may an infant dispense with diapers_?

A babe of three months and upwards, ought to be held out, at least, adozen times during the twenty-four hours; if such a plan were adopted, diapers might at the end of three months be dispensed with--a great_desideratum_-and he would be inducted into clean habits--a blessingto himself, and a comfort to all around, and a great saving of dressesand of furniture. "Teach your children to be clean. A dirty child isthe mother's disgrace, " [Footnote: Hints on Household Management, ByMrs C. L. Balfour. ] Truer words were never written, --A DIRTY CHILD ISTHE MOTHER'S DISGRACE. 

AILMENTS, DISEASE, ETC. 

89. _A new born babe frequently has a collection of mucus in the airpassages, causing him to wheeze: is it a dangerous symptom_?

No, not if it occur _immediately_ after birth; as soon as the bowelshave been opened, it generally leaves him, or even before, if he givea good cry, which as soon as he is born he usually does. If there beany mucus either within or about the mouth, impeding breathing, itmust with a soft handkerchief be removed. 

90. _Is it advisable, as soon as an infant is born, to give himmedicine_?

It is now proved that the giving of medicine to a babe _immediately_after birth is unnecessary, nay, that it is hurtful--that is, providedhe be early put to the breast, as the mother's _first_ milk isgenerally sufficient to open the bowels. Sir Charles Locock [Footnote:In a _Letter_ to the Author. ] makes the following sensible remarks onthis subject:--"I used to limit any aperient to a new-born infant tothose which had not the first milk, and who had wet nurses, whose milkwas, of course, some weeks old, but for many years I have neverallowed any aperient at all to any new born infant, and I am satisfiedit is the safest and the wisest plan. "

The advice of Sir Charles Locock--_to give no aperient to a new-borninfant_--is most valuable, and ought to be strictly followed. Byadopting his recommendation, much after misery might be averted. If anew born babe's bowels be costive, rather than give him an aperient, try the effect of a little moist sugar, dissolved in a little water, that is to say, dissolve half a tea-spoonful of pure unadulterated_raw_ sugar in a tea-spoonful of warm water and administer it to him, if in four hours it should not operate, repeat the dose. Butter andraw sugar is a popular remedy, and is sometimes used by a nurse toopen the bowels of a new born babe, and where there is costiveness, answers the purpose exceedingly well, and is far superior to castoroil. Try by all means to do, if possible, without a particle ofopening medicine. If you once begin to give aperients, you will havefrequently to repeat them. Opening physic leads to opening physic, until at length his stomach and bowels will become a physic shop! Letme, then, emphatically say, avoid, if possible, giving a new born babea drop or a gram of opening medicine. If from the first you refrainfrom giving an aperient, he seldom requires one afterwards. It is the_first_ step, in this as in all other things, that is so important totake. 

If a new-born babe have _not_ for twelve hours made water, the medicalman ought to be informed of it, in order that he may inquire into thematter, and apply the proper remedies. Be particular in attending tothese directions, or evil consequences will inevitably ensue. 

91. _Some persons say, that new-born female infants have milk in theirbosoms, and that it is necessary to squeeze them, and apply plastersto disperse the milk_. 

The idea of there being real milk in a baby's breast is doubtful, thesqueezing of the bosom is barbarous, and the application of plastersis useless. "Without actually saying, " says Sir Charles Locock, "thereis milk secreted in the breasts of infants, there is undoubtedly notrarely considerable swelling of the breasts both in _female_ and_male_ infants, and on squeezing them a serous fluid oozes out. Iagree with you that the nurses should never be allowed to squeezethem, but be ordered to leave them alone. " [Footnote: _Letter_ to theAuthor. ]

92. _Have the goodness to mention the SLIGHT ailments which are not ofsufficient importance to demand the assistance of a medical man_?

I deem it well to make the distinction between _serious_ and _slight_ailments, I am addressing a mother. With regard to serious ailments, Ido not think myself justified, except in certain _urgent_ cases, ininstructing a parent to deal with them. It might be well to make amother acquainted with the _symptoms_, but not with the _treatment_, in order that she might lose no time in calling in medical aid. This Ihope to have the pleasure of doing in future Conversations. 

_Serious diseases, with a few exceptions_, and which I will indicatein subsequent Conversations, ought never to be treated by a parent, not even in the _early_ stages, for it is in the early stages that themost good can generally be done. It is utterly impossible for any onewho is not trained to the medical profession to understand a _serious_disease in all its bearings, and thereby to treat it satisfactorily. 

There are some exceptions to these remarks. It will be seen in futureConversations that Sir CHARLES LOCOCK considers that a mother ought tobe made acquainted with the _treatment_ of _some_ of the more_serious_ diseases, where delay in obtaining _immediate_ medicalassistance might be death. I bow to his superior judgment, and havesupplied the deficiency in subsequent Conversations. 

The ailments and the diseases of infants, such as may, in the absenceof the doctor, be treated by a parent, are the following:--Chafings, Convulsions, Costivenesa, Flatulence, Gripings, Hiccup, Looseness ofthe Bowels (Diarrhoea), Dysentery, Nettle-rash, Red-gum, Stuffing ofthe Nose, Sickness, Thrush. In all these complaints I will tellyou--_What to do_, and--_What NOT to do_. 

93. _What are the causes and the treatment of Chafing_?

The want of water: inattention and want of cleanliness are the usualcauses of chafing. 

_What to do. _--The chafed parts ought to be well and thoroughlysponged with tepid _rain_ water--allowing the water from a well-filledsponge to stream over them, --and, afterwards, they should bethoroughly, but tenderly, dried with a soft towel, and then be dusted, either with finely-powdered starch, made of wheaten flour, or withViolet Powder, or with finely-powdered Native Carbonate of Zinc, orthey should be bathed with finely-powdered Fuller's-earth and tepidwater. 

If, in a few days, the parts be not healed discontinue the abovetreatment, and use the following application:--Beat up well togetherthe whites of two eggs, then add, drop by drop, two table-spoonfuls ofbrandy. When well mixed, put it into a bottle and cork it up. Beforeusing it let the excoriated parts be gently bathed with luke-warm rainwater, and, with a soft napkin, be tenderly dried; then, by means of acamel's hair brush, apply the above liniment, having first shaken thebottle. But bear in mind, after all that can be said and done, _thatthere is nothing in these cases like water_--there is nothing likekeeping the parts clean, and the only way of thoroughly effecting thisobject is _by putting him every morning INTO his tub_. 

_What NOT to do_. --Do not apply white lead, as it is a poison. Do notbe afraid of using _plenty_ of water, as cleanliness is one of themost important items of the treatment. 

94. _What are the causes of Convulsions of an infant_?

Stuffing him, in the early months of his existence, _with food_, themother having plenty of breast milk the while, the constant physickingof child by his own mother, teething, hooping-cough, when attacking avery young baby. 

I never knew a case of convulsions occur--say for the first fourmonths--(except in very young infants labouring under hooping-cough), where children lived on the breast-milk alone, and where they were_not_ frequently quacked by their mothers. 

For the treatment of the convulsions from teething, see page 46. 

_What to do_ in a case of convulsions which has been caused by feedingan infant either with too much or with _artificial_ food. Give him, every ten minutes, a tea-spoonful of ipecacuanha wine, until freevomiting be excited then put him into a warm bath (see Warm Baths), and when he comes out of it administer to him a tea-spoonful of castoroil, and repeat it every four hours, until the bowels be well opened. 

_What NOT to do_--Do not for at least a month after the fit, give himartificial food, but keep him entirely to the breast. Do not applyleeches to the head. 

_What to do in a case of convulsions from hooping cough_--There isnothing better than dashing cold water on the face, and immersing himin a warm bath of 98 degrees Fahr. If he be about his teeth, and theybe plaguing him, let the gums be both freely and frequentlylanced. Convulsions seldom occur in hooping-cough, unless the child beeither very young or exceedingly delicate. Convulsions attending anattack of hooping-cough make it a _serious_ complication, and requiresthe assiduous and skilful attention of a judicious medical man. 

_What NOT to do in such a case_--Do not apply leeches, the baberequires additional strength, and not to be robbed of it, and do notattempt to treat the case yourself. 

95. _What are the best remedies for the Costiveness of an infant_?

I strongly object to the frequent administration of opening medicine, as the repetition of it increases the mischief to a tenfold degree. 

_What to do_. --If a babe, after the first few months, were held out, and if, at regular intervals, he were put upon his chair, costivenesswould not so much prevail. It is wonderful how soon the bowels, inthe generality of cases, by this simple plan, may be brought into aregular state. Besides, it inducts an infant into clean habits, I knowmany careful mothers who have accustomed their children, after thefirst three months, to do without diapers altogether. It causes atfirst a little trouble, but that trouble is amply repaid by the goodconsequences that ensue; among which must be named the dispensing withsuch encumbrances as diapers. Diapers frequently chafe, irritate, andgall the tender skin of a baby. But they cannot of course, at an earlyage be dispensed with, unless a mother have great judgment, sense, tact, and perseverance, to bring her little charge into the habit ofhaving his bowels relieved and his bladder emptied every time he iseither held out or put upon his chair. 

Before giving an infant a particle of aperient medicine, try, if thebowels are costive, the effect of a little _raw_ sugar and water, either half a tea-spoonful of raw sugar dissolved in a tea-spoonful ortwo of water, or give him, out of your fingers, half a tea-spoonful ofraw sugar to eat. I mean by _raw_ sugar, not the white, but the pureand unadulterated sugar, and which you can only procure from arespectable grocer. If you are wise, you will defer as long as you cangiving an aperient. If you once begin, and continue it for a while, opening medicine becomes a dire necessity, and then woe betide thepoor unfortunate child. Or, give a third of a tea-spoonful of honey, early in the morning, occasionally. Or administer a warm waterenema--a tablespoonful, or more, by means of a 2 oz. India RubberEnema Bottle. 

_What NOT to do_. --There are two preparations of mercury I wish towarn you against administering of your own accord, viz. --(1) Calomel, and a milder preparation called (2) Grey-powder (mercury withchalk). It is a common practice in this country to give calomel, onaccount of the readiness with which it can be administered it beingsmall in quantity, and nearly tasteless. Grey powder also, is, withmany mothers, a favourite in the nursery. It is a medicine of immensepower--either for good or for evil, in certain cases it is veryvaluable, but in others, and in the great majority, it is verydetrimental. This practice, then, of a mother giving mercury, whetherin the form either of calomel or of grey powder, cannot be toostrongly reprobated, as the frequent administration either of the oneor of the other weakens the body, predisposes it to cold, andfrequently excites king's-evil--a disease too common in thiscountry. Calomel and grey-powder, then, ought never to be administeredunless ordered by a medical man. 

Syrup of buckthorn and jalap are also frequently given, but they aregriping medicines for a baby, and ought to be banished from thenursery. 

The frequent repetition of opening medicines, then, in any shape orform, very much interferes with digestion, they must, therefore, begiven as seldom as possible. 

Let me, at the risk of wearying you, again urge the importance of youravoiding, as much as possible, giving a babe purgative medicines. Theyirritate beyond measure the tender bowels of an infant, and only makehim more costive afterwards, they interfere with his digestion, andare liable to give him cold. A mother who is always, of her ownaccord, quacking her child with opening physic, is laying up for herunfortunate offspring a debilitated constitution--a miserableexistence. 

For further information on this important subject see the 3d editionof _Counsel to a Mother (being the companion volume of Advice to aMother)_, on the great importance of desisting from irritating, frominjuring, and from making still more costive, the obstinate bowels ofa costive child, --by the administration of opening medicine, --howevergentle and well-selected the aperients might be. Oh, that the aboveadvice could be heard, and be acted upon, through the length and thebreadth of the land, how much misery and mischief would then beaverted!

96. _Are there any means of preventing the Costiveness of an infant_?

If greater care were paid to the rules of health, such as attention todiet, exercise in the open air, thorough ablution of the _whole_body--more especially when he is being washed--causing the water, froma large and well-filled sponge, to stream over the lower part of hisbowels; the regular habit of causing him, at stated periods, to beheld out, whether he want or not, that he may solicit a stool. If allthese rules were observed, costiveness would not so frequentlyprevail, and one of the miseries of the nursery would be done awaywith. 

Some mothers are frequently dosing their poor unfortunate babes eitherwith magnesia to cool them, or with castor oil to heal their bowels!Oh, the folly of such practices! The frequent repetition of magnesia, instead of cooling an infant, makes him feverish and irritable. Theconstant administration of castor oil, instead of healing the bowels, wounds them beyond measure. No! it would be a blessed thing if a babecould be brought up without giving ham a particle of opening medicine;his bowels would then act naturally and well: but then, as I have justnow remarked, a mother, must be particular in attending to Nature'smedicines--to fresh air, to exercise, to diet, to thorough ablution, &c. Until that time comes, poor unfortunate babies must be, occasionally, dosed with an aperient. 

97. _What are the causes of, and remedies for, Flatulence_?

Flatulence most frequently occurs in those infants who live on_artificial_ food, especially if they be over-fed. I therefore beg torefer you to the precautions I have given, when speaking of theimportance of keeping a child for the first five or six months_entirely_ to the breast; and, if that be not practicable, of thetimes of feeding, and of the _best_ kinds of artificial food, and ofthose which are least likely to cause "wind. "

_What to do. _--Notwithstanding these precautions, if the babe shouldstill suffer, "One of the best and safest remedies for flatulence isSal volatile, --a tea-spoonful of a solution of one drachm to an ounceand a half of water" [Footnote: Sir Charles Locock, in a _Letter_ tothe Author Since Sir Charles did me the honour of sending me, forpublication, the above prescription for flatulence, a new "BritishPharmacopoeia" has been published in which the sal volatile is muchincreased in strength it is therefore necessary to lessen the salvolatile in the above prescription one half--that is to say, a teaspoonful of the solution of _half_ a drachm to an ounce and a half ofwater. ] Or, a little dill or aniseed may be added to the food--half atea-spoonful of dill water Or, take twelve drops of oil of dill, andtwo lumps of sugar, rub them well in a mortar together, then add, dropby drop, three table-spoonfuls of spring water, let it be preserved ina bottle for use. A tea-spoonful of this, first shaking the vial, maybe added to each quantity of food. Or, three tea-spoonfuls of bruisedcaraway-seeds may be boiled for ten minutes in a tea-cupful of water, and then strained. One or two tea-spoonfuls of the caraway tea may beadded to each quantity of his food, or a dose of rhubarb and magnesiamay occasionally be given. 

Opodeldoc, or warm olive oil, well rubbed, for a quarter of an hour ata time, by means of the warm hand, over the bowels, will frequentlygive relief. Turning the child over on his bowels, so that they maypress on the nurses' lap, will often afford great comfort. A warmbath (where he is suffering severely) generally gives _immediate_ easein flatulence, it acts as a fomentation to the bowels. But after all, a dose of mild aperient medicine, when the babe is suffering severely, is often the best remedy for "wind. "

Remember, at all times, prevention, whenever it be--and how frequentlyit is--possible, is better than cure. 

_What NOT to do_--"Godfrey's Cordial, " "Infants' Preservative, " and"Dalby's Carminative, " are sometimes given in flatulence, but as mostof these quack medicines contain, in one form or another, either opiumor poppy, and as opium and poppy are both dangerous remedies forchildren, ALL quack medicines must be banished the nursery. 

Syrup of poppies is another remedy which is often given by a nurse toafford relief for flatulence; but let me urge upon you the importancefor banishing it from the nursery. It has (when given byunprofessional persons) caused the untimely end of thousands ofchildren. The medical journals and the newspapers teem with cases ofdeaths from mothers incautiously giving syrup of poppies to ease painand to procure sleep. 

98. _What are the symptoms, the causes, and the treatment of"Gripings" of an infant_?

_The symptoms. _--The child draws up his legs; screams violently; ifput to the nipple to comfort him, he turns away from it and criesbitterly; he strains, as though he were having a stool; if he have amotion, it will be slimy, curdled, and perhaps green. If, in additionto the above symptoms, he pass a large quantity of watery fluid fromhis bowels, the case becomes one of _watery gripes_, and requires theimmediate attention of a doctor. 

The _causes_ of "gripings" or "gripes" may proceed either from theinfant or from the mother. If from the child, it is generally owingeither to improper food or to over-feeding; if from the mother, it maybe traced to her having taken either greens, or port, or tart beer, orsour porter, or pickles, or drastic purgatives. 

_What to do. _--The _treatment_, of course, must depend upon thecause. If it arise from over-feeding, I would advise a dose of castoroil to be given, and warm fomentations to be applied to the bowels, and the mother, or the nurse, to be more careful for the future. If itproceed from improper food, a dose or two of magnesia and rhubarb in alittle dill water, made palatable with simple syrup. [Footnote:

 Take of--Powdered Turkey Rhubarb, half a scruple; Carbonate of Magnesia, one scruple; Simple Syrup, three drachms; Dill Water, eight drachms;

Make a Mixture, One or two tea-spoonfuls (according to the age of thechild) to be taken every four boors, until relief be obtained--firstshaking the bottle. ) If it arise from a mother's imprudence in eatingtrash, or from her taking violent medicine, a warm bath, a warm bath, indeed, let the cause of "griping" be what it may, usually affordsinstant relief. 

Another excellent remedy is the following--Soak a piece of newflannel, folded into two or three thicknesses, in warm water, wring ittolerably dry, and apply as hot as the child can comfortably bear itto the bowels, then wrap him in a warm, dry blanket, and keep him, forat least half an hour, enveloped in it. Under the above treatment, hewill generally soon fall into a sweet sleep, and awake quiterefreshed. 

_What NOT to do_--Do not give opiates, astringents, chalk, or anyquack medicine whatever. 

If a child suffer from a mother's folly in her eating improper food, it will be cruel in the extreme for him a _second_ time to betormented from the same cause. 

99. _What occasions Hiccup, and what is its treatment_?

Hiccup is of such a trifling nature as hardly to requireinterference. It may generally be traced to over feeding. Should it besevere, four or five grains of calcined magnesia, with a little syrupand aniseed water, and attention to feeding are all that will benecessary. 

100. _Will you describe the symptoms of Infantile Diarrhoea_?

Infantile diarrhoea, or _cholera infantum_, is one of the mostfrequent and serious of infantile diseases, and carries off, duringthe year, more children than any other complaint whatever a knowledgeof the symptoms, therefore, is quite necessary for a mother to know, in order that she may, at the proper tune, call in efficient medicalaid. 

It will be well, before describing the symptoms, to tell you how manymotions a young infant ought to have a day, their colour, consistence, and smell. Well, then, he should have from three to six motions inthe twenty four hours, the colour ought to be a bright yellow, inclining to orange, the consistence should be that of thick gruel;indeed, his motion, if healthy, ought to be somewhat of the colour(but a little more orange-tinted) and of the consistence of mustardmade for the table; it should be nearly, if not quite, devoid ofsmell; it ought to have a faint and peculiar, but not a strongdisagreeable odour. If it have a strong and disagreeable smell, thechild is not well, and the case should be investigated, moreespecially if there be either curds or lumps in the motions; theselatter symptoms denote that the food has not been properly digested. 

Now, suppose a child should have a slight bowel complaint--that is tosay, that he has six or eight motions during the twenty-fourhours, --and that the stools are of a thinner consistence than what Ihave described, --provided, at the same time, that he be not griped, that he have no pain, and have not lost his desire for thebreast:--What ought to be done?_Nothing_. A slight looseness of thebowels should _never_ be interfered with, --it is often an effort ofnature to relieve itself of some vitiated motion that wanted avent--or to act as a diversion, by relieving the irritation of thegums. Even if he be not cutting his teeth, he may be "breeding"them--that is to say, the teeth may be forming in his gums, and maycause almost as much, irritation as though he were actually cuttingthem. Hence, you see the immense good a slight "looseness of thebowels" may cause. I think that I have now proved to you the danger ofinterfering in such a case, and that I have shown you, the folly andthe mischief of at once giving astringents--such as Godfrey's Cordial, Dalby's Carminative, &c. --to relieve a _slight_ relaxation. 

A moderate "looseness of the bowels, " then, is often a safety-valve, and you may, with as much propriety, close the safety-valve of a steamengine, as stop a moderate "looseness of the bowels!"

Now, if the infant, instead of having from three to six motions, should have more than double the latter number; if they be morewatery; if they become slimy and green, or green in part and curdled;if they should have an unpleasant smell; if he be sick, cross, restless, fidgety, and poorly; if every time he have a motion he begriped and in pain, we should then say that he is labouring underDiarrhoea; then, it will be necessary to give a little medicine, whichI will indicate in a subsequent Conversation. 

Should there be both blood and slime mixed with the stool, the casebecomes more serious; still, with proper care, relief can generally bequickly obtained. If the evacuations--instead of being stool--aremerely blood and slime, and the child strain frequently and violently, endeavouring thus, but in vain, to relieve himself, crying at eacheffort, the case assumes the character of Dysentery. [Footnote: SeeSymptoms and Treatment of Dysentery. ]

If there be a mixture of blood, slime, and stool from the bowels, thecase would be called Dysenteric-diarrhoea. The latter case requiresgreat skill and judgment on the part of a medical men, and greatattention and implicit obedience from the mother and the nurse. Imerely mention these diseases in order to warn you of theirimportance, and of the necessity of strictly attending to a doctor'sorders. 

101. _What are the causes of Diarrhoea--"Looseness of the bowels?"_

Improper food; overfeeding; teething; cold; the mother's milk fromvarious causes disagreeing, namely, from her being out of health, fromher eating unsuitable food, from her taking improper and drasticpurgatives, or from her suckling her child when she is pregnant. Ofcourse, if any of these causes are in operation, they ought, ifpossible, to be remedied, or medicine to the babe will be of littleavail. 

102. _What is the treatment of Diarrhoea_?

_What to do. _--If the case be _slight_, and has lasted two or threedays (do not interfere by giving medicine at first), and if the cause, as it probably is, be some acidity or vitiated stool that wants avent, and thus endeavours to obtain one by purging, the best treatmentis, to assist nature by giving either a dose of castor oil, or amoderate one of rhubarb and magnesia, [Footnote: For a rhubarb andmagnesia mixture prescription, see page 71 (_note_). ] and thus to workoff the enemy. After the enemy has been worked off, either by thecastor oil, or by the magnesia and rhubarb, the purging will, in allprobability, cease; but if the relaxation still continue, that is tosay, for three or four days--then, if medical advice cannot beprocured, the following mixture should be given:--

 Take of--Aromatic Powder of Chalk and Opium, ten grains; Oil of Dill, five drops; Simple Syrup, three drachms; Water, nine drachms;

Make a Mixture, [Footnote: Let the mixture be made by a chemist. ] Halfa tea-spoonful to be given to an infant of six months and under, andone tea-spoonful to a child above that age, every four hours--firstshaking the bottle. 

If the babe be at the breast, he ought, for a few days, to be kept_entirely_ to it. The mother should be most particular in her owndiet. 

_What NOT to do. _--The mother must neither take greens, nor cabbage, nor raw fruit, nor pastry, nor beer; indeed, while the diarrhoea ofher babe continues, she had better abstain from wine, as well as fromfermented liquors. The child, if at the breast, ought _not_, whilethe diarrhoea continues, to have any artificial food. He must neitherbe dosed with grey-powder (a favourite, but highly improper Remedy, inthese cases), nor with any quack medicines, such as Dalby'sCarminative or Godfrey's Cordial. 

103. _What are the symptoms of Dysentery_?

Dysentery frequently arises from a neglected diarrhoea. It is moredangerous than diarrhoea, as it is of an inflammatory character; andas, unfortunately, it frequently attacks a delicate child, requiresskilful handling; hence the care and experience required in treating acase of dysentery. 

Well, then, what are the symptoms? The infant, in all probability, hashad an attack of diarrhoea--bowel complaint as it is called--forseveral days; he having had a dozen or two of motions, many of themslimy and frothy, like "frog-spawn, " during the twenty-four hours. Suddenly the character of the motion changes, --from being principallystool, it becomes almost entirely blood and mucus; he is dreadfullygriped, which causes him to strain violently, as though his insidewould come away every time he has a motion, --screaming and twistingabout, evidently being in the greatest pain, drawing his legs up tohis belly and writhing in agony. Sickness and vomiting are alwayspresent, which still more robs him of his little remaining strength, and prevents the repair of his system. Now, look at his face! It isthe very picture of distress. Suppose he has been a plump, healthylittle fellow, you will see his face, in a few days, becomeold-looking, care-worn, haggard, and pinched. Day and night the enemytracks him (unless proper remedies be administered); no sleep, or ifhe sleep, he is, every few minutes, roused. It is heart-rending tohave to attend a bad case of dysentery in a child, --the writhing, thescreaming, the frequent vomiting, the pitiful look, the rapid wastingand exhaustion, make it more distressing to witness than almost anyother disease a doctor attends. 

104. _Can anything be done to relieve such a case_?

Yes. A judicious medical man will do a great deal. But, suppose thatyon are not able to procure one, I will tell you _what to do_ and_what NOT to do_. 

_What to do_. --If the child be at the breast, keep him to it, and lethim have nothing else for dysentery is frequently caused by improperfeeding. If your milk be not good, or it be scanty, _instantly_procure a healthy wet-nurse. _Lose not a moment;_ for in dysentery, moments are precious. But, suppose that you have no milk, and that nowet-nurse can be procured: what then? Feed him entirely on cow'smilk--the milk of _one_ healthy cow; let the milk be unboiled, and befresh from the cow. Give it in small quantities at a time, andfrequently, so that it may be retained on the stomach. If atable-spoonful of the milk make him sick, give him a dessert-spoonful;if a dessert-spoonful cause sickness, let him only have a tea-spoonfulat a time, and let it be repeated every quarter of an hour. But, remember, in such a case the breast milk--the breast milk alone--isincomparably superior to any other milk or to any other food whatever. 

If he be a year old, and weaned, then feed him, as above recommended, on the cow's milk. If there be extreme exhaustion and debility, letfifteen drops of brandy be added to each table-spoonful of new milk, and let it be given every half hour. 

Now with regard to medicine. I approach this part of the treatmentwith some degree of reluctance, --for dysentery is a case requiringopium--and opium I never like a mother of her own accord toadminister. But suppose a medical man cannot be procured in time, themother must then prescribe, or the child will die! _What then is tobe done?_ Sir Charles Locock considers "that, in severe dysentery, especially where there is sickness, there is no remedy equal to pureCalomel, in a full dose without opium. " [Footnote: Communicated by SirCharles Locock to the Author. ] Therefore, at the very _onset_ of thedisease, let from three to five grains (according to the age of thepatient) of Calomel, mixed with an equal quantity of powdered whitesugar, be put dry on the tongue. In three hours after let thefollowing mixture be administered:--

 Take of--Compound Powder of Ipecacuanha, five grains; Ipecacuanha Wine, one drachm; Simple Syrup, three drachms; Cinnamon Water, nine drachms;

To make a Mixture, A tea-spoonful to be given every three or fourhours, first _well_ shaking the bottle. 

Supposing he cannot retain the mixture--the stomach rejecting it assoon as swallowed--what then? Give the opium, mixed with small dosesof mercury with chalk and sugar, in the form of powder, and put one ofthe powders _dry_ on the tongue, every three hours:--

 Take of--Powdered Opium, half a grain; Mercury with chalk, nine grains; Sugar of Milk, twenty-four grains;

Mix well in a mortar, and divide into twelve powders. 

Now, suppose the dysentery has for several days persisted, and that, during that time, nothing but mucus and blood--that no real stool--hascome from the bowels, then a combination of castor oil and opium[Footnote: My friend, the late Dr Baly, who had made dysentery hisparticular study, considered the combination of opium and castor oilvery valuable in dysentery. ] ought, instead of the medicinerecommended above, to be given:--

 Take of--Mucilage of Gum Acacia, three drachms; Simple Syrup, three drachms; Tincture of Opium, ten drops (_not_ minims); Castor Oil, two drachms; Cinnamon water, four drachms:

Make a Mixture. A tea spoonful to be taken every four hours, first_well_ shaking the bottle. 

A warm bath, at the commencement of the disease, is very efficacious;but it must be given at the _commencement_. If he has had dysenteryfor a day or two, he will be too weak to have a warm bath; then, instead of the bath, try the following:--Wrap him in a blanket, whichhas been previously wrung out of hot water; over which envelope him ina _dry_ blanket. Keep him in this hot, damp blanket for half an hour;then take him out, put on his nightgown and place him in bed, whichhas been, if it be winter time, previously warmed. The above "blankettreatment" will frequently give great relief, and will sometimes causehim to fall into a sweet sleep. A flannel bag, filled with hotpowdered table salt, made hot in the oven, applied to the bowels, willafford much comfort. 

_What NOT to do_. --Do not give aperients unless it be, as beforeadvised, the castor oil guarded with the opium; do not stuff him withartificial food; do not fail to send for a judicious and anexperienced medical man; for, remember, it requires a skilful doctorto treat a case of dysentery, more especially in a child. 

105. _What are the symptoms, the causes and the treatment ofNettle-rash_?

Nettle-rash consists of several irregular, raised wheals, red at thebase, and white on the summit, on different parts of the body; _but itseldom attacks the face_. It is not contagious, and it may occur atall ages and many times. It comes and goes, remaining only a shorttime in a place. It puts on very much the appearance of the childhaving been stung by nettles--hence its name. It produces great heat, itching, and irritation, sometimes to such a degree as to make himfeverish, sick, and fretful. He is generally worse when he is warm inbed, 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 wayto a mild aperient, and to attention to diet. There is nothing betterto relieve the irritation of the skin than a warm bath. If it be asevere 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 donot wash him (while the rash is out) in quite _cold_ water. Do notallow him to be in a draught, but let him be in a well-ventilatedroom. If he be old enough to eat meat, keep it from him for a fewdays, and let him live on milk and farinaceous diet. Avoid strongpurgatives, 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 fromteething; not always from the cutting but from the evolution--the"breeding, " of the teeth. It is also sometimes owing to unhealthystools irritating the bowels, and showing itself, by sympathy, on theskin. Red-gum consists of several small papulae, or pimples, about thesize of pins' heads, and may be known from measles--the only diseasefor which it is at all likely to be mistaken--by its being unattendedby symptoms of cold, such as sneezing, running, and redness of theeyes, &c. , and by the patches _not_ assuming a crescentic--half-moonshape; red-gum, in short, may readily he known by the child's healthbeing unaffected, unless, indeed, there be a great crop of pimples;then there will be slight feverishness. 

_What to do_. --Little need be done. If there be a good deal ofirritation, a mild aperient should be given. The child ought to bekept moderately, but not very warm. 

_What NOT to do_. --Draughts of air, or cold should be carefullyavoided; as, by sending the eruption suddenly in, either convulsionsor disordered bowels might be produced. Do not dose him withgrey-powder. 

107. _How would you prevent "Stuffing of the nose" in a new-bornbabe_?

Rubbing a little tallow on the bridge of the nose is the old-fashionedremedy, and answers the purpose. It ought to be applied every eveningjust before putting him to bed. If the "stuffing" be severe, dip asponge in hot water, as hot as he can comfortably bear; ascertain thatit be not too hot, by previously applying it to your own face, andthen put it for a few minutes to the bridge of his nose. As soon asthe hard mucus is within reach, it should be carefully removed. 

108. _Do you consider sickness injurious to an infant_?

Many thriving babies are, after taking the breast, frequently sick;still we cannot look upon sickness otherwise than as an index ofeither a disordered or of an overloaded stomach. If the child be sick, and yet be thriving, it is a proof that he overloads his stomach. Amother, then, must not allow him to suck so much, at a time. Sheshould, until he retain all he takes, lessen the quantity of milk. Ifhe be sick and does _not_ thrive, the mother should notice if the milkhe throws up has a sour smell; if it have, she must first of all lookto her own health; she ought to ascertain if her own stomach be out oforder; for if such be the case, it is impossible for her to make goodmilk. She should observe whether in the morning her own tongue befurred and dry; whether she have a disagreeable taste in her mouth, orpains at her stomach, or heart-burn, or flatulence. If she have all, or any of these symptoms, the mystery is explained why he is sick anddoes not thrive. She ought then to seek advice, and a medical man willsoon put her stomach into good order; and, by so doing, will, at thesame time, benefit her child. 

But if the mother be in the enjoyment of good health, she must thenlook to the babe himself, and ascertain if he be cutting his teeth; ifthe gums require lancing; if the secretions from the bowels be properboth in quantity and in quality; and, if he have had _artificial_food--it being absolutely necessary to give such food--whether itagree with him. 

_What to do_. --In the first place, if the gums be red, hot, andswollen, let them be lanced; in the second, if the secretion from thebowels be either unhealthy or scanty, give him a dose of aperientmedicine, such as caster oil, or the following:--Take two or threegrains of powdered Turkey rhubarb, three grains of pure carbonate ofmagnesia, and one grain of aromatic powder--Mix. The powder to betaken at bed-time, mixed in a tea-spoonful of sugar and water, andwhich should, if necessary, be repeated the following night. In thethird place, if the food he be taking does not agree with him, changeit (_vide_ answer to question 33). Give it in smaller quantities at atime, and not so frequently; or what will be better still, if it bepossible, keep him, for a while, entirely to the breast. 

_What NOT to do_. --Do not let him overload his stomach either withbreast milk, or with _artificial food_. Let the mother avoid, untilhis sickness be relieved, greens, cabbage, and all other greenvegetables. 

109. _What are the causes, the symptoms, the prevention, and the cureof Thrush_?

The thrush is a frequent disease of an infant, and is often brought oneither by stuffing or by giving him improper food. A child brought up_entirely_, for the first three or four months, on the breast, seldomsuffers from this complaint. The thrush consists of several irregular, roundish, white specks on the lips, the tongue, the inside and theangles of the mouth, giving the parts affected the appearance of curdsand whey having been smeared upon them. The mouth is hot and painful, and he is afraid to suck; the moment the nipple is put to his mouth hebegins to cry. The thrush, sometimes, although but rarely, runsthrough the whole of the alimentary canal. It should be borne in mindthat nearly every child, who is sucking, has his or her tongue whiteor "frosted, " as it is sometimes called. The thrush may be mild orvery severe. 

Now with regard to what to do. --As the thrush is generally owing toimproper and to artificial feeding, _if the child be at the breast_, keep him, for a time, entirely to it. Do not let him be alwayssucking, as that will not only fret his month, but will likewiseirritate and make sore the mother's nipple. 

_If he be not at the breast_, but has been weaned, then keep him for afew days entirely to a milk diet--to the milk of ONE cow--eitherboiled, if it be hot weather, to keep it sweet; or unboiled, in coolweather--fresh as it comes from the cow, mixed with warm water. 

The best medicine is the old-fashioned one of Borax, a combination ofpowdered lump-sugar and borax being a good one for the purpose: thepowdered lump-sugar increases the efficacy, and the cleansingproperties of the borax; it tends, moreover, to make it morepalatable. --

 Take of--Borax, half a drachm; Lump Sugar, two scruples;

To be well mixed together, and made into twelve powders. One of thepowders to be put dry on the tongue every four hours. 

The best _local_ remedy is Honey of Borax, which ought to be smearedfrequently, by means of the finger, on the parts affected. 

Thorough ventilation of the apartment must be observed; and greatcleanliness of the vessels containing the milk should be insistedupon. 

In a bad case of thrush, change of air to the country is mostdesirable; the effect is sometimes, in such cases, truly magical. 

If the thrush be brought on either by too much or by improper food; inthe first case of course, a mother must lessen the quantity; and, inthe second, she should be more careful in her selection. 

_What NOT to do_. --Do not use either a calf's teat or wash leather forthe feeding-bottle; fortunately, since the invention of India-rubberteats, they are now nearly exploded; they were, in olden times, fruitful causes of thrush. Do not mind the trouble of ascertainingthat the cooking-vessels connected with the baby's food are perfectlyclean and sweet. Do not leave the purity and the goodness of the cow'smilk (it being absolutely necessary to feed him on artificial food) tobe judged either by the milk-man, or by the nurse, but taste and proveit yourself. Do not keep the milk in a warm place, but either in thedairy or in the cellar; and, if it be summer time, let the jug holdingthe milk be put in a crock containing lumps of ice. Do not use milkthat has been milked longer than twelve hours, but if practicable, have it milked direct from the cow, and use it _immediately_--let itbe really and truly fresh and genuine milk. 

When the disease is _severe_, it may require more activetreatment--such as a dose of calomel; _which medicine must never begiven unless it be either under the direction of a medical man, orunless it be in an extreme case, --such as dysentery_; [Footnote: Seethe Treatment of Dysentery. ] therefore, the mother had better seekadvice. 

In a _severe_ case of thrush, where the complaint has been brought onby _artificial_ feeding--the babe not having the advantage of themother's milk--it is really surprising how rapidly a wet-nurse--if thecase has not been too long deferred--will effect a cure, where allother means have been tried and have failed. The effect has been trulymagical! In a severe case of thrush pure air and thorough ventilationare essential to recovery. 

110. _Is anything to be learned from the cry of an infant_?

A babe can only express his wants and his necessities by a cry; he canonly tell his aches and his pains by a cry; it is the only language ofbabyhood; it is the most ancient of all languages; it is the languageknown by our earliest progenitors; it is, if listened to aright, avery expressive language, although it is only but the language of acry--

 "Soft infancy, that nothing canst but cry. "--_Shakspeare_. 

There is, then, a language in the cry of an infant, which to a motheris the most interesting of all languages, and which a thoughtfulmedical man can well interpret. The cry of a child, to an experienceddoctor, is, each and all, a distract sound, and is as expressive asthe notes of the gamut. The cry of passion, for instance, is a furiouscry; the cry of sleepiness is a drowsy cry; the cry of grief is asobbing cry; the cry of an infant when roused from sleep is a shrillcry; the cry of hunger is very characteristic, --it is unaccompaniedwith tears, and is a wailing cry; the cry of teething is a fretfulcry; the cry of pain tells to the practised ear the part of pain; thecry of ear-ache is short, sharp, piercing, and decisive, the headbeing moved about from side to side, and the little hand being oftenput up to the affected side of the head; the cry of bowel-ache is alsoexpressive, --the cry is not so piercing as from ear-ache, and is aninterrupted, straining cry, accompanied with a drawing-up of the legsto the belly; the cry of bronchitis is a gruff and phlegmatic cry; thecry of inflammation of the lungs is more a moan than a cry; the cry ofcroup is hoarse, and rough, and ringing, and is so characteristic thatit may truly be called "the croupy cry;" the cry of inflammation ofthe membranes of the brain is a piercing shriek--a danger signal--mostpainful to hear; the cry of a child recovering from a severe illnessis a cross, and wayward, and tearful cry; he may truly be said to bein a quarrelsome mood; he bursts out, without rhyme or reason, into apassionate flood of tears--into "a tempest of tears:" tears arealways, in a severe illness, to be looked upon as a good omen, as a

 "The tears that heal and bless"--_H. Bonar_. 

Tears, when a child is dangerously ill, are rarely, if ever, seen; acry, at night, for light--a frequent cause of a babe crying--is arestless cry:--

 "An infant--crying in the night; An infant crying for the light: And with no language hat a cry. "--_Tennyson_. 

111. _If an infant be delicate, have you any objection to his havingeither veal or mutton broth, to strengthen him_?

Broths seldom agree with a babe at the breast I have known themproduce sickness, disorder the bowels, and create fever. I recommendyou, therefore, not to make the attempt. 

Although broth and beef-tea, when taken by the mouth, will seldomagree with an infant at the breast, yet, when used as an enema, and insmall quantities, so that they may be retained, I have frequentlyfound them to be of great benefit, they have in some instancesappeared to have snatched delicate children from the brink of thegrave. 

112. _My baby's ankles are very weak: what do you advise to strengthenthem_?

If his ankles be weak, let them every morning be bathed, after thecompletion of his morning's ablution, for fire minutes each time, withbay-salt and water, a small handful of bay-salt dissolved in a quartof rain water (with the chill of the water off in the winter, and ofits proper temperature in the summer time); then let them be dried;after the drying, let the ankles he well rubbed with the followingliniment:--

 Take of--Oil of Rosemary, three drachms; Liniment of Camphor, thirteen drachms:

To make a Liniment

Do not let him be put on his feet early; but allow him to crawl, andsprawl, and kick about the floor, until his body and his ankles becomestrong. 

Do not, on any account, without having competent advice on thesubject, use iron instruments, or mechanical supports of any kind: theankles are generally, by such artificial supports, made worse, inconsequence of the pressure causing a further dwindling away andenfeebling of the ligaments of the ankles, already wasted andweakened. 

Let him wear shoes with straps over the insteps to keep them on, andnot boots: boots will only, by wasting the ligaments, increase theweakness of the ankles. 

113. _Sometimes there is a difficulty in restraining the bleeding ofleech bites. What is the best method_?

The difficulty in these cases generally arises from the impropermethod of performing it. For example--a mother endeavours to stop thehaemorrhage by loading the part with rag; the more the bites discharge, the more rag she applies. At the same time, the child probably is in aroom with a, large fire, with two or three candles, with the doorsclosed, and with perhaps a dozen people in the apartment, whom themother has, in her fright, sent for. This practice is stronglyreprehensible. 

If the bleeding cannot be stopped, --in the first place, the fire mostbe extinguished, the door and windows should be thrown open, and theroom ought to be cleared of persons, with the exception of one, or, atthe most, two; and every rag should be removed. "Stopping of leechbites. --The simplest and most certain way, till the proper assistanceis obtained, is the pressure of the finger, with nothingintervening. It _cannot_ bleed through that. " [Footnote: Sir CharlesLocock, in a _Letter_ to the Author. ]

Many babies, by excessive loss of blood from leech bites, have losttheir lives from a mother not knowing how to act, and also from themedical man either living at a distance, or not being athand. Fortunately for the infantile community, leeches are now veryseldom ordered by doctors. 

114. _Supposing a baby to be poorly, have you any advice to give tohis mother as to her own management_?

She must endeavour to calm her feelings or her milk will bedisordered, and she will thus materially increase his illness. If hebe labouring under any inflammatory disorder, she ought to refrainfrom the taking of beer, wine, and spirits, and from all stimulatingfood; otherwise, she will feed his disease. 

Before concluding the first part of my subject--the Management ofInfancy--let me again urge upon you the importance--the paramountimportance--if you wish your babe to be strong and hearty, --of givinghim as little opening physic as possible. The best physic for him isNature's physic--fresh air, and exercise, and simplicity of living. Amother who is herself always drugging her child, can only do good totwo persons--the doctor and the druggist!

If an infant from his birth be properly managed, --if he have anabundance of fresh air for his lungs, --if he have plenty of exercisefor his muscles (by allowing him to kick and sprawl on the floor), --ifhe have a good swilling and sousing of water for his skin, --if, duringthe _early_ months of his life, he have nothing but the mother's milkfor his stomach, --he will require very little medicine--the less thebetter! He does not want his stomach to be made into a doctor's shop!The grand thing is not to take every opportunity of administeringphysic, but of using every means of with-holding it! And if physic benecessary, not to doctor him yourself, unless it be in extreme andurgent cases (which in preceding and succeeding Conversations I eitherhave or will indicate), but to employ an experienced medical man. Ababe who is always, without rhyme or reason, being physicked, is sureto be puny, delicate, and unhealthy, and is ready at any moment todrop into an untimely grave!

I will maintain that a healthy child _never_ requires drugging withopening physic, and that costiveness is brought on by badmanagement. Aperient medicines to a healthy child are so much poison!_Let me impress the above remarks on every mother's mind;_ for it is asubject of vital importance. Never, then, give a purgative to ahealthy child; for, if he be properly managed, he will never requireone. If you once begin to give aperients, you will find a difficultydiscontinuing them. Finally, I will only say with _Punch_, --"Don't"

CONCLUDING REMARKS ON INFANCY. 

115. In concluding the first part of our subject--Infancy--I beg toremark: there are four things essentially necessary to a babe'swell-doing, namely, (1) plenty of water for his skin; (2) plenty offresh genuine milk mixed with water for his stomach (of course, givinghim ONLY his mother's milk during the first six, eight, or ninemonths of his existence); (3) plenty of pure air for his lungs; (4)plenty of sleep for his brain: these are the four grand essentials foran infant; without an abundance of one and all of them, perfect healthis utterly impossible! Perfect health! the greatest earthly blessing, and more to be coveted than ought else beside! There is not a morecharming sight in the universe than the beaming face of a perfectlyhealthy babe, --

 "His are the joys of nature, his the smile, The cherub smile, of innocence and health. "--_Knox. _

PART II. 

CHILDHOOD. 

 _The child is father of the man_. --WORDSWORTH. _Bairns are blessings_--SHAKESPEARE. _These are MY jewels!_--CORNELLA. 

ABLUTION. 

116. _At twelve months old, do you still recommend a child to be_ PUTIN HIS TUB _to be washed_?

Certainly I do, as I have previously recommended at page 6, in orderthat his skin may be well and thoroughly cleansed. If it be summertime, the water should be used cold; if it be winter, a dash of warmmust be added, so that it may be of the temperature of new milk: butdo not, on any account use _very warm_ water. The head must be washed(but not dried) before he be placed in a tub, then, putting him in thetub (containing the necessary quantity of water, and washing him aspreviously recommended), [Footnote: See Infancy-Ablution, page 6. ] alarge sponge should be filled with the water and squeezed over hishead, so that the water may stream over the whole surface of hisbody. A jugful of water should, just before taking him out of hisbath, be poured over and down his loins; all this ought rapidly to bedone, and he must be quickly dried with soft towels, and thenexpeditiously dressed. For the washing of your child I would recommendyou to use Castile soap in preference to any other; it is more pure, and less irritating, and hence does not injure the texture of theskin. Take care that the soap does not get into his eyes, or it mightproduce irritation and smarting. 

117. _Some mothers object to a child's STANDING in the water. _

If the head be wetted before he be placed in the tub, and if he bewashed as above directed, there can be no valid objection to it. Hemust not be allowed to remain in his tab more than five minutes. 

118. _Does not washing the child's head, every morning, make him moreliable to catch cold, and does it not tend to weaken his sight_?

It does neither the one nor the other; on the contrary, it preventscold, and strengthens his sight; it cleanses his scalp, preventsscurf, and, by that means, causes a more beautiful bead of hair. Thehead, after each washing, ought, with a soft brush, to be wellbrushed, but should not be combed. The brushing causes a healthycirculation of the scalp; but combing the hair makes the head scurfy, and pulls out the hair by the roots. 

119. _If the head, notwithstanding the washing, be scurfy, what shouldbe done_?

After the head has been well dried, let a little cocoa-nut oil be wellrubbed, for five minutes each time, into the roots of the hair, and, afterwards, let the head be well brushed, but not combed. Thefine-tooth comb will cause a greater accumulation of scurf, and willscratch and injure the scalp. 

120. _Do you recommend a child to be washed_ IN HIS TUB _every nightand morning_?

No; once a day is quite sufficient; in the morning in preference tothe evening; unless he be poorly, then, evening instead of morning;as, immediately after he has been washed and dried, he can be put tobed. 

121. _Ought a child to be placed in his tub whilst he is in a state ofperspiration_?

Not whilst he is perspiring _violently, _ or the perspiration might hechecked suddenly, and ill consequences would ensue; _nor ought he tobe put in his tub when he is cold, _ or his blood would be chilled, andwould be sent from the skin to some internal vital part, and thuswould be likely to light up inflammation--probably of the lungs. Hisskin, when he is placed in his bath, ought to be moderately andcomfortably warm; neither too hot nor too cold. 

122. _When the child is a year old, do you recommend cold or warmwater to be used_?

If it be winter, a little warm water ought to be added, so as to raisethe temperature to that of new milk. As the summer advances, less andless warm water is required, so that, at length, none is needed. 

123. _If a child be delicate, do you recommend anything to be added tothe water which may tend to brace and strengthen him_?

Either a handful of table-salt, or half a handful of bay-salt, or ofTidman's sea-salt, should be previously dissolved in a quart jug of_cold_ water; then, just before taking the child out of his morningbath, let the above be poured over and down the back and loins of thechild--holding the jug, while pouring its contents on the back, a footdistant from the child, in order that it might act as a kind of douchebath. 

124. _Do you recommend the child, after he has been dried with thetowel, to be rubbed with the hand_?

I do; as friction encourages the cutaneous circulation, and causes theskin to perform its functions properly, thus preventing theperspiration (which is one of the impurities of the body) from beingsent inwardly either to the lungs or to other parts. The back, thechest, the bowels, and the limbs are the parts that ought to be wellrubbed. 

CLOTHING

125. _Have you any remarks to make on the clothing of a child_?

Children, boys and girls, especially if they be delicate, ought alwaysto wear high dresses up to their necks. The exposure of the upperpart of the chest (if the child be weakly) is dangerous. It is in the_upper_ part of the lungs, in the region of the collar bones, thatconsumption first shows itself. The clothing of a child, moreespecially about the chest, should be large and full in every part, and be free from tight strings, so that the circulation of the bloodmay not be impeded, and that there may be plenty of room for the falldevelopment of the rapidly-growing body. 

His frock, or tonic, ought to be of woollen material--warm, light, andporous, in order that the perspiration may rapidly evaporate. Thepractice of some mothers in allowing their children to wear tightbands round their waists, and tight clothes, is truly reprehensible. 

_Tight_ bands or _tight_ belts around the waist of a child are veryinjurious to health; they crib in the chest, and thus interfere withthe rising and the falling of the ribs--so essential tobreathing. _Tight_ hats ought never to be worn; by interfering withthe circulation they cause headaches. Nature delights in freedom, andresents interference!

126. _What parts of the body in particular ought to be kept warm_?

The chest, the bowels, and the feet, should be kept comfortablywarm. We must guard against an opposite extreme, and not keep them toohot. The head alone should be kept cool, on which account I do notapprove either of night or of day caps. 

127. _What are the best kinds of hat for a child_?

The best covering for the head, when he is out and about, is aloose-fitting straw hat, which will allow the perspiration toescape. It should have a broad rim, to screen the eyes. A sun-shade, that is to say, a sea-side hat--a hat made of cotton--with a wide brimto keep off the sun, is also an excellent hat for a child; it is verylight, and allows a free escape of the perspiration. It can bebought, ready made, at a baby-linen warehouse. 

A knitted or crocheted woollen hat, with woollen rosettes to keep theears warm, and which may be procured at any baby-linen warehouse, makes a nice and comfortable winter's hat for a child. It is also agood hat for him to wear while performing a long journey. The colourchosen is generally scarlet and white, which, in cold weather, givesit a warm and comfortable appearance. 

It is an abominable practice to cover a child's head with beaver orwith felt, or with any thick impervious material It is awell-ascertained fact, that beaver and silk hats cause men to sufferfrom headache, and to lose their hair--the reason being, that theperspiration cannot possibly escape through them. Now, if theperspiration cannot escape, dangerous, or at all events injurious, consequences must ensue, as it is well known that the skin is abreathing apparatus, and that it will not with impunity bearinterference. 

Neither a child nor any one else should be permitted to be in theglare of the son without his hat. If he be allowed, he is likely tohave a sun-stroke, which might either at once kill him, or might makehim an idiot for the remainder of his life; which latter would be theworse alternative of the two. 

128. _Have you, any remarks to make on keeping a child's hands andlegs warm when in the winter time he it carried out_?

When a child either walks or is carried out in wintry weather, be sureand see that both his hands and legs are well protected from thecold. There is nothing for this purpose like woollen gloves, andwoollen stockings coming up over the knees. 

129. _Do you approve of a child wearing a flannel nightgown_?

He frequently throws the clothes off him, and has occasion to be takenup in the night, and if he have not a flannel gown on, is likely tocatch cold; on which account I recommend it to be worn. The usualcalico night-gown should be worn _under_ it. 

130. _Do you advise a child to be LIGHTLY clad, in order that he maybe hardened thereby_?

I should fear that such a plan, instead of hardening, would be likelyto produce a contrary effect. It is an ascertained fact that morechildren of the poor, who are thus lightly clad, die, than of thosewho are properly defended from the cold. Again, what holds good with ayoung plant is equally applicable to a young child; and we all knowthat it is ridiculous to think of unnecessarily exposing a tenderplant to harden it. If it were thus exposed, it would wither and die. 

131. _If a child be delicate, if he have a cold body, or a languidcirculation, or if he be predisposed to inflammation of the lungs, doyou approve of his wearing flannel instead of linen shirts_?

I do; as flannel tends to keep the body at an equal temperature, thusobviating the effects of the sudden changes of the weather, andpromotes by gentle friction the cutaneous circulation, thus warmingthe cold body, and giving an impetus to the languid circulation, andpreventing an undue quantity of blood from being sent to the lungs, either to light up or to feed inflammation _Fine_ flannel, of course, ought to be worn, which should be changed as frequently as the usualshirts. 

If a child have had an attack either of bronchitis or of inflammationof the lungs, or if he have just recovered from scarlet fever, by allmeans, if he have not previously worn flannel, _instantly_ let himbegin to do so, and let him, _next_ to the skin, wear a flannelwaistcoat. _This is important advice, and ought not to bedisregarded_. 

_Scarlet_ flannel is now much used instead of _white_ flannel; and asscarlet flannel has a more comfortable appearance, and does not shrinkso much in washing, it may be substituted for the white. 

132. _Have you any remarks to make on the shoes and stockings of achild? and on the right way of cutting the toe-nails_?

He ought, daring the winter, to wear lamb's wool stockings that willreach _above_ the knees, and _thick_ calico drawers that will reach afew inches _below_ the knees; as it is of the utmost importance tokeep the lower extremities comfortably warm. It is really painful tosee how many mothers expose the bare legs of their little ones to thefrosty air, even in the depths of winter. 

Be sure and see that the boots and shoes of your child be sound andwhole; for if they be not so, they will let in the damp, and if thedamp, disease and perhaps death. "If the poor would take better careof their children's feet half the infantile mortality woulddisappear. It only costs twopence to put a piece of thick felt or corkinto the bottom of a boot or shoe, and the difference is often betweenthat and a doctors bill, with, perhaps, the undertaker'sbesides. "--_Daily Telegraph_, Garters ought not to be worn, as they impede the circulation, wastethe muscles, and interfere with walking. The stocking may be securedin its place by means of a loop and tape, which should be fastened toa part of the dress. 

Let me urge upon you the importance of not allowing your child to wear_tight_ shoes; they cripple the feet, causing the joints of the toes, which ought to have free play, and which should assist in walking, tobe, in a manner, useless; they produce corns and bunions, andinterfere with the proper circulation of the foot. A shoe ought to bemade according to the shape of the foot--rights and lefts aretherefore desirable. The toe-part of the shoe must be made broad, soas to allow plenty of room for the toes to expand, and that one toecannot overlap another. Be sure, then, that there be no pinching andno pressure. In the article of shoes you ought to be particular andliberal; pay attention to having nicely fitting ones, and let them bemade of soft leather, and throw them on one side the moment they aretoo small. It is poor economy, indeed, because a pair of shoes be notworn out, to run the risk of incurring the above evil consequences. 

_Shoes are far preferable to boots:_ boots weaken instead ofstrengthen the ankle. The ankle and instep require free play, andought not to be hampered by boots. Moreover, boots, by unduepressure, decidedly waste away the ligaments of the ankle. Boots acton the ankles in a similar way that stays do on the waist--they domischief by pressure. Boots waste away the ligaments of the ankle;stays waste away the muscles of the back and chest; and thus, in bothcases, do irreparable mischief. 

A shoe for a child ought to be made with a narrow strap over theinstep, and with button and button-hole; if it be not made in thisway, the shoe will not keep on the foot. 

It is a grievous state of things, that in the nineteenth century thereare but few shoemakers who know how to make a shoe! The shoe is madenot to fit a real foot, but a fashionable imaginary one! The poorunfortunate toes are in consequence screwed up as in a vice!

Let me strongly urge you to be particular that the sock, or stocking, fits nicely--that it is neither too small nor too large; if it be toosmall, it binds up the toes unmercifully, and makes one toe to rideover the other, and thus renders the toes perfectly useless inwalking; if it be too large, it is necessary to lap a portion of thesock, or stocking, either under or over the toes, which thus pressesunduly upon them, and gives pain and annoyance. It should be borne inmind, that if the toes have full play, they, as it were, grasp theground, and greatly assist in locomotion--which, of course, if theyare cramped up, they cannot possibly do. Be careful, too, that thetoe-part of the sock, or stocking, be not pointed; let it be madesquare in order to give room to the toes. "At this helpless period oflife, the delicately feeble, outspreading toes are wedged into anarrow-toed stocking, often so short as to double in the toes, diminishing the length of the rapidly growing foot! It is next, perhaps, tightly laced into a boot of less interior dimensions thanitself; when the poor little creature is left to sprawl about with alimping, stumping gait, thus learning to walk as it best can, undercircumstances the most cruel and torturing imaginable. " [Footnote:_The Foot and its Covering_, second edition. By James Dowie. London:1872. I beg to call a mother's especial attention to this valuablelittle book: it is written by an earnest intelligent man, by one whohas studied the subject in all its bearings, and by one who is himselfa shoemaker. ]

It is impossible for either a stocking, or a shoe, to fit nicelyunless the toe-nails be kept in proper order. Now, in cutting thetoe-nails, there is, as in everything else, a right and a wrongway. The _right_ way of cutting a toe-nail is to cut it straight--in astraight line. The _wrong_ way is to cut the corners of the nail--toround the nail as it is called. This cutting the corners of the nailsoften makes work for the surgeon, as I myself can testify; itfrequently produces "growing-in" of the nail, which sometimesnecessitates the removal of either the nail, or a portion of it. 

133. _At what time of the year should a child leave off his winterclothing_?

A mother ought not to leave off her children's winter clothing untilthe spring be far advanced: it is far better to be on the safe side, and to allow the winter clothes to be worn until the end of May. Theold adage is very good, and should be borne in mind:--

 "Button to chin Till May be in; Ne'er cast a clout Till May be out. "

134. _Have you any general remarks to make on the present fashion ofdressing children_?

The present fashion is absurd. Children are frequently dressed likemountebanks, with feathers and furbelows and finery; the boys gobare-legged; the little girls are dressed like women, with theirstuck-out petticoats, crinolines, and low dresses! Their poor littlewaists are drawn in tight, so that they can scarcely breathe; theirdresses are very low and short, the consequence is, that a great partof the chest is exposed to our variable climate; their legs are baredown to their thin socks, or if they be clothed, they are only coveredwith gossamer drawers; while their feet are encased in tight shoes ofpaper thickness! Dress! dress! dress! is made with them, at a tenderage, and when first impressions are the strongest, a most importantconsideration. They are thus rendered vain and frivolous, and aretaught to consider dress "as the one thing needful" And if they liveto be women--which the present fashion is likely frequently toprevent--what are they? Silly, simpering, delicate, lack-a-daisicalnonentities; dress being their amusement, their occupation, theirconversation, their everything, their thoughts by day and their dreamsby night! Truly they are melancholy objects to behold! Let children bedressed as children, not as men and women. Let them be taught thatdress is quite a secondary consideration. Let health, and notfashion, be the first, and we shall then have, with God's blessing, blooming children, who will, in time, be the pride and strength ofdear old England!

DIET. 

135. _At TWELVE months old, have you any objection to a child havingany other food besides that you mentioned in answer to the 34thquestion_?

There is no objection to his _occasionally_ having, for dinner, eithera mealy, _mashed_ potato and gravy, or a few crumbs of bread andgravy. Rice-pudding or batter-pudding may, for a change, be given; butremember, the food recommended in a former Conversation is what, untilhe be eighteen months old, must be principally taken. During the earlymonths of infancy--say, for the first six or seven--if artificial foodbe given at all, it should be administered by means of afeeding-bottle. After that time, either a spoon, or a nursing boat, will be preferable. The food as he becomes older, ought to be mademore solid. 

136. _At_ EIGHTEEN _months old, have you any objection to a childhaving meat_?

He ought not to have meat until he have several teeth to chew itwith. If he has most of his teeth--which he very likely at this agewill have--there is no objection to his taking a small slice either ofmutton, or occasionally of roast beef, which should be well cut intovery small pieces, and mixed with a mealy _mashed_ potato, and a fewcrumbs of bread and gravy; either _every_ day, if he be delicate, orevery _other_ day, if he be a gross or a fast-feeding child. It may bewell, in the generality of cases, for the first few months to give himmeat _every other_ day, and either potato or gravy, or rice orsuet-pudding or batter-pudding on the alternate days; indeed, I thinkso highly of rice, of suet, and of batter-puddings, and of otherfarinaceous puddings, that I should advise you to let him have eitherthe one or the other even on those days that he has meat--giving ithim _after_ his meat. But remember, if he have meat _and_ pudding, themeat ought to be given sparingly. If he be gorged with food, it makeshim irritable, cross, and stupid; at one time, clogging up his bowels, and producing constipation; at another, disordering his liver, andcausing either clay-coloured stools--denoting a _deficiency_ of bile, or dark and offensive motions--telling of _vitiated_ bile; while, in athird case, cramming him with food might bring on convulsions. 

137. _As you are to partial to puddings for a child, which do youconsider the best for him_?

He ought, every day, to have a pudding for his dinner--either rice, arrow-root, sago, tapioca, suet-pudding, batter-pudding, orYorkshire-pudding, mixed with crumbs of bread and gravy--free fromgrease. A well boiled suet-pudding, with plenty of suet in it, is oneof the best puddings he can have; it is, in point of fact, meat andfarinaceous food combined, and is equal to, and will oftentimesprevent the giving of, cod-liver oil; before cod-liver oil came intovogue, suet boiled in milk was _the_ remedy for a delicate child. Hemay, occasionally, have fruit-pudding, provided the pastry be bothplain and light. 

The objection to fruit pies and puddings is, that the pastry is oftentoo rich for the delicate stomach of a child; there is so objection, certainly not, to the fruit--cooked fruit being, for a child, mostwholesome; if, therefore, fruit puddings and pies be eaten, the pastrypart ought to be quite plain. There is, in "Murray's Modern CookeryBook, " an excellent suggestion, which I will take the liberty ofquoting, and of strongly urging my fair reader to carry intopractice:--"_To prepare fruit for children, a far more wholesome waythan in pies and puddings_, is to put apples sliced, or plums, currants, gooseberries, &c. , into a stone jar; and sprinkle among themas much Lisbon sugar as necessary. Set the jar on an oven or on ahearth, with a tea-cupful of water to prevent the fruit from burning;or put the jar into a saucepan of water, till its contents beperfectly done. Slices of bread or some rice may be put into the jar, to eat with the fruit. "

_Jam_--such as strawberry, raspberry, gooseberry--_is most wholesomefor a child_, and ought occasionally to be given, in lieu of sugar, with the rice, with the batter, and with the other puddings. Marmalade, too, is very wholesome. 

Puddings ought to be given _after_ and not _before_ his meat andvegetables; if you give him pudding before his meat, he might refuseto eat meat altogether. By adopting the plan of giving puddings_every_ day, your child will require _less_ animal food; _much_ meatis injurious to a young child. But do not run into an oppositeextreme: a _little_ meat ought, every day, to be given, _provided hehas cut the whole of his first set of teeth_; until then, meat every_other_ day will be often enough. 

138. _As soon as a child has cut the whole of his first set of teeth, what ought to be his diet?--What should be his breakfast_?

He can, then, have nothing better, where it agrees, than scalding hotnew milk poured on sliced bread, with a slice or two of bread andbutter to eat with it. Butter, in moderation, is nourishing, fattening, and wholesome. Moreover, butter tends to keep the bowelsregular. These facts should be borne in mind, as some mothersfoolishly keep their children from butter, declaring it to be too richfor their children's stomachs! New milk should be used in preferenceeither to cream or to skim-milk. Cream, as a rule, is too rich forthe delicate stomach of a child, and skim-milk is too poor when robbedof the butter which the cream contains. But give cream and water, where new milk (as is _occasionally_ the case) does not agree; butnever give skim-milk. _Skim_-milk (among other evils) producescostiveness, and necessitates the frequent administration ofaperients. Cream, on the other hand, regulates and tends to open thebowels. 

Although I am not, as a rule, so partial to cream as I am to goodgenuine fresh milk, yet I have found, in cases of great debility, moreespecially where a child is much exhausted by some inflammatorydisease, such as inflammation of the lungs, the following food mostserviceable:--Beat up, by means of a fork, the yolk of an egg, thenmix, little by little, half a tea-cupful of very weak _black_ tea, sweeten with one lump of sugar, and add a table-spoonful of cream. Letthe above, by tea-spoonfuls at a time be frequently given. The abovefood is only to be administered until the exhaustion be removed, andis not to supersede the milk diet, which must, at stated periods, begiven, as I have recommended in answers to previous and subsequentquestions. 

When a child has costive bowels, there is nothing better for hisbreakfast than well-made and well-boiled oatmeal stir-about, whichought to be eaten with milk fresh from the cow. Scotch childrenscarcely take anything else, and a finer race is not in existence;and, as for physic, many of them do not even know either the taste orthe smell of it! You win find Robinson's Pure Scotch Oatmeal (sold inpackets) to be very pure, and sweet, and good. Stir-about is trulysaid to be--

 "The halesome parritch, chief of Scotia's food. "--_Burns. _

Cadbury's Cocoa Essence, made with equal parts of boiling water andfresh milk, slightly sweetened with lump sugar, is an admirable foodfor a delicate child. Bread and butter should be eaten with it. 

139. _Have you any remarks to make on cow's milk as an article offood_?

Cow's milk is a valuable, indeed, an indispensable article of diet, for the young; it is most nourishing, wholesome, and digestible. Thefinest and the healthiest children are those who, for the first fouror five years of their lives, are fed _principally_ upon it. Milkought then to be their staple food. No child, as a rule, can live, or, if he live, can be healthy, unless milk be the staple article of hisdiet. There is no substitute for milk. To prove the fattening andstrengthening qualities of milk, look only at a young calf who liveson milk, and on milk alone! He is a Samson in strength, and is "as fatas butter;" and all young things if they are in health are fat!

Milk, then, contains every ingredient to build up the body, which ismore than can be said of any other known substance besides. A childmay live entirely, and grow, and become both healthy and strong, onmilk and on milk alone, as it contains every constituent of the humanbody. A child cannot "live by bread alone, " but he might on milkalone! Milk is animal and vegetable--it is meat and bread--it is foodand drink--it is a fluid, but as soon as it reaches the stomach itbecomes a solid [Footnote: How is milk in the making of cheese, converted into curds? By rennet. What is rennet? The juice of acalf's maw or stomach. The moment the milk enters the human maw orstomach, the juice of the stomach converts it into curds--into solidfood, just as readily as when it enters a calfs maw or stomach, andmuch more readily than by rennet, as the _fresh_ juice is strongerthan the _stale_. An ignorant mother often complains that because, when her child is sick, the milk curdles, that it is a proof that itdoes not agree with him! If, at those times, it did _not_ curdle, itwould, indeed, prove that his stomach was in a wretchedly weak state;she would then have abundant cause to be anxious. ]--solid food; it isthe most important and valuable article of diet for a child inexistence. It is a glorious food for the young, and must never, on anyaccount whatever, in any case be dispensed with. "Considering thatmilk contains in itself most of the constituents of a perfect diet, and is capable of maintaining life in infancy without the aid of anyother substance, it is marvellous that the consumption of it ispractically limited to so small a class; and not only so, but that insick-rooms, where the patient is surrounded with every luxury, arrow-root, and other compounds containing much less nutriment, shouldso often be preferred to it. "--_The Times. _

Do not let me be misunderstood. I do not mean to say, but that themixing of farinaceous food--such as Lemann's Biscuit Powder, Robb'sBiscuit, Hard's Farinaceous Food, Brown and Polson's Corn Flour, andthe like, with the milk, is an improvement, in some cases--a greatimprovement; but still I maintain that a child might live and thrive, and that for a lengthened period, on milk--and on milk alone!

A dog will live and fatten for six weeks on milk alone; while he willstarve and die in a shorter period on strong beef-tea alone!

It is a grievous sin for a milkman to adulterate milk. How many apoor infant has fallen a victim to that crime!--for crime it may betruly called. 

It is folly in the extreme for a mother to bate a milkman down in theprice of his milk; if she does, the milk is sure to be either ofinferior quality, or adulterated, or diluted with water; and woebetide the poor unfortunate child if it be either the one or theother! The only way to insure good milk is, to go to a respectablecow-keeper, and let him be made to thoroughly understand theimportance of your child having _genuine_ milk, and that you are thenwilling to pay a fair remunerative price for it. Rest assured, that ifyou have to pay one penny or even twopence a quart more for _genuine_milk, it is one of the best investments that you ever have made, orthat you are ever likely to make in this world! Cheap and inferiormilk might well be called cheap and nasty; for inferior or adulteratedmilk is the very essence, the conglomeration of nastiness; and, moreover, is very poisonous to a child's stomach. One and theprincipal reason why so many children are rickety and scrofulous, isthe horrid stuff called milk that is usually given to them. It is acrying evil, and demands a thorough investigation and reformation, andthe individual interference of every parent. Limited LiabilityCompanies are the order of the day; it would really be not a badspeculation if one were formed in every large town, in order to insuregood, genuine, and undiluted milk. 

_Young_ children, as a rule, are allowed to eat too much meat. It is amistaken notion of a mother that they require so much animal food. Ifmore milk were given and less meat, they would he healthier, and wouldnot be so predisposed to disease, especially to diseases of debility, and to skin-disease. 

I should strongly recommend you, then, to be extravagant in your milkscore. Each child ought, in the twenty-four hours, to take at least aquart of good, fresh, new milk. It should, of course, be given invarious ways, --as bread and milk, rice-puddings, milk and differentskinds of farinaceous food, stir-about, plain milk, cold milk, hotmilk, any way, and every way, that will please his palate, and thatwill induce him to take an abundant supply of it. The "advice" I havejust given you is of paramount importance, and demands your mostearnest attention. There would be very few rickety children in theworld if my "counsel" were followed out to the very letter. 

140. _But suppose my child will not take milk, he having an aversionto it, what ought then to be done_?

Boil the milk, and sweeten it to suit his palate. After he has beenaccustomed to it for a while, he will then, probably, likemilk. Gradually reduce the sugar, until at length it be dispensedwith. A child will often take milk this way, whereas he will nototherwise touch it. 

If a child will not drink milk, he _must_ eat meat; it is absolutelynecessary that he should have either the one or the other; and, if hehave cut nearly all his teeth, he ought to have both meat andmilk--the former in moderation, the latter in abundance. 

141. _Supposing milk should not agree with my child, what must then bedone_?

Milk, either boiled or unboiled, almost always agrees with a child. Ifit does not, it must be looked upon as the exception, and not as therule. I would, in such a case, advise one-eighth of lime water to beadded to seven-eighths of new milk--that is to say, twotable-spoonfuls of lime water should be mixed with half a pint of newmilk. 

142. _Can you tell me of a way to prevent milk, in hot weather, fromturning sour_?

Let the jug of milk be put into a crock, containing ice--Wenham Lakeis the best--either in the dairy or in the cellar. The ice may at anytime, be procured of a respectable fishmonger, and should be kept, wrapped either in flannel or in blanket, in a cool place, until it bewanted. 

143. _Can you tell me why the children of the rich suffer so much morefrom costiveness than do the children of the poor_?

The principal reason is that the children of the rich drink milkwithout water, while the children of the poor drink water without, orwith very little, milk--milk being binding, and water opening to thebowels. Be sure then, and bear in mind, _as this is most importantadvice_, to see that water is mixed with all the milk that is given toyour child. The combination of milk and water for a child is aglorious compound--strengthening, fattening, refreshing, andregulating to the bowels, and thus doing away with that disgracefulproceeding so common in nurseries, of everlastingly physicking, irritating and irreparably injuring the tender bowels of a child. 

My opinion is, that aperients, as a rule, are quite unnecessary, andshould only be given in severe illness, and under the direction of ajudicious medical man. How much misery, and injury, might be avertedif milk were always given to a child in combination with water!

Aperients, by repetition, unlike water, increase the mischief tenfold, and cork them up most effectually; so that the bowels, in time, willnot act without them!

A mother before she gives an aperient to her child should ponder wellupon what I have said upon the subject, it being a vital question, affecting, as it does, the well-being and the well-doing of her child. 

144. _But, if a child's bowels be very costive, what is to be done torelieve them_?

Do not give him a grain or a drop of opening medicine, but in lieuthereof, administer, by means of a 6 oz. India-rubber Enema Bottle, half a tea-cup or a tea-cupful, according to the age of the child, [Footnote: For a babe, from birth until he be two years old, one, two, or three table-spoonfuls of warm water will be sufficient, and a 2oz. Enema Bottle will be the proper size for the purpose ofadministering it. ] of warm water; now this will effectually open thebowels, without confining them afterwards, which opening physic wouldmost assuredly do!

145. _Is it necessary to give a child luncheon_?

If he want anything to eat between breakfast and dinner let him have apiece of dry bread; and if he have eaten very heartily at dinner, and, like Oliver Twist, "asks for more!" give him, to satisfy his craving, a piece of _dry_ bread. He will never eat more of that than will dohim good, and yet he will take sufficient to satisfy his hunger, whichis very important. 

146. _What ought now to be his dinner_?

He should now have meat, either mutton or beef, daily, which must becut up very small, and should be mixed with mealy, _mashed_ potato andgravy. He ought _always_ to be accustomed to eat salt with hisdinner. Let a mother see that this advice is followed, or evilconsequences will inevitably ensue. Let him be closely watched, toascertain that he well masticates his food, and that he does not eattoo quickly; for young children are apt to bolt their food. 

147. _Have you any objection to pork for a change_?

I have a great objection to it for the young. It is a rich, gross, andtherefore unwholesome food for the delicate stomach of a child. I haveknown it, in several instances, produce violent pain, sickness, purging, and convulsions. If a child be fed much, upon such meat, itwill be likely to produce "breakings-out" on the skin. In fine, hisblood will put on the same character as the food he is fedwith. Moreover, pork might be considered a _strong meat_, and"_strong_ meat and _strong_ drink can only be taken by _strong_ men. "

148. _Do you approve of veal for a child_?

My objection to pork was, that it was rich and gross; this does notapply to veal; but the objection to it is, that it is more difficultof digestion that either mutton or beef; indeed, all young meats areharder of digestion than meats of maturity; thus mutton is moredigestible than lamb, and beef than veal. 

149. _Do you disapprove of salted and boiled beef for a child_?

If beef be _much_ salted it is hard of digestion, and therefore oughtnot to be given to him; but if it have been but _slightly_ salted, then for a change there will be no objection to a little. There is nonecessity in the _winter_ time to _salt_ meat intended for boiling;then boiled _unsalted_ meat makes a nice change for a child's dinner. Salt, of course, _must_ with the unsalted meat be eaten. 

150. _But suppose there is nothing on the table that a child may withimpunity eat_?

He should then have either a grilled mutton chop, or a lightly-boiledegg; indeed, the latter, at any time, makes an excellent change. Thereis great nourishment in an egg; it will not only strengthen the frame, but it will give animal heat as well: these two qualities of an eggare most valuable; indeed, essential for the due performance ofhealth: many articles of food contain the one qualification, but notthe other: hence the egg is admirably suitable for a child's_occasional_ dinner. 

151. _Are potatoes an unwholesome food for a child_?

New ones are; but old potatoes well cooked and mealy, are the bestvegetable he can have. They ought to be _well mashed_, as I have knownlumps of potatoes cause convulsions. 

152. _Do you approve of any other vegetables for a child_?

Occasionally: either asparagus or broccoli, or cauliflower, orturnips, or French beans, which latter should be cut up fine, may withadvantage be given. Green peas may occasionally be given, providedthey be thoroughly well boiled, and mashed with the knife on theplate. Underdone and unmashed peas are not fit for a child's stomach:there is nothing more difficult of digestion than underdone peas. Itis important, too, to mash them, even if they be well done, as a childgenerally bolts peas whole; and they pass through the alimentary canalwithout being in the least digested. 

153. _Might not a mother be too particular in dieting her child_?

Certainly not. If blood can be too pure and too good she might! Whenwe take into account that the food we eat is converted into blood;that if the food be good the blood is good; and that if the food beimproper or impure, the blood is impure likewise; and, moreover, whenwe know that every part of the body is built up by the blood, wecannot be considered to be too particular in making our selection offood. Besides if indigestible or improper food be taken into thestomach, the blood will not only be made impure, but the stomach andthe bowels will be disordered. Do not let me be misunderstood: I am noadvocate for a child having the same food one day as another--certainly not. Let there be variety, but let it be _wholesome_variety. Variety in a child's (not in infant's) food is necessary. Ifhe were fed, day after day, on mutton, his stomach would, at length bebrought into that state, that in time it would not properly digest anyother meat, and a miserable existence would be the result. 

154. _What ought a child to drink with his dinner_?

Toast and water, or, if he prefer it, plain spring water. Let himhave as much as he likes. If you give him water to drink, there is nofear of his taking too much; Nature will tell him when he has hadenough. Be careful of the quality of the water, and the source fromwhich you procure it. If the water be _hard_--provided it be free fromorganic matter--so much the better. [Footnote: See the _third_ editionof _Counsel to a Mother_, under the head of "Hard or soft water as abeverage!"] Spring water from a moderately deep well is the best. Ifit come from a land spring, it is apt, indeed, is almost sure to becontaminated by drains, &c. ; which is a frequent cause of fevers, ofdiphtheria, of Asiatic cholera, and of other blood poisons. 

Guard against the drinking water being contaminated with lead; never, therefore, allow the water to be collected in leaden cisterns, as itsometimes is if the water be obtained from Water-works companies. Leadpumps, for the same reason, ought never to be used for drinkingpurposes. Paralysis, constipation, lead colic, dropping of the wrist, wasting of the ball of the thumb, loss of memory, and broken andruined health, might result from neglect of this advice. 

The drinking fountains are a great boon to poor children, as water andplenty of it, is one of the chief necessaries of their existence; and, unfortunately, at their own homes they are not, oftentimes, able toobtain a sufficient supply. Moreover, drinking fountains are the bestadvocates for Temperance. 

Some parents are in the habit of giving their children beer with theirdinners--making them live as they live themselves! This practice istruly absurd, and fraught with great danger! not only so, but it isinducing a child to be fond of that which in after life might be hisbane and curse! No good end can be obtained by it; it will _not_strengthen so young a child; it will on the contrary, create fever, and will thereby weaken him; it will act injuriously upon hisdelicate, nervous, and vascular systems, and by means of producinginflammation either of the brain or of its membranes, might thus causewater on the brain (a disease to which young children are subject), orit might induce inflammation of the lungs. 

155. _What ought a child who has cut his teeth to have for hissupper_?

The same that he has for breakfast. He should sup at six o'clock. 

156. _Have you any general remarks to make on a child's meals_?

I recommended a great sameness in an _infant's_ diet; but a _child's_meals, his dinners especially, ought to be much varied. For instance, do not let him have day after day mutton; but ring the changes onmutton, beef, poultry, game, and even occasionally fish--sole or cod. 

Not only let there be a change of meat, but let there be a change inthe manner of cooking it; let the meat sometimes be roasted; let it atother times be boiled. I have known a mother who has prided herself asbeing experienced in these matters, feed her child, day after day, onmutton chops! Such a proceeding is most injurious to him, as after awhile his unfortunate stomach will digest nothing but mutton chops, and, in time, not even those!

With regard to vegetables, potatoes--_mashed_ potatoes--ought to behis staple vegetable; but, every now and then, cauliflower, asparagus, turnips, and French beans, should be given. 

With respect to puddings, vary them; rice, one day; suet, another;batter, a third; tapioca, a fourth; or, even occasionally, he mighthave either apple or gooseberry or rhubarb pudding--provided thepastry be plain and light. 

It is an excellent plan, as I have before remarked, to let her childeat jam--such as strawberry, raspberry, or gooseberry--and thatwithout stint, either with rice or with batter puddings. 

_Variety of diet_, then, is _good for a child:_ it will give himmuscle, bone, and sinew; and, what is very important, it will tend toregulate his bowels, and it will thus prevent the necessity of givinghim aperients. 

But do not stuff a child--do not press him, as is the wont of somemothers, to eat more than he feels inclined. On the contrary, if youthink that he is eating too much--that he is overloading hisstomach--and if he should ask for more, then, instead of giving himeither more meat or more pudding, give him a piece of dry bread. Bydoing so, you may rest assured that he will not eat more than isabsolutely good for him. 

157. _If a child be delicate, is there any objection to a little wine, such as cowslip or tent, to strengthen him_?

Wine ought not to be given to a child unless it be ordered by amedical man; it is even more injurious than beer. Wine, beer, andspirits, principally owe their strength to the alcohol they contain;indeed, nearly _all_ wines are _fortified_ (as it is called) withbrandy. Brandy contains a large quantity of alcohol, more than anyother liquor, namely 55. 3 per cent. If, therefore, you give wine, itis, in point of fact, giving diluted brandy--diluted alcohol; andalcohol acts, unless it be used as a medicine, and under skilfulmedical advice, as a poison to a child. 

158. _Suppose a child suddenly to lose his appetite? is any notice tobe taken of it_?

If he cannot eat well, depend upon it, there is something wrong aboutthe system. If he be teething, let a mother look well to his gums, andsatisfy herself that they do not require lancing. If they be red, hot, and swollen, send for a medical man, that he may scarify them. If hisgums be not inflamed, and no tooth appears near, let her look well tothe state of his bowels; let her ascertain that they be sufficientlyopened, and that the stools be of a proper consistence, colour, andsmell. If they be neither the one nor the other, give a dose ofaperient medicine, which will generally put all to rights. If the gumsbe cool, and the bowels be right, and his appetite continue bad, callin medical aid. 

A child asking for something to eat, is frequently, in a severeillness, the first favourable symptom; we may generally thenprognosticate that all will soon be well again. 

If a child refuse his food, neither coax nor tempt him to eat: as foodwithout an appetite will do him more harm than it will do him good; itmay produce either sickness, bowel-complaint, or fever. Depend uponit, there is always a cause for a want of appetite;--perhaps hisstomach has been over-worked, and requires repose; or his bowels areloaded, and Nature wishes to take time to use up the oldmaterial;--there might be fever lurking in his system; Nature stopsthe supplies, and thus endeavours, by not giving it food to work with, to nip it in the bud;--there might be inflammation; food would then beimproper, as it would only add fuel to the fire; let, therefore, thecause be either an overworked stomach, over-loaded bowels, fever, orinflammation, food would be injurious. Kind Nature if we will butlisten to her voice, will tell us when to eat, and when to refrain. 

159. _When a child is four or five years old, have you any objectionto his drinking tea_?

Some parents are in the habit of giving their children strong (andfrequently green) tea. This practice is most hurtful. It actsinjuriously upon their delicate, nervous system, and thus weakenstheir whole frame. If milk does not agree, a cup of very weak tea, that is to say, water with a dash of _black_ tea in it, with atable-spoonful of cream, may be substituted for milk; but a mothermust never give tea where milk agrees. 

160. _Have you any objection to a child occasionally having eithercakes or sweetmeats_?

I consider them as so much slow poison. Such things both cloy andweaken the stomach, and thereby take away the appetite, and thusdebilitate the frame. Moreover "sweetmeats are coloured with poisonouspigments. " A mother, surely, is not aware, that when she is givingher child Sugar Confectionery she is, in many cases, administering adeadly poison to him? "We beg to direct the attention of our readersto the Report of the Analytical Sanitary Commission, contained in the_Lancet_ of the present week (Dec. 18, 1858), on the pigments employedin colouring articles of Sugar Confectionery. From this report itappears that metallic pigments of a highly dangerous and evenpoisonous character, containing chromic acid, lead, copper, mercury, and arsenic, are commonly used in the colouring of such articles. "

If a child be never allowed to eat cakes and sweetmeats, he willconsider a piece of dry bread a luxury, and will eat it with thegreatest relish. 

161. _Is bakers' or is home-made bread the most wholesome for achild_?

Bakers' bread is certainly the lightest; and, if we could depend uponits being unadulterated, would, from its lightness, be the mostwholesome; but as we cannot always depend upon bakers' bread, home-made bread, as a rule should be preferred. If it be at all heavy, a child must not be allowed to partake of it; a baker's loaf oughtthen to be sent for, and continued to be eaten until light home-madebread can be procured. Heavy bread is most indigestible. He must notbe allowed to eat bread until it be two or three days old. If it be aweek old, in cold weather, it will be the more wholesome. 

162. _Do you approve either of caraway seeds or of currants in breador in cakes--the former to disperse wind, the latter to open thebowels_?

There is nothing better than plain bread: the caraway-seeds generallypass through the bowels undigested, and thus might irritate, and mightproduce, instead of disperse wind. [Footnote: Although caraway seeds_whole_ are unwholesome, yet caraway tea, made as recommended in aprevious Conversation, is an excellent remedy to disperse wind. ] Somemothers put currants in cakes, with a view of opening the bowels oftheir children; but they only open them by disordering them. 

163. _My child has an antipathy to certain articles of diet: whatwould you advise to be done_?

A child's antipathy to certain articles of diet should be respected:it is a sin and a shame to force him to eat what he has a greatdislike to: a child, for instance, sometimes dislikes the fat of meat, underdone meat, the skin off boiled milk and off rice-pudding. Whyshould he not have his likes and dislikes as well as "children of alarger growth?" Besides, there is an idiosyncrasy--a peculiarity ofthe constitution in some children--and Nature oftentimes especiallypoints out what is good and what is bad for them individually, and weare not to fly in the face of Nature. "What is one man's meat isanother man's poison. " If a child be forced to eat what he dislikes, it will most likely not only make him sick, but will disorder hisstomach and bowels; food, if it is really to do him good, must beeaten by him with a relish, and not with disgust and aversion. Somemothers, who are strict disciplinarians, pride themselves oncompelling their children to eat whatever they choose to give them!Such children are to be pitied!

164. _When ought a child to commence to dine with his parents_?

As soon as he be old enough to sit up at the table, provided thefather and mother either dine or lunch in the middle of the day. "Ialways prefer having children about me at meal tines. I think it makesthem little gentlemen and gentlewomen in a manner that nothing elsewill. "--_Christian's Mistake_. 

THE NURSERY. 

165. _Save you any remarks to make on the selection, the ventilation, the warming, the temperature, and the arrangements of a nursery? andhave you any further observations to offer conducive to the well-doingof my child_?

The nursery ought to be the largest and the most airy room in thehouse. In the town, if it be in the topmost story (provided theapartment be large and airy) so much the better, as the air will thenbe purer. The architect, in the building of a house, ought to beparticularly directed to pay attention to the space, the loftiness, the ventilation, the light, the warming, and the conveniences of anursery. A bath-room attached to it will be of great importance andbenefit to the health of a child. 

It will be advantageous to have a water-closet near at hand, whichshould be well supplied with water, be well drained, and be wellventilated. If this be not practicable, the evacuations ought to beremoved as soon as they are passed. It is a filthy and an idle habitof a nurse-maid to allow a motion to remain for any length of time inthe room. 

The VENTILATION of a nursery is of paramount importance. There oughtto be a constant supply of fresh pure air in the apartment. But howfew nurseries have fresh, pure air! Many nurseries are nearlyhermetically sealed--the windows are seldom, if ever, opened; thedoors are religiously closed; and, in summer time, the chimneys arecarefully stuffed up, so that a breath of air is not allowed to enter!The consequences are, the poor unfortunate children "are poisoned bytheir own breaths, " and are made so delicate that they are constantlycatching cold; indeed, it might be said that they are labouring underchronic catarrhs, all arising from Nature's laws being set atdefiance. 

The windows ought to be large, and should be made to freely open bothtop and bottom. Whenever the child is out of the nursery, the windowsought to be thrown wide open; indeed, when he is in it, if the weatherbe fine, the upper sash should be a little lowered. A child should beencouraged to change the room, frequently, in order that it may befreely ventilated; for good air is as necessary to his health aswholesome food, and air cannot be good if it be not frequentlychanged. If you wish to have a strong and healthy child, ponder overand follow this advice. 

I have to enter my protest against the use of a stove in a nursery. Iconsider a gas stove _without a chimney_ to be an abomination, mostdestructive to human life. There is nothing like the old-fashionedopen fire-place with a good-sized chimney, so that it may not onlycarry off the smoke, but also the impure air of the room. 

Be strict in not allowing your child either to touch or to play withfire; frightful accidents have occurred from mothers and nurses beingon these points lax. The nursery ought to have a large fire-guard, togo all round the hearth, and which should be sufficiently high toprevent a child from climbing over. Not only must the nursery have aguard, but every room where he is allowed to go should he furnishedwith one on the bars. 

Moreover, it will be advisable to have a guard in every room where afire is burning, to prevent ladies from being burned. Fortunately forthem, preposterous crinolines are out of fashion: when they were infashion, death from burning was of every-day occurrence; indeed, lady-burning was then to be considered one of the institutions of ourland!

A nursery is usually kept too hot; the temperature in the winter timeought _not to exceed_ 60 degrees Fahrenheit A _good_ thermometershould be considered an indispensable requisite to a nursery. A childin a hot, close nursery is bathed in perspiration; if he leave theroom to go to one of lower temperature, the pores of his skin aresuddenly closed, and either a severe cold or an inflammation of thelungs, or an attack of bronchitis, is likely to ensue. Moreover, thechild is both weakened and enervated by the heat, and thus readilyfalls a prey to disease. 

A child ought never to be permitted to sit with his back to the fire;if he be allowed, it weakens the spine, and thus his whole frame; itcauses a rash of blood to the head and face, and predisposes him tocatch cold. 

Let a nurse make a point of opening the nursery window every time thatshe and her little charge leave the nursery, if her absence be onlyfor half an hour. The mother herself ought to see that this advice isfollowed, pure air is so essential to the well-being of a child. Pureair and pure water, and let me add, pure milk, are for a child thegrand and principal requirements of health. 

Look well to the DRAINAGE of your house and neighbourhood. A child isvery susceptible to the influence of bad drainage. Bad drains arefruitful sources of scarlet fever, of diphtheria, of diarrhoea, &c. "It is sad to be reminded that, whatever evils threaten the healthof population, whether from pollutions of water or of air, --whetherfrom bad drainage or overcrowding, they fall heaviest upon the mostinnocent victims--upon children of tender years. Their delicate framesare infinitely more sensitive than the hardened constitutions ofadults, and the breath of poison, or the chill of hardships, easilyblights their tender life. "--_The Times. _

A nursery floor ought not to be _washed_ oftener than once a week; andthen the child or children should, until it be dry, be sent intoanother room. During the drying of the floor, the windows must, ofcourse, be thrown _wide_ open. 

The constant _wetting_ of a nursery is a frequent source of illnessamong children. The floor ought, of course, to be kept clean; but thismay be done by the servant thoroughly sweeping the room out everymorning before her little charge makes his appearance. 

Do not have your nursery wall covered with green paper-hangings. Greenpaper-hangings contain large quantities of arsenic--arsenite of copper(Scheele's green)--which, I need scarcely say, is a virulent poison, and which flies about the room in the form of powder. There isfrequently enough poison on the walls of a room to destroy a wholeneigbourhood. 

There is another great objection to having your nursery walls coveredwith _green_ paper-hangings; if any of the paper should become loosefrom the walls, a little child is very apt to play with it, and to putit, as he does every thing else, to his mouth. This is not animaginary state of things, as four children in one family have justlost their lives from sucking green paper-hangings. 

Green dresses, as they are coloured with a preparation of arsenic, areequally as dangerous as green paper-hangings; a child ought, therefore, never to wear a green dress. "It may be interesting to someof our readers, " says _Land and Water_, "to know that the new green, so fashionable for ladies' dresses, is just as dangerous in its natureas the green wall-paper, about which so much was written some timesince. It is prepared with a large quantity of arsenic; and we havebeen assured by several of the leading dressmakers, that the workwomenemployed in making up dresses of this colour are seriously affectedwith all the symptoms of arsenical poisoning. Let our lady friendstake care. "

Children's toys are frequently painted of a green colour with arseniteof copper, and are consequently, highly dangerous for him to playwith. The best toy for a child is a box of _unpainted_ wooden bricks, which is a constant source of amusement to him. 

If you have your nursery walls hung with paintings and engravings, letthem be of good quality. The horrid daubs and bad engravings thatusually disfigure nursery walls, are enough to ruin the taste of achild, and to make him take a disgust to drawing, which would be amisfortune. A fine engraving and a good painting expand and elevatehis mind. We all know that first impressions are the most vivid andthe most lasting. A taste in early life for everything refined andbeautiful purifies his mind, cultivates his intellect, keeps him fromlow company, and makes him grow up a gentleman!

Lucifer matches, in case of sudden illness, should, both in thenursery and in the bedroom, be always in readiness; but they must becarefully placed out of the reach of children, as lucifer matches area deadly poison. Many inquests have been held on children who have, from having sucked them, been poisoned by them. 

166. _Have you any observation to make on the LIGHT of a nursery_?

Let the window, or what is better, the windows, of a nursery be verylarge, so as to thoroughly light up every nook and corner of the room, as there is nothing more conducive to the health of a child than anabundance of light in the dwelling. A room cannot, then, be too light. The windows of a nursery are generally too small. A child requires asmuch light as a plant. Gardeners are well aware of the greatimportance of light in the construction of their greenhouses, and yeta child, who requires it as much, and is of much greater importance, is cooped up in dark rooms!

The windows of a nursery ought not only to be frequently opened to letin fresh air, but should be _frequently cleaned_, to let in plenty oflight and of sunshine, as nothing is so cheering and beneficial to achild as an abundance of light and sunshine!

_With regard to the best artificial light for a nursery. _--The air ofa nursery cannot be too pure; I therefore do not advise you to havegas in it, as gas in burning gives off quantities of carbonic acid andsulphuretted hydrogen, which vitiate the air. The paraffine lamp, too, makes a room very hot and close. There is no better light for anursery than either Price's patent candles or the old-fashionedtallow-candle. 

Let a child's _home_ he the happiest _house_ to him in the world; andto be happy he must be merry, and all around him should be merry andcheerful; and he ought to have an abundance of playthings, to help onthe merriment. If he have a dismal nurse, and a dismal home, he mayas well be incarcerated in a prison, and be attended by a gaoler. Itis sad enough to see dismal, doleful men and women, but it is a trulylamentable and unnatural sight to see a doleful child! The young oughtto be as playful and as full of innocent mischief as a kitten. Therewill be quite time enough in after years for sorrow and for sadness. 

Bright colours, plenty of light, _clean_ windows (mind this, if youplease), an abundance of _good_-coloured prints, and toys withoutnumber, are the proper furnishings of a nursery. Nursery! why, thevery name tells you what it ought to be--the home of childhood--themost important room in the house, --a room that will greatly tend tostamp the character of your child for the remainder of his life. 

167. _Have you any more hints to offer conducive to the well-doing ofmy child_?

You cannot be too particular in the choice of those who are inconstant attendance upon him. You yourself, of course, must be his_head-nurse_--you only require some one to take the drudgery off yourhands! You ought to be particularly careful in the selection of hisnurse. She should be steady, lively, truthful, and good tempered; andmust be free from any natural imperfection, such as squinting, stammering, &c. , for a child is such an imitative creature that he islikely to acquire that defect, which in the nurse is natural. "Children, like babies, are quick at 'taking notice. ' What they seethey mark, and what they mark they are very prone to copy. "--_TheTimes_. 

She ought not to be very young, or she may be thoughtless, careless, and giggling. You have no right to set a child to mind a child; itwould be like the blind leading the blind. No! a child is too preciousa treasure to be entrusted to the care and keeping of a young girl. Many a child has been ruined for life by a careless young nursedropping him and injuring his spine. 

A nurse ought to be both strong and active, in order that her littlecharge may have plenty of good nursing; for it requires great strengthin the arms to carry a heavy child for the space of an hour or two ata stretch, in the open air; and such is absolutely necessary, and isthe only way to make him strong, and to cause him to cut his teetheasily, and at the same time to regulate his bowels; a noise, therefore, most be strong and active, and not mind hard, work, forhard work it is; but, after she is accustomed to it, pleasantnotwithstanding. 

Never should a nurse be allowed to wear a mask, nor to dress up andpaint herself as a ghost, or as any other frightful object. A child isnaturally timid and full of fears, and what would not make theslightest impression upon a grown-up person might throw a child intofits--

 "The sleeping, and the dead, Are but as pictures: 'tis the age of childhood That fears a painted devil. "--_Shakspeare_. 

Never should she be permitted to tell her little charge frightfulstories of ghosts and hobgoblins; if this be allowed, the child'sdisposition will become timid and wavering, and may continue so forthe remainder of his life. 

If a little fellow were not terrified by such stories, the darknesswould not frighten him more than the light. Moreover, the mind thusfilled with fear, acts upon the body, and injures the health. A childmust never be placed in a dark cellar, nor frightened by tales ofrats, &c. Instances are related of fear thus induced impairing theintellect for life; and there are numerous examples of sudden frightcausing a dangerous and even a fatal illness. 

_Night-terrors_. --This frightening of a child by a silly nursefrequently brings on night-terrors. He wakes up suddenly, soon aftergoing to sleep, frightened and terrified; screaming violently, anddeclaring that he has seen either some ghost, or thief, or some objectthat the silly nurse had been previously in the day describing, who iscome for him to take him away. The little fellow is the very pictureof terror and alarm; he hides his face in his mother's bosom, theperspiration streams down him, and it is some time before he can bepacified--when, at length, he falls into a troubled feverish slumber, to awake in the morning unrefreshed. Night after night these terrorsharass him, until his health materially suffers, and his young lifebecomes miserable looking forward with dread to the approach ofdarkness. 

_Treatment of night terrors_. --If they have been brought on by thefolly of the nurse, discharge her at once, and be careful to select amore discreet one. When the child retires to rest, leave a candleburning, and let it burn all night, sit with him until he be asleep, and take care, in case he should rouse up in one of his night-terrors, that either yourself or some kind person be near at hand. Do not scoldhim for being frightened--he cannot help it, but soothe him, calm him, fondle him, take him into your arms and let him feel that he has someone to rest upon, to defend and to protect him. It is frequently inthese cases necessary before he can be cared to let him have change ofair and change of scene. Let him live, in the day time, a great partof the day in the open air. 

A nurse maid should never, on any account whatever, be allowed to whipa child. "Does ever any man or woman remember the feeling of being'whipped' as a child, the fierce anger, the insupportable ignominy, the longing for revenge, which blotted out all thought of contritionfor the fault or rebellion against the punishment? With thisrecollection on their own parts, I can hardly suppose any parentsventuring to inflict it, much less allowing its infliction by anotherunder any circumstances whatever. A nurse-maid or domestic of anysort, once discovered to have lifted up her hand against a child, ought to meet instant severe rebuke, and on a repetition of theoffence instant dismissal. " [Footnote: _A Woman's Thoughts aboutWomen_. ]

I have seen in the winter tune a lazy nurse sit before the fire with achild on her lap, rubbing his cold feet just before putting him to hisbed. Now, this is not the way to warm his feet. The right method is tolet him romp and run either about the room, or the landing, or thehall--this will effectually warm them, but, of course, it will entaila little extra trouble on the nurse, as she will have to use a littleexertion to induce him to do so, and this extra trouble a lazy nursewill not relish. Warming the feet before the fire will give thelittle fellow chilblains, and will make him when he is in bed morechilly. The only way for him to have a good romp before he goes tobed, is for the mother to join in the game. She may rest assured, thatif she does so, her child will not be the only one to benefit byit. She herself will find it of marvellous benefit to her own health;it will warm her own feet, it will be almost sure to insure her a goodnight, and will make her feel so light and buoyant as almost to fancythat she is a girl again! Well, then, let every child, before going tobed, hold a high court of revelry, let him have an hour--theChildren's Hour--devoted to romp, to dance, to shout, to sing, toriot, and to play, and let him be the master of the revels--

 "Between the dark and the daylight, When the night is beginning to lower, Comes a pause in the day's occupation, Which is known as the Children's Hour. "

 _Longfellow_. 

Let a child be employed--take an interest in his employment, let himfancy that he is useful--_and he is useful_, he is laying in a stockof health. He is much more usefully employed than many other grown-upchildren are!

A child should be happy; he must, in every way, be made happy;everything ought to be done to conduce to his happiness, to give himjoy, gladness, and pleasure. Happy he should be, as happy as the dayis long. Kindness should be lavished upon him. Make a childunderstand that you love him; prove it in your actions--these arebetter than words; look after his little pleasures--join in his littlesports; let him never hear a morose word--it would rankle in hisbreast, take deep root, and in due time bring forth bitterfruit. Love! let love be his pole-star; let it be the guide and therule of all you do and all you say unto him. Let your face, as well asyour tongue speak love. Let your hands be ever ready to minister tohis pleasures and to his play. "Blessed be the hand that prepares apleasure for a child, for there is no saying when and where it mayagain bloom forth. Does not almost everybody remember somekind-hearted man who showed him a kindness in the dulcet days ofchildhood? The writer of this recollects himself, at this moment, abare-footed lad, standing at the wooden fence of a poor little gardenin his native village, while, with longing eyes, he gazed on theflowers which were blooming there quietly in the brightness of theSabbath morning. The possessor came from his little cottage. He was awood-cutter by trade, and spent the whole week at work in thewoods. He had come into the garden to gather flowers to stick in hiscoat when he went to church. He saw the boy, and breaking off the mostbeautiful of his carnations (it was streaked with red and white), hegave it to him. Neither the giver nor the receiver spoke a word, andwith bounding steps the hoy ran home. And now, here, at a vastdistance from that home, after so many events of so many years, thefeeling of gratitude which agitated the breast of the boy, expresseditself on paper. The carnation has long since faded, but it nowbloometh afresh. "--_Douglas Jerrold_. 

The hearty ringing laugh of a child is sweet music to the ear. Thereare three most joyous sounds in nature--the hum of a bee, the purr ofa cat, and the laugh of a child. They tell of peace, of happiness, andof contentment, and make one for a while forget that there is so muchmisery in the world. 

A man who dislikes children is unnatural, he has no "milk of humankindness" in him; he should be shunned. Give me, for a friend, a man--

 "Who takes the children on his knee, And winds their curls, about his hand. "--_Tennyson_. 

168. _If a child be peevish, and apparently in good health, have youany plan to propose to allay his irritability_?

A child's troubles are soon over--his tears are soon dried; "nothingdries sooner than a tear"--if not prolonged by improper management--

 "The tear down childhood's check that flows Is like the dew-drop on the rose; When next the summer breeze comes by, And waves the bush, the flower is dry. "--_Scott_. 

Never allow a child to be teased; it spoils his temper. If he be in across humour take no notice of it, but divert his attention to somepleasing object. This may be done without spoiling him. Do not combatbad temper with bad temper--noise with noise. Be firm, be kind, begentle, [Footnote: "But we were gentle among you, even as a womencherisheth her children. "--1 Thess. Ii. 7. ] be loving, speak quietly, smile tenderly, and embrace him fondly, but _insist upon implicitobedience_, and you will have, with God's blessing, a happy child--

 "When a little child is weak From fever passing by, Or wearied out with restlessness Don't scold him if he cry. 

 Tell him some pretty story-- Don't read it from a book; He likes to watch you while you speak, And take in every look. 

 Or sometimes singing gently-- A little song may please, With quiet and amusing words, And tune that flows with ease. 

 Or if he is impatient, Perhaps from time to time A simple hymn may suit the best, In short and easy rhyme. 

 The measured verses flowing In accents clear and mild, May blend into his troubled thought, And soothe the little child. 

 But let the words be simple, And suited to his mind, And loving, that his weary heart A resting-place may find. "--_Household Verses_. 

Speak, _gently_ to a child; speak _gently_ to all; but more especiallyspeak _gently_ to a child. "A gentle voice is an excellent thing in awoman, " and is a jewel of great price, and is one of the concomitantsof _perfect_ lady. Let the hinges of your disposition be welloiled. "'I have a dear friend. He was one of those well-oileddispositions which turn upon the hinges of the world withoutcreaking. ' Would to heaven there were more of them! How many there arewho never turn upon the hinges of this world without a grinding thatsets the teeth of a whole household on edge! And somehow or other ithas been the evil fate of many of the best spirits to be socircumstanced; both men and women, to whom life is 'sweet habitude ofbeing, ' which has gone far to reconcile them to solitude as far lessintolerable! To these especially the creakings of those said roughhinges of the world is one continued torture, for they are all toofinely strung; and the oft-recurring grind jars the whole sentientframe, mars the beautiful lyre, and makes cruel discord in a soul ofmusic. How much of sadness there is in such thoughts! Seems there nota Past in some lives, to which it is impossible ever to becomereconciled!"--_Life's Problems_. 

Pleasant words ought always to be spoken to a child; there must beneither snarling, nor snapping, nor snubbing, nor loud contentiontowards him. If there be it will ruin his temper and disposition, andwill make him hard and harsh, morose and disagreeable. 

Do not always be telling your child how wicked he is; what a naughtyboy he is; that God will never love him, and all the rest of suchtwaddle and blatant inanity! Do not, in point of fact, bully him, asmany poor little fellows are bullied! It will ruin him if you do; itwill make him in after years either a coward or a tyrant. Suchconversations, like constant droppings of water, will make animpression, and will cause him to feel that it is of no use to try tobe good--that he is hopelessly wicked! Instead of such language, givehim confidence in himself; rather find out his good points and dwellupon them; praise him where and whenever you can; and make him feelthat, by perseverance and God's blessing, he will make a goodman. Speak truthfully to your child; if you once deceive him, he willnot believe you for the future. Not only so, but if you are truthfulyourself you are likely to make him truthful--like begets like. Thereis something beautiful in truth! A lying child is an abomination! SirWalter Scott says "that he taught his son to ride, to shoot, and totell the truth" Archdeacon Hare asserts "that Purity is the feminine, Truth the masculine of Honour. "

As soon as a child can speak he should be made to lisp the noble wordsof truth, and to love it, and to abhor a lie! What a beautifulcharacter he will then make! Blessed is the child that can say, --

 "Parental cares watched o'er my growing youth, And early stamped it with the love of truth. "

 _Leadbeater Papers. _

Have no favourites, show no partiality; for the young are veryjealous, sharp-sighted, and quick-witted, and take a dislike to thepetted one. Do not rouse the old Adam in them. Let children be taughtto be "kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love;" letthem be encouraged to share each other's toys and playthings, and tobanish selfishness. 

Attend to a child's _little_ pleasures. It is the _little_ pleasuresof a child that constitute his happiness. Great pleasures to him andto us all (as a favourite author remarks) come but seldom, and are theexceptions, and not the rule. 

Let a child he nurtured in love. "It will be seen, " says the author of_John Halifax_, "that I hold this law of kindness as the Alpha andOmega of education. I once asked one, in his own house, a father ineverything but the name, his authority unquestioned, his least wordheld in reverence, his smallest wish obeyed--'How did you ever manageto bring up these children?' He said: '_By love_. '"

Let every word and action prove that you love your children. Enterinto all their little pursuits and pleasures. Join them in their play, and be a "child again!" If they are curious, do not check theircuriosity; but rather encourage it; for they have a great deal--as weall have--to learn, and how can they know if they are not taught? Youmay depend upon it the knowledge they obtain from observation is farsuperior to that obtained from books. Let all you teach them, let allyou do, and let all you say bear the stamp of love. "Endeavour, fromfirst to last, in your intercourse with your children, to let it bearthe impress of _love_. It is not enough that you _feel_ affectiontowards your children--that you are devoted to their interests; youmust show in your manner the fondness of your hearts towardsthem. Young minds cannot appreciate great sacrifices made for them;they judge their parents by the words and deeds of every-daylife. They are won by _little_ kindnesses, and alienated by _little_acts of neglect or impatience. One complaint unnoticed, one appealunheeded, one lawful request arbitrarily refused, will be rememberedby your little ones more than a thousand acts of the most devotedaffection. "--_The Protoplast_. 

A placid, well-regulated temper is very conducive to health. Adisordered, or an over-loaded stomach, is a frequent cause ofpeevishness. Appropriate treatment in such a case will, of course, benecessary. 

169. _My child stammers: can you tell me the cause, and can yousuggest a remedy_?

A child who stammers is generally "nervous, " quick, and impulsive. Hisideas flow too rapidly for speech. He is "nervous;" hence, when he isalone, and with those he loves, he oftentimes speaks fluently andwell; he stammers more both when he is tired and when he is out ofhealth--when the nerves are either weak or exhausted. He isemotional: when he is either in a passion or in excitement, either ofjoy or of grief, he can scarcely speak--"he stammers all over. " He isimpulsive: he often stammers in consequence. He is in too great ahurry to bring out his words; they do not flow in proper sequence:hence his words are broken and disjointed. 

Stammering, of course, might be owing either to some organic defect, such as from defective palate, or from defective brain, then nothingwill cure him; or it might be owing to "nervous" causes--to "irregularnervous action, " then a cure might, with care and perseverance, beusually effected. 

In all cases of stammering of a child, let both the palate of hismouth and the bridle of his tongue be carefully examined, to see thatneither the palate be defective, nor the bridle of the tongue be tooshort--that he be not tongue-tied. 

_Now, with regard to Treatment. _--Make him speak slowly anddeliberately: let him form each word, without clipping or chopping;let him be made, when you are alone with him, to exercise himself inelocution. If he speak quickly, stop him in his mid-career, and makehim, quietly and deliberately, go through the sentence again andagain, until he has mastered the difficulty; teach him to collect histhoughts, and to weigh each word ere he give it utterance; practisehim in singing little hymns and songs for children; this you will finda valuable help in the cure. A stammerer seldom stutters when hesings. When he sings, he has a full knowledge of the words, and isobliged to keep in time--to sing neither too fast nor tooslow. Besides, he sings in a different key to his speaking voice. Manyprofessors for the treatment of stammering cure their patients bypractising lessons of a sing-song character. 

Never jeer him for stammering, nor turn him to ridicule; if you do, itwill make him ten times worse; but be patient and gentle with him, andendeavour to give him confidence, and encourage him to speak to you asquietly, as gently, and deliberately as you speak to him; tell him notto speak, until he has arranged his thoughts and chosen his words; lethim do nothing in a hurry. 

Demosthenes was said, in his youth, to have stammered fearfully, andto have cured himself by his own prescription, namely, by putting apebble in his mouth, and declaiming, frequently, slowly quietly, anddeliberately, on the sea-shore--the fishes alone being his audience, --until at length he cured himself, and charmed the world with hiseloquence and with his elocution. He is held up, to this very day, asthe personification and as the model of an orator. His patience, perseverance, and practice ought, by all who either are, or are, interested in a stammerer, to be borne in mind and followed. 

170. _Do you approve of a carpet in a nursery_?

No, unless it be a small piece for a child to roll upon. A carpetharbours dirt and dust, which dust is constantly floating about theatmosphere, and thus making it impure for him to breathe. The truth ofthis may be easily ascertained by entering a darkened room, where aray of sunshine is struggling through a crevice in the shutters. Ifthe floor of a nursery must be covered, let drugget be laid down, andthis may every morning be taken up and shaken. The less furniture anursery contains the better, for much furniture obstructs the freecirculation of the air, and, moreover, prevents a child from takingproper play and exercise in the room--an abundance of which areabsolutely necessary for his health. 

171. _Supposing there is not a fire in the nursery grate, ought thechimney to be stopped to prevent a draught in the room_?

Certainly not. I consider the use of a chimney to be two-fold--first, to carry off the smoke, and secondly (which is of quite as muchimportance), to ventilate the room, by carrying off the impure air, loaded as it is with carbonic acid gas--the refuse of respiration. Thechimney, therefore, should never, either winter or summer, be allowedfor one moment to be stopped. This is important advice, and requiresthe strict supervision of every mother, as servants will, if they havethe chance, stop all chimneys that have no fires in the grates. 

EXERCISE. 

172. _Do you approve, during the summer months, of sending a child outBEFORE breakfast_?

I do, when the weather will permit, and provided the wind be neitherin an easterly nor in a north-easterly direction; indeed, _he canscarcely be too much in the open air_. He must not be allowed to standabout draughts or about entries, and the only way to prevent him doingso is for the mother herself to accompany the nurse. She will thenkill two birds with one stone, as she will, by doing so, benefit herown as well as her child's health. 

173. _Ought a child to be early put on his feet to walk_?

No: let him learn to walk himself. He ought to be put upon a carpet;and it will be found that when he is strong enough, he will hold by achair, and will stand alone: when he can do so, and attempts to walk, he should then be supported. You must, on first putting him upon hisfeet, be guided by his own wishes. He will, as soon as he is strongenough to walk, have the inclination to do so. When he has theinclination and the strength it will be folly to restrain him; if hehave neither the inclination nor the strength, it will be absurd tourge him on. Rely, therefore, to a certain extent, upon theinclination of the child himself. Self-reliance cannot be too earlytaught him, and, indeed, every one else. In the generality ofinstances, however, a child is put on his feet too soon, and thebones, at that tender age, being very flexible, bend, causing bowedand bandy-legs; and the knees, being weak, approximate too closelytogether, and thus they become knock-kneed. This advice of _not_putting a child _early_ on his feet, I must strongly insist on, asmany mothers are so ridiculously ambitious that their young onesshould walk early--that they should walk before other children oftheir acquaintance have attempted--that they have frequently causedthe above lamentable deformities; which is a standing reproach to themduring the rest of their lives. 

174. _Do you approve of perambulators_?

I do not, for two reasons:--first, because when a child is strongenough, he had better walk as much as he will; and, secondly, themotion is not so good, and the muscles are not so much put intoaction, and consequently cannot be so well developed, as when he isearned. A perambulator is very apt to make a child stoop, and to makehim both crooked and round-shouldered. He is cramped by being so longin one position. It is painful to notice a babe of a few months old inone of these newfangled carriages. His little head is bobbing aboutfirst on one side and then on the other--at one moment it is droppingon his chest, the next it is forcibly jolted behind: he looks, anddoubtless feels, wretched and uncomfortable. Again, theseperambulators are dangerous in crowded thoroughfares. They are apublic nuisance, inasmuch as they are wheeled against and betweenpeople's legs, and are a fruitful source of the breaking of shins, ofthe spraining of ankles, of the crushing of corns, and of the rufflingof the tempers of the foot-passengers who unfortunately come withintheir reach; while, in all probability, the gaping nurses are staringanother way, and every way indeed but the right, more especially ifthere be a redcoat in the path!

Besides, in very cold weather, or in a very young infant, the warmthof the nurse's body, while he is being carried, helps to keep himwarm, he himself being naturally cold. In point of fact, the child, while being borne in the nurse's arms, reposes on the nurse, warm andsupported, as though he were in a nest! While, on the other hand, ifhe be in a perambulator, he is cold and unsupported, looking the verypicture of misery, seeking everywhere for test and comfort, andfinding none!

A nurse's arm, then, is the only proper carriage for a _young_ childto take exercise on. She ought to change about, first carrying frim onthe one arm, and then on the other. Nursing him on one arm only mightgive his body a twist on one side, and thus might cause deformity. 

When he is old enough to walk, and is able properly to support theweight of his own neck and back, then there will be no objection, provided it be not in a crowded thoroughfare, to his ridingoccasionally in a perambulator; but when he is older still, and cansit either a donkey or a pony, such exercise will be far morebeneficial, and will afford him much greater pleasure. 

175. _Supposing it to be wet under foot, but dry above, do you thenapprove of sending a child out_?

If the wind be neither in the east nor the north-east, and if the airbe not damp, let him be well wrapped up and be sent out. If he belabouring under an inflammation of the lungs, however slight, or if hebe just recovering from one, it would, of coarse, be highly improper. In the management of a child, we must take care neither to coddle norto expose him unnecessarily, as both are dangerous. 

Never send a child out to walk in a fog; he will, if you do, be almostsure to catch cold. It would be much safer to send him out in rainthan in fog, though neither the one nor the other would be desirable. 

176. _How many times a day in fine weather ought a child to be sentout_?

Let him be sent out as often as it be possible. If a child lived morein the open air than he is wont to do, he would neither be sosusceptible of disease, nor would he suffer so much from teething, norfrom catching cold. 

177. _Supposing the day to be wet, what exercise would you thenrecommend_?

The child ought to run either about a large room, or about the hall;and if it does not rain violently, you should put on his hat and throwup the window, taking care while the window is open that he does notstand still. A wet day is the day for him to hold his high court ofrevelry, and "to make him as happy as the day is long. "

Do not on any account allow him to sit any length of time at a table, amusing himself with books, &c. ; let him be active and stirring, thathis blood may freely circulate as it ought to do, and that his musclesmay be well developed. I would rather see him actively engaged inmischief than sitting still, doing nothing! He ought to be put on thecarpet, and should then be tumbled and rolled about, to make the bloodbound merrily through, the, vessels, to stir up the liver, to promotedigestion, and to open the bowels. The misfortune of it is, thepresent race of nurses are so encumbered with long dresses, and soscrewed in with tight stays (aping their betters), that they are notable to stoop properly, and thus to have a good game of romps withtheir little charges. "Doing nothing is doing ill" is as true a sayingas was ever spoken. 

178. _Supposing it to be winter, and the weather to be very cold, would you still send a child out_?

Decidedly, provided he be well wrapped up. The cold will brace andstrengthen him. Cold weather is the finest tonic in the world. 

In frosty weather, the roads being slippery, when you send him out towalk, put a pair of large old woollen stockings over his boots orshoes. This will not only keep his feet and his legs warm, but it willprevent him from falling down and hurting himself. While thusequipped, he may even walk on a slide of ice without falling down!

A child, in the winter time, requires, to keep him warm, plenty offlannel and plenty of food, plenty of fresh and genuine milk, andplenty of water in his tub to wash and bathe him in a morning, plentyof exercise and plenty of play, and then he may brave the frosty air. It is the coddled, the half-washed, and the half-starved child(half-washed and half-starved from either the mother's ignorance orfrom the mother's timidity), that is the chilly starveling, --catchingcold at every breath of wind, and every time he either walks or iscarried out, --a puny, skinny, scraggy, scare-crow, more dead thanalive, and more fit for his grave than for the rough world he willhave to struggle in! If the above advice be strictly followed, a childmay be sent out in the coldest weather, even--

 "When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick, the shepherd, blows his nail; And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail. "

 _Shakspeare_. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

179. _Have you any remarks to make on the amusements of a child_?

Let the amusements of a child be as much as possible out of doors; lethim spend the greater part of every day in the open air; let him exerthimself as much as he please, his feelings will tell him when to restand when to begin again; let him be what Nature intended Mm to be--ahappy, laughing, joyous child. Do not let him be always poring overbooks:--

 "Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife, Come, hear the woodland linnet! How sweet his music! On my life, There's more of wisdom in it. 

 And hark! how blithe the throstle sings! He, too, is no mean preacher: Come forth into the light of things, -- Let Nature be your teacher. 

 She has a world of ready wealth, Our minds and hearts to bless, -- Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health, Truth breathed by cheerfulness. 

 One impulse from a vernal wood May teach you more of man, Of moral evil and of good, Than, all the sagea can. "--_Wordsworth. _

He ought to be encouraged to engage in those sports wherein thegreatest number of muscles are brought into play. For instance, toplay at ball, or hoop, or football, to play at horses, to run tocertain distances and back; and, if a girl, to amuse herself with askipping rope, such, being excellent exercise--

 "By sports like these are all their cares beguiled, The sports of children satisfy the child. "--_Goldsmith. _

Every child, where it be practicable, should have a small plot ofground to cultivate, that he may dig and delve in, and make dirt-piesif he choose. Children now-a-days, unfortunately, are not allowed tosoil their hands and their fine clothes. For my own part, I dislikesuch model children; let a child be natural--let him, as far as ispossible, choose his own sports. Do not be always interfering with hispursuits, and be finding fault with him. Remember, what may be amusingto you may be distasteful to him. I do not, of course, mean but thatyou should constantly have a watchful eye over him; yet do not let himsee that he is under restraint or surveillance; if you do, you willnever discover his true character and inclinations. Not only so, butdo not dim the bright sunshine of his early life by constantlychecking and thwarting him, Tupper beautifully says--

 "And check not a child in his merriment, -- Should not his morning be sunny?"

When, therefore, he is either in the nursery or in the play-ground, let him shout and riot and romp about as much as he please. His lungsand his muscles want developing, and his nerves require strengthening;and how can such be accomplished unless you allow them to be developedand strengthened by natural means?

The nursery is a child's own domain; it is his castle, and he shouldbe Lord Paramount therein. If he choose to blow a whistle, or tospring a rattle, or to make any other hideous noise, which to him issweet music, he should be allowed, without let or hindrance, to doso. If any members of the family have weak nerves, let them keep at arespectful distance. 

A child who never gets into mischief must be either sly, or delicate, or idiotic; indeed, the system of many persons, in bringing upchildren, is likely to make them either the one or the other. Thepresent plan of training children is nearly all work (books), and verylittle play. Play, and plenty of it, is necessary to the veryexistence of a child. 

A boy not partial to mischief, innocent mischief, and play, isunnatural; he is a man before his time, he is a nuisance, he isdisagreeable to himself and to every one around. He is generally asneak, and a little humbug. 

Girls, at the present time, are made clever simpletons; their brainsare worked with useless knowledge, which totally unfits them forevery-day duties. Their muscles are allowed to be idle, which makesthem limp and flabby. The want of proper exercise ruins thecomplexion, and their faces become of the colour of a tallow candle!And precious wives and mothers they make when they do grow up! Growup, did I say? They grow all manner of ways, and are as crooked ascrooked sticks!

What an unnatural thing it is to confine a child several hours a dayto his lessons; why, you might as well put a colt in harness, and makehim work for his living! A child is made for play; his roguish littleeye, his lithe figure, his antics, and his drollery, all point outthat he is cut out for play--that it is as necessary to his existenceas the food he eats, and as the air he breathes!

A child ought not to be allowed to have playthings with which he caninjure either himself or others, such as toy-swords, toy-cannons, toy-paint-boxes, knives, bows and arrows, hammers, chisels, saws, &c. He will not only be likely to injure himself and others, but willmake sad havoc on furniture, house, and other property. Fun, frolic, and play ought, in all innocent ways, to be encouraged; but wilfulmischief and dangerous games ought, by every means, to bediscountenanced. This advice is frequently much needed, as childrenprefer to have and delight in dangerous toys, and often coax andpersuade weak and indulgent mothers to gratify their wishes. 

_Painted_ toys are, many of them, highly dangerous, those painted_green_ especially, as the colour generally consists of Scheele'sgreen--arsenite of copper. 

Children's paint-boxes are very dangerous toys for a child to playwith; many of the paints are poisonous, containing arsenic, lead, gamboge, &c, and a child, when painting, is apt to put the brush intohis mouth, to absorb the superabundant fluid. Of all the colours, the_green_ paint is the most dangerous, as it is frequently composed ofarsenite of copper--arsenic and copper--two deadly poisons. 

There are some paint-boxes warranted not to contain a particle ofpoison of any kind these ought, for a child, to be chosen by a mother. 

But, remember, although he ought not to be allowed to have poisonpaint-boxes and poison painted toys, _he must have an abundance oftoys, _ such as the white wood toys--brewers' drays, millers' waggons, boxes of wooden bricks, &c. The Noah's Ark is one of the most amusingand instructive toys for a child. "Those fashioned out of brown, unpainted pine-wood by the clever carvers of Nuremberg or the BlackForest are the best, I think, not only because they are the mostspirited, but because they will survive a good deal of knocking aboutand can be sucked with impunity From the first dawn of recollection, children are thus familiarised with the forms of natural objects, andmay be well up in natural history before they have mastered the ABC"[Footnote: From an excellent article _About Toys, _ by J Hamilton Fyfein _Good Words_ for December 1862. ]

Parents often make Sunday a day of gloom; to this I much object. Ofall the days in the week, Sunday should be the most cheerful andpleasant. It is considered by our Church a festival, and a gloriousfestival it ought to be made, and one on which our Heavenly Fatherwishes to see all His children happy and full of innocent joy. LetSunday, then, be made a cheerful, joyous, innocently happy day, andnot, as it frequently is, the most miserable and dismal in theweek. It is my firm conviction that many men have been madeirreligious by the ridiculously strict and dismal way they werecompelled, as children, to spend their Sundays. You can no more makea child religious by gloomy asceticism, than yon can make people goodby Act of Parliament. 

One of the great follies of the present age is, children's parties, where they are allowed to be dressed up like grown-up women, stuck outin petticoats, and encouraged to eat rich cake and pastry, and todrink wine, and to sit up late at night! There is something disgustingand demoralising in all this. Their pure minds are blighted by it. Donot let me be misunderstood: there is not the least objection, but, onthe contrary, great advantage, for friends' children to meet friends'children; but then let them be treated as children, and not as men andwomen!

180. _Do you approve of public play-grounds for children_?

It would be well, in every village, and in the outskirts of everytown, if a large plot of ground were set apart for children to playin, and to go through regular gymnastic exercises. Play is absolutelynecessary to a child's very existence, as much as food and sleep; butin many parts of England where is he to have it? Playgrounds and playare the best schools we have; they teach a great deal not taughtelsewhere; they give lessons in health, which is the grandest wealththat can be bestowed--"for health is wealth;" they prepare the soilfor the future schoolmaster; they clear the brain, and thus theintellect, they strengthen the muscles; they make the blood coursemerrily through the arteries; they bestow healthy food for the lungs;they give an appetite; they make a child, in due time, become everyinch a man! Play-grounds and play are one of the finest institutionswe possess. What would our large public schools be without their playand cricket grounds? They would be shorn of half their splendour andtheir usefulness!

There is so much talk now-a-days about _useful_ knowledge, that theimportance of play and play-grounds is likely to be forgotten. Icannot help thinking however, that a better state of things isdawning. "It seems to be found out that in our zeal for usefulknowledge, that knowledge is found to be not the least useful whichtreat boys as active, stirring, aspiring, and ready. " [Footnote: _TheSaturday Review_, December 13, 1862. ]

181. _Do you approve of infant schools_?

I do, if the arrangements be such that health is preferred beforelearning. [Footnote: "According to Aristotle, more care should betaken of the body than of the mind for the first seven years; strictattention to diet be enforced, &c. . . . . . The eye and ear of thechild should be most watchfully and severely guarded againstcontamination of every kind, and unrestrained communication withservants be strictly prevented. Even his amusements should be underdue regulation, and rendered as interesting and intellectual aspossible. "--The Rev John Williams, in his _Life and Actions ofAlexander the Great_] Let children be only confined for three or fourhours a day, and let what little they learn be taught as an amusementrather than as a labour. A play-ground ought to be attached to aninfant school; where, in fine weather, for every half-hour they spendin-doors, they should spend one in the open air; and, in wet weather, they ought to have, in lieu of the play-ground, a large room to romp, and shout, and riot in. To develop the different organs, muscles, andother parts of the body, children require fresh air, a free use oftheir lungs, active exercise, and their bodies to be thrown into allmanner of attitudes. Let a child mope in a corner, and he will becomestupid and sickly. The march of intellect, as it is called, or ratherthe double quick march of intellect, as it should be called, hasstolen a march upon health. Only allow the march of intellect and themarch of health to take equal strides, and then we shall have "_menssana in corpore sano_" (a sound mind in a sound body). 

In the education of a young child, it is better to instruct him byillustration, by pictures, and by encouraging observation on thingsaround and about him, than by books. It is surprising how much, without endangering his health, may be taught in this way. Ineducating your child, be careful to instil and to form goodhabits--they will then stick to him for life. 

Children at the present day are too highly educated--their brains areover-taxed, and thus weakened. The consequence is, that as they growup to manhood, if they grow up at all, they become fools! _Children_are now taught what formerly _youths_ were taught. The chord of achild's life is ofttimes snapped asunder in consequence of overeducation:--

 "Screw not the cord too sharply, lest it snap"--_Tennyson_. 

You should treat a child as you would a young colt. Think only atfirst of strengthening his body. Let him have a perfectly free, happylife, plenty of food to eat, abundance of air to breathe, and no workto do; there is plenty of time to think of his learning--of giving himbrain work. It will come sadly too soon; but do not make him oldbefore his time. 

182. _At what age do you advise my child to begin his course ofeducation--to have his regular lessons_?

In the name of the prophet, --Figs! Fiddlesticks! about courses ofeducation and regular lessons for a child! You may as well ask mewhen he, a child, is to begin Hebrew, the Sanscrit, and Mathematics!Let him have a course of education in play; let him go through regularlessons in foot-ball, bandy, playing at tic, hares and hounds, andsuch like excellent and really useful and health-giving lessons. Beginhis lessons! Begin brain work, and make an idiot of him! Oh! forshame, ye mothers! You who pretend to love your children so much, andto tax, otherwise to injure, irreparably to injure their brains, andthus their intellects and their health, and to shorten their verydays. And all for what? To make prodigies of them! Forsooth! to makefools of them in the end, 183. _Well, then, as you have such a great objection to a childcommencing his education early in life, at what age may he, withsafety, commence his lessons? and which do you prefer--home or schooleducation_?

Home is far preferable to a school education. He is, if at home, underyour own _immediate_ observation, and is not liable to be contaminatedby naughty children; for, in every school, there is necessarily agreat mixture of the good and of the bad; and a child, unfortunately, is more likely to be led by the bad than by the good. Moreover, if hebe educated at home, the mother can see that his brain is notover-worked. At school the brain is apt to be over-worked, and thestomach and the muscles to be under-worked. 

Remember, as above stated, _the brain must have but very little workuntil the child be seven years old;_ impress this advice upon yourmemory, and let no foolish ambition to make your child a clever childallow you, for one moment, to swerve from this advice. 

Build up a strong, healthy body, and in due time the brain will bear a_moderate_ amount of intellectual labour. 

As I have given _you_ so much advice, permit me, for one moment, toaddress a word to the father of your child:--

Let me advise you, then, Mr. _Pater familias_, to be careful how youconverse, what language you use, while in the company of yourchild. Bear in mind, a child is very observant, and thinks much, weighs well, and seldom forgets all you say and all you do! Let nohasty word, then, and more especially no oath, or no impious language, ever pass your lips, if your child be within hearing. It is, ofcourse, at all times wicked to swear; but it is heinously andunpardonably sinful to swear in the presence of your child! "Childhoodis like a mirror, catching and reflecting images. One impious orprofane thought, uttered by a parent's lip, may operate upon the youngheart like a careless spray of water thrown upon polished steel, staining it with rust, which no after scouring can efface. "

Never talk secrete before a child--"little pitchers have long ears;"if you do, and he disclose your secrets--as most likely he will--andthus make mischief, it will be cruel to scold him; you will, for yourimprudence, have yourself only to blame. Be most careful, then, in thepresence of your child, of what you say, and of whom you speak. Thisadvice, if followed, might save a great deal of annoyance andvexation. 

184. _Are you an advocate for a child being taught singing?_

I am: I consider singing a part of his education. Singing expands thewalls of his chest, strengthens and invigorates his lungs, givessweetness to his voice, improves his pronunciation, and is a greatpleasure and amusement to him. 

SLEEP. 

185. _Do you approve of a child sleeping on a_ FEATHER _bed_?

A _feather_ bed enervates his body, and, if he be so predisposed, causes rickets, and makes him crooked. A horse-hair mattress is thebest for a child to lie on. The pillow, too, should be made ofhorse-hair. A _feather_ pillow often causes the bead to be bathed inperspiration, thus enervating the child, and making him liable tocatch cold. If he be at all rickety, if he be weak in the neck, if hebe inclined to stoop, or if he be at all crooked, let him, by allmeans, lie without a pillow. 

186. _Do you recommend a child, in the middle of the day, to be put tosleep_?

Let him be put on his mattress _awake_, that he may sleep for a coupleof hours before dinner, then he will rise both refreshed andstrengthened for the remainder of the day. I said, let him be put down_awake_. He might, for the first few times, cry, but, by perseverance, he will without any difficulty fall to sleep. The practice of sleepingbefore dinner ought to be continued until he be three years old, and, if he can be prevailed upon, even longer. For if he do not have sleepin the middle of the day, he will all the afternoon and the evening becross; and when he does go to bed, he will probably be too tired tosleep, or his nerves having been exhausted by the long wakefulness, hewill fall into a troubled, broken slumber, and not into that sweet, soft, gentle repose, so characteristic of healthy, happy childhood!

187. _At what hour ought a child to be put to bed in the evening_?

At six in the winter, and at seven o'clock in the summer. _Regularity_ought to be observed, _as regularity is very conducive to health. _ Itis a reprehensible practice to keep a child up until nine or teno'clock at night. If this be done, he will, before his time, becomeold, and the seeds of disease will be sown, As soon as he can run, let him be encouraged, for half an hour beforehe goes to bed, to race either about the hall, or the landing, or alarge room, which will be the best means of warming his feet, ofpreventing chilblains, and of making him sleep soundly. 

188. _Have you any directions to give me at to the placing of my childin his bed_?

If a child lie alone, place him fairly on his aide in the middle ofthe bed; if it be winter time, see that his arms and hands be coveredwith the bed-clothes; if it be summer, his hands might be allowed tobe outside the clothes. In putting him down to sleep, you shouldascertain that his face be not covered with the bedclothes; if it be, he will he poisoned with his own breath--the breath constantly givingoff carbonic acid gas; which gas must, if his face be smothered in theclothes; be breathed--carbonic acid gas being highly poisonous. 

You can readily prove the existence of carbonic and gas in thebreathing, by simply breathing into a little lime-water; afterbreathing for a few seconds into it, a white film will form on thetop; the carbonic acid gas from the breath unites with the lime of thelime-water and the product of the white film is carbonate of lime. 

189. _Do you advise a bedroom to be darkened at night_?

Certainly: a child sleeps sounder and sweeter in a dark than in alight room. There is nothing better for the purpose of darkening abedroom, than Venetian blinds. Remember, then, a well-ventilated, buta darkened, chamber at night. The cot or the crib ought _not_ to facethe window, "as the light is best behind. " [Footnote: Sir CharlesLocock in a Letter to the Author. ]

190. _Which is the beat position for a child when sleeping--on hisback, or on his side_?

His side: he ought to be accustomed to change about on the right sideone night, on the left another; and occasionally, for a change, heshould lie on his back. By adopting this plan, you will not onlyimprove his figure, but likewise his health. Lying, night after night, in one position, would be likely to make him crooked. 

191. _Do you advise, in the winter time, that there should be a firein the night nursery_?

Certainly not, unless the weather be intensely cold. I dislike firesin bedrooms, especially for children; they are very enervating, andmake a child liable to catch cold. Cold weather is very bracing, particularly at night "Generally speaking, " says the _Siecle_, "duringwinter, apartments are too much heated. The temperature in them oughtnot to exceed 16 deg. Centigrade (59 deg. Fahrenheit); and even in periods ofgreat cold scientific men declare that 12 deg. Or 14 deg. Had better not beexceeded. In the wards of hospitals, and in the chambers of the sick, care is taken not to have greater heat than 15 deg. . Clerks in offices, and other persons of sedentary occupations, when rooms in which theysit are too much heated, are liable to cerebral [brain] congestion andto pulmonary [lung] complaints. In bedrooms, and particularly those ofchildren, the temperature ought to be maintained rather low; it iseven prudent only rarely to make fires in them, especially during thenight"

If "a cold stable make a healthy horse, " I am quite sure that amoderately cold and well-ventilated bedroom helps to make a healthychild. But, still, in the winter time, if the weather be biting cold, a _little_ fire in the bedroom grate is desirable. In bringing upchildren, we must never run into extremes--the coddling system and thehardening system are both to be deprecated; the coddling system willmake the strong child weakly, while the hardening system will probablykill a delicate one. 

A child's bed ought, of course, to be comfortably clothed withblankets--I say blankets, as they are much superior to coverlids; theperspiration will more readily pass through a blanket than acoverlid. A _thick_ coverlid ought never to be used; there is nothingbetter, for a child's bed, than the old-fashioned patchwork coverlid, as the perspiration will easily escape through it. 

192. _Should a child be washed and dressed_ AS SOON AS HE AWAKE _inthe morning_?

He ought, if he awake in anything like reasonable time; for if he dozeafter he be once awake, such slumber does him more harm than good. Heshould be up every morning as soon as it is light If, as a child, hebe taught to rise early, it will make him an early riser for life, andwill tend greatly to prolong both his existence and his happiness. 

_Never awake a child from his sleep_ to dress him, to give himmedicine, or for any other purpose; _let him always sleep as long ashe can;_ but the moment he awakes let him be held out, and then lethim be washed and dressed, and do not wait, as many a silly nursedoes, until he have wet his bed, until his blood be chilled, and untilhe be cross, miserable, and uncomfortable! How many babes are madeill by such foolish practices!

The moment he leaves his bed, turn back to the fullest extent theclothes, in order that they may be thoroughly ventilated andsweetened. They ought to be exposed to the air for at least an hourbefore the bed be made. As soon as he leaves his room, be it winter orsummer, throw open the windows. 

193. _Ought a child to lie alone_?

He should, after he is weaned. He will rest more comfortably, and hissleep will be more refreshing. 

194. _Supposing a child should not sleep well, what ought to be done?Would you give him a dose of composing medicine_?

Certainly not. Try the effects of exercise. Exercise in the open airis the best composing medicine in the world. Let the little fellow bewell tired out, and there will be little fear of his not sleeping. 

195. _Have you any further observations to make on the subject ofsleep_?

Send a child joyful to bed. Do not, if you can possibly help it, lethim go to bed crying. Let the last impressions he has at night be ofhis happy home, and of his loving father and mother and let his lastthoughts be those of joy and gladness. He will sleep all the sounderif he be sent to bed in such a frame of mind, and he will be morerefreshed and nourished in the morning by his sleep. 

196. _What are the usual causes of a child walking in his sleep, andwhat measures during such times, ought to be adopted to prevent hisinjuring himself_?

A disordered stomach, in a child of nervous temperament, or worms, areusually the causes. The means to be adopted to prevent his throwinghimself out of the window, are to have bars to his chamber present, and if that be not practicable, to have either nails or screws driveninto the window sash to allow the window to open only for a sufficientspace for ventilation, and to have a screw window fastening, in orderthat he cannot, without difficulty, open the window, to have a trustyperson to sleep in his room, who should have directions given not torouse him from his sleep, but to gently lead him back to his bed, which may frequently be done without awaking him, and to consult amedical man, who will adopt means to destroy the worms, to put hisstomach into order, to brace his nerves, and to strengthen his generalsystem. A trip to the coast and sea bathing, in such a case, is oftenof great service. 

SECOND DENTITION. 

197. _When does a child commence to cut his SECOND set of teeth_?

Generally at seven years old. He _begins to cut_ them at about thattime: but it should be borne in mind (so wonderful are the works ofGod) that the _second_ crop of teeth, _in embryo_, is actually bredand formed from the very commencement of his life, _under_ the firsttier of teeth, but which remain in abeyance for years, and do not comeinto play until the _first_ teeth, having done their duty, loosen andfall out, and thus make room for the more numerous, larger, stronger, and more permanent teeth, which latter have to last for the remainderof his existence. The _first_ set is sometimes cut with a great dealof difficulty, and produces various diseases; the _second_, orpermanent teeth, come easily, and are unaccompanied with any disorder. The following is the process:--One after another of the _first_ setgradually loosen, and either drop out, or with little pain are readilypulled out; under these, the _second_--the permanent--teeth make theirappearance, and fill up the vacant spaces. The fang of the tooth thathas dropped out is nearly all absorbed or eaten away, leaving littlemore than the crown. The _first_ set consists of twenty; the _second_(including the wise-teeth, which are not, generally cut until afterthe the age of twenty-seven) consists of thirty-two. 

I would recommend you to pay particular attention to the teeth of yourchildren; for, besides their being ornamental, their regularity andsoundness are of great importance to the present as well as to thefuture health of your offspring. If there be any irregularity in theappearance of the _second_ set, lose no time in consulting anexperienced and respectable dentist. 

ON DISEASE, ETC. 

198. _Do you think it important that I should be made acquainted withthe symptoms of the SERIOUS diseases of children_?

Certainly I am not advocating the doctrine of a mother _treatingserious_ diseases; far from it, it is not her province, except incertain cases of extreme urgency, where a medical man cannot beprocured, and where delay might be death; but I do insist upon thenecessity of her knowing the _symptoms_ of disease. My belief is, thatif parents were better informed on such subjects, many children'slives might be saved, much suffering averted, and sorrow spared. Thefact is, the knowledge of the symptoms of disease is, to a mother, almost a sealed book. If she were better acquainted with thesematters, how much more useful would she be in a sick-room, and howmuch more readily would she enter into the plans and views of themedical man! By her knowledge of the symptoms, and by having hisadvice in time, she would nip disease in the bud, and the fight mightend in favour of life, for "sickness is just a fight between life anddeath. "--_Geo. M'Donald. _

It is really lamentable to contemplate the amount of ignorance thatstill exists among mothers in all that appertains to the diseases ofchildren; although, fortunately, they are beginning to see and to feelthe importance of gaining instruction on such subjects; but the lightis only dawning. A writer of the _Medical Times and Gazette_ makes thefollowing remarks, which somewhat bear on the subject in question. Heobserves--"In spite of the knowledge and clear views possessed by theprofession on all that concerns the management of children, no fact ismore palpable than that the most grievous ignorance and incompetencyprevail respecting it among the public. We want some means of makingpopular the knowledge which is now almost restricted to medical men, or, at most, to the well-educated classes. "

In the earlier editions of this work I did not give the _treatment_ ofany serious diseases, however urgent. In the eight last editions, Ihave been induced, for reasons I will presently state, to give the_treatment_ of some of the more urgent _serious_ diseases, when amedical man cannot instantly be procured, and where delay might bedeath. 

Sir CHARLES LOCOCK, who has taken a kind interest in this little work, has given me valid reasons why a mother should be so enlightened. Thefollowing extracts are from a letter which I received from Sir CHARLESon the subject, and which he has courteously allowed me to publish. Hesays, --"As an old physician of some experience in complaints ofinfants and children, I may perhaps be allowed to suggest that in afuture edition you should add a few words on the actual treatment ofsome of the more urgent infantile diseases. It is very right tocaution parents against superseding the doctor, and attempting tomanage serious illness themselves, but your advice, with very smallexceptions, always being 'to lose no tune in sending for a medicalman, ' much valuable and often irremediable time may be lost _when amedical man is not to be had_. Take, for instance, a case of croupthere are no directions given at all, except to send for a medicalman, and always to keep medicines in the house which he may havedirected. But how can this apply to a first attack? You state that afirst attack is generally the worst. But why is it so? Simply becauseit often occurs when the parents do not recognise it, and it isallowed to get a worse point than in subsequent attacks, when they arethoroughly alive to it. As the very best remedy, and often the onlyessential one, if given early, is a full emetic, surely it is betterthat you should give some directions as to this in a future edition, and I can speak from my own experience when I say that an emetic, _given in time_, and repeated to free vomiting, will cut short _any_case of croup. In nine cases out of ten the attack takes place in theevening or early night, and when vomiting is effected the dinner ofthat day is brought up nearly undigested, and the seventy of thesymptoms at once cut short. Whenever any remedy is valuable, the moreby its being administered _in time_, it is surely wiser to givedirections as to its use, although, as a general rule, it is muchbetter to advise the sending for medical advice. "

The above reasons, coming from such a learned and experiencedphysician as Sir Charles Locock, are conclusive, and have decided meto comply with his advice, to enlighten a mother on the _treatment_ ofsome of the more urgent diseases of infants and of children. In asubsequent letter addressed to myself, Sir Charles has given me thenames of those _urgent_ diseases, which he considers may be treated bya mother "where a medical man cannot be procured quickly, or not atall. " They are Croup: Inflammation of the Lungs; Diptheria; Dysentry;Diarrhoea; Hooping Cough, in its various stages; and ShiveringFit. Sir Charles sums up his letter to me by saying, "Such a bookought to be made as complete as possible, and the objections tomedical treatment being so explained as to induce mothers to try toavoid medical men is not so serious as that of leaving them withoutany guide in those instances where every delay is dangerous, and yetwhere medical assistance is not to be obtained or not to be hadquickly. "

In addition to the above I shall give you the _treatment_ ofBronchitis, Measles, and Scarlet Fever. Bronchitis is one of the mostcommon diseases incidental to childhood, and, with judicioustreatment, is, in the absence of the medical man, readily managed by asensible mother. Measles is very submissive to treatment. ScarletFever, _if it be not malignant_, and, _if it be not complicated withdiphtheric-croup_, and if certain rules be strictly followed, is alsoequally amenable to treatment. 

I have been fortunate in treating Scarlet Fever, and I therefore thinkit desirable to enter fully into the _treatment_ of a disease which islooked upon by many parents, and, according to the usual mode oftreatment, with just cause, with great consternation and dread. Bygiving my plan of treatment, fully and simply, and without theslightest reservation, I am fully persuaded, through God's blessing, that I may be the humble means of saving the lives of numbers ofchildren. 

The diseases that might be treated by a mother, in the absence of amedical man, will form the subject of future Conversations. 

I think it right to promise that in all the prescriptions for a childI have for the use of a mother given, I have endeavoured to make themas simple as possible, and have, whenever practicable, avoided torecommend powerful drugs. Complicated prescriptions and powerfulmedicines might, as a rule, to be seldom given; and when they are, should only be administered by a judicious medical man: a childrequiring much more care and gentleness in his treatment than anadult: indeed, I often think it would be better to leave a child tonature rather than to give him powerful and large doses ofmedicines. A remedy--calomel, for instance--has frequently done moremischief than the disease itself; and the misfortune of it is, themischief from that drug has oftentimes been permanent, while thecomplaint might, if left alone, have only been temporary. 

199. _At what age does Water in the Brain usually occur, and how is amother to know that her child is about to labour under that disease_?

Water on the brain is, as a rule, a disease of childhood: after achild is seven years old it is comparatively rare. It more frequentlyattacks delicate children--children who have been dry nursed(especially if they have been improperly fed), or who have beensuckled too long, or who have had consumptive mothers, or who havesuffered severely from toothing, or who are naturally of a feebleconstitution. Water on the brain sometimes follows an attack ofinflammation of the lungs, more especially if depressing measures(such as excessive leeching and the administration of emetic tartar)have been adopted. It occasionally follows in the train of contagiouseruptive diseases, such as either small-pox or scarlatina. We maydivide the symptoms of water on the brain into two stages. Thefirst--the premonitory stage--which lasts for or five days, in whichmedical aid might be of great avail: the second--the stage ofdrowsiness and of coma--which usually ends in death. 

I shall dwell on the first--the premonitory stage--in order that amother may see the importance without loss of time of calling in amedical man:--

If her child be feverish and irritable, if his stomach be disordered, if he have urgent vomitings, if he have a foul breath, if his appetitebe capricious and bad, if his nights be disturbed (screaming out inhis sleep), if his bowels be disordered, more especially if they beconstipated, if he be more than usually excited, if his eye gleam withunusual brilliancy, if his tongue run faster than it is wont, if hischeek be flushed and his head be hot, and if he be constantly puttinghis hand to his head; there is cause for suspicion. If to thesesymptoms be added, a more than usual carelessness in tumbling about, in hitching his foot in the carpet, or in dragging one foot after theother; if, too, he has complained of darting, shooting, lancinatingpains in his head, it may then be known that the _first_ stage ofinflammation (the forerunner of water on the brain) either has taken, or is about taking place. Remember no time ought to be lost inobtaining medical aid; for the _commencement_ of the disease is thegolden opportunity, when life might probably be saved. 

200. _At what age, and in what neighbourhood, is a child most liableto croup, and when is a mother to know that it is about to takeplace_?

It is unusual for a child until he be twelve months old to have croup:but, from that time until the age of two years, he is more liable toit than at any other period. The liability after two years, gradually, until he be ten years old, lessens, after which time it is rare. 

A child is more liable to croup in a low and damp, than in a high anddry neighbourhood; indeed, in some situations, croup is almost anunknown disease; while in others it is only too well understood. Croupis more likely to prevail when the wind is either easterly ornorth-easterly. 

There is no disease that requires more prompt treatment than croup, and none that creeps on more insidiously. The child at first seems tobe labouring under a slight cold, and is troubled with a little _dry_cough, he is hot and fretful, and hoarse when he cries. Hoarseness isone of the earliest symptoms of croup, and it should be borne in mindthat a young child, unless he be going to have croup, is seldomhoarse, if, therefore, your child be hoarse, he should be carefullywatched, in order that, as soon as croup be detected, not a moment belost in applying the proper remedies. 

His voice at length becomes gruff, he breathes as though it werethrough muslin, and the cough becomes crowing. These three symptomsprove that the disease is now fully formed. These latter symptomssometimes come on without any previous warning, the little fellowgoing to bed apparently quite well, until the mother is awakened, perplexed and frightened, in the middle of the night, by finding himlabouring under the characteristic cough and the other symptoms ofcroup. If she delay either to send for assistance, _or if propermedicines be not instantly given_, in a few hours it will probably beof no avail, and in a day or two the little sufferer will be a corpse. 

When once a child has had croup the after attacks are generallymilder. If he has once had an attack of croup, I should advise youalways to have in the house medicine--a 4 oz. Bottle of IpecacuanhaWine, to fly to at a moments notice, [Footnote: In case of a suddenattack of croup, _instantly_ give a teaspoonful of Ipecacuanha Wine, and repeat it every fire minutes natal free vomiting be excited. ] butnever omit, where practicable, in a case of croup, whether the case besevere or mild to send _immediately_ for medical aid. There is nodisease in which time is more precious than in croup, and where thedelay of an hour may decide either for life or for death. 

201. _But suppose a medical man is not IMMEDIATELY to be procured, what then am I to do? more especially, as you say, that delay might bedeath_?

_What to do_. --I never, in my life, lost a child with croup withcatarrhal croup where I was called in at the _commencement_ of thedisease, and where my plans were carried out to the very letter. Letme begin by saying, look well to the goodness and purity of themedicine, for the life of your child may depend upon the medicinebeing genuine. What medicine! _Ipecacuanha Wine!_ At the earliest dawnof the disease give a few spoonful of Ipecacuanha Wine every fiveminutes, until free vomiting be exerted. In croup, then, before he besafe, free vomiting _must_ be established, and that without loss oftime. If, _after_ the expiration of an hour, the Ipecacuanha Wine(having given during that hour one or two tea-spoonfuls of it everyfive minutes) be not sufficiently powerful for the purpose--althoughit generally is so--(_if the Ipecacuanha Wine be good_)--then let thefollowing mixture be substituted--

 Take of--Powdered Ipecacuanha, one scruple, Wine of Ipecacuanha, one ounce and a half

Make a mixture. One or two tea spoonfuls to be given every fiveminutes, until free vomiting be excited, first well shaking thebottle. 

After the vomiting, place the child for a quarter of an hour in a warmbath. [Footnote: See "Warm Baths"--directions and precautions to beobserved. ] When out of the bath give him small doses of IpecacuanhaWine every two or three hours. The following is a palatable form forthe mixture--

 Take of--Wine of Ipecacuanha, three drachms; Simple syrup, three drachms, Water, six drachms

Make a Mixture. A tea-spoonful to be taken every two or three hours. 

But remember the emetic which is given at _first_ is _pure IpecacuanhaWine, without a drop of either water or of syrup. _

A large sponge dipped out of very hot water, and applied to thethroat, and frequently renewed, oftentimes affords great relief incroup, and ought during the time the emetic is being administered inall cases to be adopted. 

If it be a _severe_ case of croup, and does not in the course of twohours yield to the free exhibition of the Ipecacuanha Emetic, apply anarrow strip of _Smith's Tela Vesicularia_ to the throat, prepared inthe same way as for a case of inflammation of the lungs (see theConversation on the _treatment_ of inflammation of the lungs). Withthis only difference, let it be a narrower strip, only one-half thewidth there recommended, and apply it to the throat instead of to thechest. If a child has a very short, fat neck, there may not be roomfor the _Tela_, then you ought to apply it to the _upper_ part of thechest--just under the collar-bones. 

Let it be understood, the the _Tela Vesicularia_ is not a severeremedy, that the _Tela_ produces very little pain--not nearly so muchas the application of leeches; although, in its action, it is muchmore beneficial, and is not nearly so weakening to the system. 

Keep the child from all stimulants; let him live on a low diet, suchas milk and water, toast and water, arrowroot, &c. ; and let the roombe, if practicable, at a temperate heat--60 deg. Fahrenheit, and be wellventilated. 

So you see that the _treatment_ of croup is very simple, and the theplan might be carried out by an intelligent mother. Notwithstandingwhich, it is your duty, where practicable, to send, at the very_onset_ of the disease, for a medical man. 

Let me again reiterate that, if your child is to be saved, the_Ipecacuanha Wine must be genuine and good_. This can only be effectedby having the medicine from a highly respectable chemist. Again, ifever your child has had croup, let me again urge you _always_ to havein the house a 4 oz. Bottle of Ipecacuanha Wine, that you may resortto at a moment's notice, in case there be the slightest return of thedisease. 

Ipecacuanha Wine, unfortunately, is not a medicine that keeps well, therefore, every three or four months a fresh bottle ought to beprocured, either from a medical man or from a chemist. As long as theIpecacuanha Wine remains _clear_, it is good; but as soon as itbecomes _turbid_, it is bad, and ought to be replaced by a freshsupply. An intelligent correspondent of mine makes the followingvaluable remarks on the preservation of Ipecacuanha Wine:--"Now, Iknow that there are some medicines and chemical preparations which, though they spoil rapidly when at all exposed to the air, yet willkeep perfectly good for an indefinite time if hermetically sealed upin a _perfectly full_ bottle. If so, would it not be a valuablesuggestion if the Apothecaries' Hall, or some other London firm of_undoubted_ reliability, would put up 1 oz. Phials of Ipecacuanha Wineof guaranteed purity, sealed up so as to keep good so long asunopened, and sent out in sealed packages, with the guarantee of theirname. By their keeping a few such ounce bottles in an unopened statein one's house, one might rely in being ready for any emergency. Ifyou think this suggestion worth notice, and could induce somefirst-rate house to carry it out, and mention the fact in a subsequentedition of your book, you would, I think, be adding another mostvaluable item to an already invaluable book. "

The above suggestion of preserving Ipecacuanha Wine in ounce bottles, quite full, and hermetically sealed, is a very good one. The best wayof hermetically sealing the bottle would be, to cut the cork levelwith the lip of the bottle, and to cover the cork with sealing-wax, inthe same manner wine merchants serve some kinds of their wines, andthen to lay the bottles on their sides in sawdust in the cellar. Ihave no doubt, if such a plan were adopted, the Ipecacuanha Wine wouldfor a length of time keep good. Of course, if the Wine of Ipecacuanhabe procured from the Apothecaries' Hall Company, London (as suggestedby my correspondent), there can be no question as to the genuinenessof the article. 

_What NOT to do_--Do not give emetic tartar, do not apply leeches, donot keep the room very warm, do not give stimulants, do not omit tohave always in the house either a 4 oz. Bottle, or three or four 1oz. Bottles, of Ipecacuanha Wine. 

202. _I have heard Child crowing mentioned as a formidable disease, would you describe the symptoms_?

Child-crowing, or spasm of the glottis, or _spurious croup_, as it issometimes called, is occasionally mistaken for _genuine croup_. It isa more frequent disorder than the latter, and requires a differentplan of treatment Child crowing is a disease that invariably occursonly during dentition, and is _most perilous_, indeed, painfuldentition is _the_ cause--_the_ only cause--of child crowing. But, ifa child labouring under it can fortunately escape suffocation until hehave cut the whole of his first set of teeth--twenty--he is then safe. 

Child-crowing comes on in paroxysms. The breathing during theintervals is quite natural--indeed, the child appears perfectly well, hence, the dangerous nature of the disease is either overlooked, or islightly thought of, until perhaps a paroxysm worse than common takesplace, and the little patient dies of suffocation, overwhelming themother with terror, with confusion, and dismay. 

The _symptoms_ in a paroxysm of child-crowing are as follows--Thechild suddenly loses and fights for his breath, and in doing so, makesa noise very much like that of crowing, hence the name child-crowing. The face during the paroxysm becomes bluish or livid. In a favourablecase, after either a few seconds, or even, in some instances, aminute, and a frightful straggle to breathe, he regains his breath, and is, until another paroxysm occurs, perfectly well. In anunfavourable case, the upper part (chink) of the windpipe--theglottis--remains for a minute or two closed, and the child, not beingable to breathe, drops a corpse in his nurse's arms! Many children, who are said, to have died of fits, hare really died of child-crowing. 

Child-crowing is very apt to cause convulsions, which complication, ofcourse, adds very much to the danger. Such a complication requiresthe constant supervision of an experienced and skilful medical man. 

I have entered thus rather fully into the subject, as nearly everylife might be saved, if a mother knew the nature and the treatment ofthe complaint, and of the _great necessity during the paroxysm ofprompt and proper measures_. For, too frequently, before a medical manhas had time to arrive, the child has breathed his last, the parenthimself being perfectly ignorant of the necessary treatment; hence thevital importance of the subject, and the paramount necessity ofimparting such information, in a _popular_ style, in conversations ofthis kind. 

203. _What treatment, then, during a paroxysm of Child-crowing shouldyou advise_?

The first thing, of course, to be done, is to send _immediately_ for amedical man. Have a plentiful supply of cold and of hot water alwaysat hand, ready at a moment's notice for use. The instant the paroxysmis upon the child, plentifully and perseveringly dash _cold_ waterupon his head and face. Put his foot and legs in _hot_ salt, mustard, and water; and, if necessary, place him up to his neck in a hot bath, still dashing water upon his face and head. If he does not quicklycome round, sharply smack his back and buttocks. 

In every severe paroxysm of child-crowing, put your fore-finger downthe throat of the child, and pull his tongue forward. This plan ofpulling the tongue forward opens the epiglottis (the lid of theglottis), and thus admits air (which is so sorely needed) into theglottis and into the lungs, and thus staves off impendingsuffocation. If this plan were generally known and adopted, manyprecious lives might be saved. [Footnote: An intelligent correspondentfirst drew my attention to the efficacy of pulling forward the tonguein every severe paroxysm of child-crowing. ]

There is nothing more frightfully agonising to a mother's feelingsthan to see her child strangled, --as it were, --before her eyes, by aparoxysm of child crowing. 

As soon as a medical man arrives, he will lose no time in thoroughlylancing the gums, and in applying other appropriate remedies. 

Great care and attention ought, during the intervals, to be paid tohis diet. If the child be breathing a smoky, close atmosphere, heshould be immediately removed to a pure one. In this disease, indeed, there is no remedy equal to a change of air--to a dry, bracingneighbourhood. Change of air, even if it be winter, is the bestremedy, either to the coast or to a healthy mountainous district. I amindebted to Mr Roberton of Manchester (who has paid great attention tothis disease, and who has written a valuable essay on the subject[Footnote: See the end of the volume of "Physiology and Diseases ofWomen, " &c. Churchill, 1851. ]) for the knowledge of this fact. Where, in a case of this kind, it is not practicable to send a child _from_home, then let him be sent out of doors the greater part of every day;let him, in point of fact, almost live in the open air. I am quitesure, from an extensive experience, that in this disease, fresh air, and plenty of it, is the best and principal remedy. Cold sponging ofthe body too is useful. 

Mr Roberton, who, at my request, has kindly given me the benefit ofhis extensive experience in child-crowing, considers that there is noremedy, in this complaint, equal to fresh air--to dry cold winds--thatthe little patient ought, in fact, nearly to live, during the day, outof doors, whether the wind be in the east or in the north-east, whether it be biting cold or otherwise, provided it be dry andbracing, for "if the air be dry, the colder the better, "--taking care, of course, that he be well wrapped up. Mr Roberton, moreover, advisesthat the child should be sent away at once from home, either to abracing sea-side place, such as Blackpool or Fleetwood; or to amountainous district, such as Buxton. 

As the subject is so important, let me recapitulate: the gums ought, from time to time, to be well lanced, in order to remove theirritation of painful dentition--painful dentition being the realcause of the disease. Cold sponging should be used twice or thricedaily. The diet should be carefully attended to (see Dietary ofChild); and everything conducive to health should (as recommended inthese Conversations) be observed. But, remember, after all that canbe said about the treatment, there is nothing like change of air, offresh air, of cold, dry pure air, and of plenty of it--the more thelittle fellow can inhale, during the day, the better it will be forhim, it will be far better than any drug contained in thepharmacopoeia. 

I have dwelt on this subject at some length--it being a most importantone--as, if the above advice were more generally known and followed, nearly every child, labouring under this complaint, would be saved;while now, as coroners' inquests abundantly testify, the diseasecarries off yearly an immense number of victims. 

204. _When is a mother to know that a cough is not a "tooth cough" butone of the symptoms of Inflammation of the lungs_?

If the child has had a shivering fit; if his skin be very hot and verydry; if his lips be parched; if there be great thirst; if his cheeksbe flushed; if he be dull and heavy, wishing to be quiet in his cot orcrib; if his appetite be diminished; if his tongue be furred; if hismouth be _burning_ hot and dry; [Footnote: If you put your finger intothe mouth of a child labouring under inflammation of the lungs, it islike putting your finger into a hot apple pie, the heat is so great. ]if his urine be scanty and high-coloured, staining the napkin or thelinen; _if his breathing be short, panting, hurried, and oppressed; ifthere be a hard dry cough, and if his skin be burning hot;_--thenthere is no doubt that inflammation of the lungs has taken place. 

No time should be lost in sending for medical aid; indeed, the _hot, dry mouth and skin, and short, hurried breathing_ would be sufficientcause for your procuring _immediate_ assistance. If inflammation ofthe lungs were properly treated at the _onset_, a child would scarcelyever be lost by that disease. I say this advisedly, for in my ownpractice, _provided I am called in early, and if my plans are strictlycarried out_, I scarcely ever lose a child from inflammation of thelungs. 

You may ask--What are your plans? I will tell you, in case _you cannotpromptly obtain medical advice, _ as delay might be death!

_The treatment of Inflammation of the Lungs, what to do. _--Keep thechild to one room, to his bedroom, and to his bed. Let the chamber beproperly ventilated. If the weather be cool, let a small fire be inthe grate; otherwise, he is better without a fire. Let him live on lowdiet, such as weak black tea, milk and water (in equal quantities), and toast and water, thin oatmeal gruel, arrow-root, and such likesimple beverages, and give him the following mixture:--

 Take of--Wine of Ipecacuanha, three drachms; Simple Syrup, three drachms; Water, six drachms;

Make a Mixture. A tea-spoonful of the mixture to be taken every fourhours. 

Be careful that you go to a respectable chemist, in order _that thetotality of the Ipecacuanha Wine may be good, as the child's life maydepend upon it. _

If the medicine produce sickness, so much the better; continue itregularly until the short, oppressed, and hurried breathing hassubsided, and has become natural. 

If the attack be very severe, in addition to the above medicine, atonce apply a blister, not the common blister, but _Smith's TelaVesicatoria_ [Footnote: Manufactured by T. & H. Smith, chemists, Edinburgh, and may be procured of Southalls, chemists, Birmingham. ]--aquarter of a sheet. If the child be a year old, the blister ought tobe kept on for three hours, and then a piece of dry, soft linen ragshould be applied for another three hours. At the end of whichtime--six hours--there will be a beautiful blister, which must then, with a pair of scissors, be cut, to let out the water, and then letthe blister be dressed, night and morning, with simple cerate spreadon lint. 

If the little patient be more than one year, say two years old, letthe Tela remain on for five hours, and the dry linen rag for fivehours more, before the blister, as above recommended, be cut anddressed. 

If in a day or two the inflammation still continue violent, letanother Tela Vesicatoria be applied, not over the old blister, but leta narrow strip of it be applied on each side of the old blister, andmanaged in the same manner as before directed. 

_I cannot speak too highly of Smith's Tela Vesicatoria. _ It has, in myhands, through God's blessing, saved the lives of scores ofchildren. It is far, very far, superior to the old fashionedblistering plaster. It seldom, if the above rules be strictlyobserved, fails to rise, it gives much less pain than the commonblister, when it has had the desired effect, it readily heals, whichcannot always be said of the common fly blister, more especially withchildren. 

My sheet anchors, then, in the inflammation of the lungs of childrenare, Ipecacuanha Wine and Smith's _Tela Vesicatoria_. Let the greatestcare, as I before advised, be observed in obtaining the IpecacuanhaWine genuine and good. This can be only depended upon by having themedicine from a highly respectable chemist, Ipecacuanha Wine, whengenuine and good, is, in many children's diseases, is one of the mostvaluable of medincies. 

_What, in a case of inflammation of the lungs, NOT to do_--Do not, onany account, apply leeches. They draw out the life of the child, butnot his disease. Avoid--_emphatically let me say so_--giving emetictartar It is one of the most lowering and death-dealing medicines thatcan be administered either to an infant or to a child! If you wish totry the effect of it, take a dose yourself, and I am quite sure thatyou will then never be inclined to poison a child with such anabominable preparation! In olden times--many, many years ago--I myselfgave it in inflammation of the lungs, and lost many children! Sinceleaving it off, the recoveries of patients by the Ipecacuanhatreatment, combined with the external application of Smith's _TelaVesicatoria_, have been in many cases marvellous. Avoid broths andwine, and all stimulants. Do _not_ put the child into a warm bath, itonly oppresses the already oppressed breathing. Moreover, after he isout of the bath, it causes a larger quantity of blood to rush back tothe lungs and to the bronchial tubes, and thus feeds theinflammation. Do not, by a large fire, keep the temperature of theroom high. A small fire, in the winter time, encourages ventilation, and in such a case does good. When the little patient is on themother's or on the nurse's lap, do not burden him either with a_heavy_ blanket or with a _thick_ shawl. Either a _thin_ child'sblanket, or a _thin_ woollen shawl, in addition to his usualnightgown, is all the clothing necessary. 

205. _Is Bronchitis a more frequent disease than Inflammation of theLungs? Which is the most dangerous? What are the symptoms ofBronchitis_?

Bronchitis is a much more frequent disease than inflammation of thelungs, indeed, it is one of the most common complaints both of infantsand of children, while inflammation of the lungs is comparatively arare disease. Bronchitis is not nearly such a dangerous disease asinflammation of the lungs. 

_The symptoms_--The child for the first few days labours undersymptoms of a heavy cold, he has not his usual spirits. In two orthree days, instead of the cold leaving him, it becomes moreconfirmed, he is now really poorly, fretful, and feverish, hisbreathing becomes rather hurried and oppressed, his cough is hard anddry, and loud, he wheezes, and if you put your ear to his naked back, between his shoulder blades, you will hear the wheezing moredistinctly. If at the breast, he does not suck with his usual avidity;the cough, notwithstanding the breast is a great comfort to him, compels him frequently to loose the nipple; his urine is scanty, andrather high-coloured, staining the napkin, and smelling strongly. Heis generally worse at night. 

Well, then, remember if the child be feverish, if he have symptoms ofa heavy cold, if he have an oppression of breathing, if he wheeze, andif he have a tight, dry, noisy cough, you may be satisfied that he hasan attack of bronchitis. 

206. _How can I distinguish between Bronchitis and Inflammation of theLungs_?

In bronchitis the skin is warm, but moist; in inflammation of thelungs it is hot and dry: in bronchitis the mouth is warmer than usual, but moist; in inflammation of the lungs it is burning hot: inbronchitis the breathing is rather hurried, and attended withwheezing; in inflammation of the lungs it is very short and panting, and is unaccompanied with wheezing, although occasionally a veryslight crackling sound might be heard: in bronchitis the cough is longand noisy; in inflammation of the lungs it is short and feeble: inbronchitis the child is cross and fretful; in inflammation of thelungs he is dull and heavy, and his countenance denotes distress. 

We have sometimes a combination of bronchitis and of inflammation ofthe lungs, an attack of the latter following the former. Then thesymptoms will be modified, and will partake of the character of thetwo diseases. 

207. _How would you treat a case of Bronchitis_?

If a medical man cannot be procured, I will tell you _What to do_:Confine the child to his bedroom, and if very ill, to his bed. If itbe winter time, have a little fire in the grate, but be sure that thetemperature of the chamber be not above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and letthe room be properly ventilated, which may be effected by occasionallyleaving the door a little ajar. 

Let him lie either _outside_ the bed or on a sofa, if he be very ill, _inside_ the bed, with a sheet and a blanket only to cover him, but nothick coverlid. If he be allowed to be on the lap, it only heats himand makes him restless. If he will not lie on the bed, let him rest ona pillow placed on the lap, the pillow will cause him to lie cooler, and will more comfortably rest his weaned body. If he be at thebreast, keep him to it, let him have no artificial food, unless, if hebe thirsty a little toast and water. If he be weaned, let him haveeither milk and water, arrow root made with equal parts of milk andwater, toast and water, barley water, or weak black tea, with plentyof new milk in it, &c. , but, until the inflammation have subsided, neither broth nor beef tea. 

Now, with regard to medicine, the best medicine is Ipecacuanha Wine, given in large doses, so as to produce constant nausea. TheIpecacuanha abates fever, acts on the skin, loosens the cough, and, inpoint of fact, in the majority of cases, will rapidly effect a cure. Ihave in a preceding Conversation given you a prescription for theIpecacuanha Wine Mixture. Let a tea-spoonful of the mixture be takenevery four hours. 

If in a day or two he be no better, but worse, by all means continuethe mixture, whether it produce sickness or otherwise, and put on thechest a _Tela Vesicatoria_, a quarter of a sheet. 

The Ipecacuanha Wine and the Tela Vesicatoria are my sheet anchors inthe bronchitis, both of infants and of children. They rarely, even invery severe cases, fail to effect a cure, provided the TelaVesicatorina be properly applied, and the Ipecacuanha Wine be genuineand of good quality. 

If there be any difficulty in procuring _good_ Ipecacuanha Wine, theIpecacuanha may be given in powder instead of the wine The followingis a pleasant form--

 Take of--Powder of Ipecacuanha, twelve grains White Sugar thirty six grains

Mix well together and divide into twelve powders. One of the powdersto be put dry on the tongue every four hours. 

The Ipecacuanha Powder will keep better than the Wine--an importantconsideration to those living in country places, nevertheless, if theWine can be procured fresh and good, I far prefer the Wine to thePowder. 

When the bronchitis has disappeared, the diet ought gradually to beimproved--rice, sago, tapioca, and light batter-pudding, &c. ; and, ina few days, either a little chicken or a mutton chop, mixed with awell-mashed potato and crumb of bread, should be given. But let theimprovement in his diet be gradual, or the inflammation might return. 

_What NOT to do_. --Do not apply leeches. Do not give either emetictartar or antimonial wine, which is emetic tartar dissolved inwine. Do not administer either paregoric or syrup of poppies, eitherof which would stop the cough, and would thus prevent the expulsion ofthe phlegm. Any fool can stop a cough, but it requires a wise man torectify the mischief. A cough is an effort of Nature to bring up thephlegm, which would otherwise accumulate, and in the end causedeath. Again, therefore, let me urge upon you the immense importanceof _not_ stopping the cough of a child. The Ipecacuanha Wine will, byloosening the phlegm, loosen the cough, which is the only right way toget rid of a cough. Let what I have now said be impressed deeply uponyour memory, as thousands of children in England are annuallydestroyed by having their coughs stopped. Avoid, until the bronchitisbe relieved, giving him broths, and meat, and stimulants of allkinds. For further observations on _what NOT to do_ in bronchitis, Ibeg to refer you to a previous Conversation we had on _what NOT to do_in inflammation of the lungs. That which is injurious in the one caseis equally so in the other. 

208. _What are the symptoms of Diphtheria, or, as it is sometimescalled, Boulogne Sore-throat_?

This terrible disease, although by many considered to be a newcomplaint, is, in point of fact, of very ancient origin. Homer, andHippocrates, the Father of Physic, have both described it. Diphtheriafirst appeared in England in the beginning of the year 1857, sincewhich time it has never totally left our shores. 

_The symptoms_--The little patient, before the disease really showsitself, feels poorly, and is "out of sorts. " A shivering fit, thoughnot severe, may generally be noticed. There is heaviness, and slightheadache, principally over the eyes. Sometimes, but not always, thereis a mild attack of delirium at night The next day he complains ofslight difficulty of swallowing. If old enough, he will complain ofconstriction about the swallow. On examining the throat, the tonsilswill be found to be swollen and redder--more darkly red thanusual. Slight specks will be noticed on the tonsils. In a day or twoan exudation will cover them, the back of the swallow, the palate, thetongue, and sometimes the inside of the cheeks and of thenostrils. This exudation of lymph gradually increases until it becomesa regular membrane, which puts on the appearance of leather, hence itsname diphtheria. This membrane peels off in pieces, and if the childbe old and strong enough he will sometimes spit it up in quantities, the membrane again and again rapidly forming as before. The dischargesfrom the throat are occasionally, but not always, offensive. There isdanger of croup from the extension of the membrane into the windpipe. The glands about the neck and under the jaw are generally muchswollen, the skin is rather cold and clammy, the urine is scanty andusually pale, the bowels at first are frequently relaxed. Thisdiarrhoea may, or may not, cease as the disease advances. 

The child is now in a perilous condition, and it becomes a battlebetween his constitution and the disease. If, unfortunately, as istoo often the case--diphtheria being more likely to attack theweakly--the child be very delicate, there is but slight hope ofrecovery. The danger of the disease is not always to be measured bythe state of the throat. Sometimes, when the patient appears to begetting well, a sudden change for the worse rapidly carries himoff. Hence the importance of great caution, in such cases, in givingan opinion as to ultimate recovery. I have said enough to prove theterrible nature of the disease, and to show the necessity of callingin, at the earliest period of the symptoms, an experienced and skilfulmedical man. 

209. _Is Diphtheria contagious_?

_Decidedly_. Therefore, when practicable, the rest of the childrenought instantly to be removed to a distance. I say _children_, for itis emphatically a disease of childhood. When adults have it, it is theexception and not the rule: "Thus it will be seen, in the accountgiven of the Boulogne epidemic, that of 366 deaths from this cause, 341 occurred amongst children under ten years of age. In theLincolnshire epidemic, in the autumn of 1858, all the deaths atHorncastle, 25 in number, occurred amongst children under twelve yearsof age. " [Footnote: _Diphtheria_: by Ernest Hart. A valuable pamphleton the subject. Dr Wade of Birmingham has also written an interestingand useful monograph on Diphtheria. I am indebted to the above authorsfor much valuable information. ]

210. _What are the causes of Diphtheria_?

Bad and imperfect drainage; [Footnote: "Now all my carefully conductedinquiries induce me to believe that the disease comes fromdrain-poison. All the cases into which I could fully inquire, havebrought conviction to my mind that there is a direct law of sequencein some peculiar conditions of atmosphere between diphtheria and baddrainage; and, if this be proved by subsequent investigations, we maybe able to prevent a disease which, in too many cases, our knownremedies cannot cure. "--W. Carr, Esq. , Blackheath, _British MedicalJournal_, December 7, 1861. ] want of ventilation; overflowing privies;low neighbourhoods in the vicinity of rivers; stagnant waters; indeed, everything that vitiates the air, and thus depresses the system, moreespecially if the weather be close and muggy; poor and, improper food;and last, though not least, contagion. Bear in mind, too, that adelicate child is much more predisposed to the disease than a strongone. 

211. _What is the treatment of Diptheria_?

_What to do_--Examine well into the ventilation, for as diphtheria isfrequently caused by deficient ventilation, the best remedy isthorough ventilation. Look well both to the drains and to the privies, and see that the drains from the water-closets and from the privies donot in any way contaminate the pump-water. If the drains be defectiveor the privies be full, the disease in your child will be generated, fed, and fostered. Not only so, but the disease will spread in yourfamily and all around you. 

Keep the child to his bedroom and to his bed. For the first two orthree days, while the fever runs high, put him on a low diet, such asmilk, tea, arrow root, &c. 

Apply to his throat every four hours a warm barm and oatmealpoultice. If he be old enough to have the knowledge to use a gargle, the following will be found serviceable--

 Take of--Permanganate of Potash, pure, four grams, Water eight ounces

To make a Gargle

Or, Take of--Powdered Alum, one drachm, Simple Syrup one ounce, Water, seven ounces

To make a Gargle

The best medicine for the first few days of the attack, is thefollowing mixture--

 Take of--Chlorate of Potash two drachms, Boiling Water seven ounces Syrup of Red Poppy one ounce

To Make a mixture. A table spoonful to be taken every four hours. 

Or the chlorate of potash might be given in the form of powder--

 Take of--Chlorate of Potash two scruples, Lump Sugar one drachm

Mix and divide into eight powders. One to be put into a dry tea spoonand then placed on the tongue every three hours, These powders arevery useful in diphtheria; they are very cleansing to the tongue andthroat. If they produce much smarting as where the mouth is very sorethey sometimes do, let the patient, after taking one, drinkplentifully of milk, indeed I have known these powders induce apatient to take nourishment, in the form of milk, which he otherwisewould not have done, and thus to have saved him from dying ofstarvation, which, before taking the powders, there was everyprobability of his doing. An extensive experience has demonstrated tome the great value of these powders in diphtheria, but they must beput on the tongue dry. 

As soon as the skin has lost its preternatural heat, beef tea andchicken broth ought to be given. Or if great prostration shouldsupervene, in addition to the beef tea, port wine, a table spoonfulevery four hours, should be administered. If the child be cold, andthere be great sinking of the vital powers, brandy and water should besubstituted for the port wine. Remember, in ordinary cases, port wineand brandy are not necessary, _but in cases of extreme exhaustion_they are most valuable. 

As soon as the great heat of the skin has abated and the debility hasset in, one of the following mixtures will be found useful--

 Take of--Wine of Iron, one ounce and a half, Sample Syrup, one ounce, Water, three ounces and a half

To make a Mixture. A table spoonful to be taken every four hours. 

Or, Take of--Tincture of Perchloride of Iron, one drachm Simple Syrup, one ounce, Water, three ounces

To make a Mixture. A table spoonful to be taken three times a day. 

If the disease should travel downwards, it will cause all the symptomsof croup, then it must be treated as croup, with this only difference, that a blister (_Tela Vesicatoria_) must _not_ be applied, or theblistered surface may be attacked by the membrane of diphtheria, whichmay either cause death or hasten that catastrophe. In every otherrespect treat the case as croup, by giving an emetic, a tea spoonfulof Ipecacuanha Wine every five minutes, until free vomiting beexcited, and then administer smaller doses of Ipecacuanha Wine everytwo or three hours, as I recommended when conversing with you on thetreatment of croup. 

_What NOT to do_--Do not, on any account, apply either leeches or ablister. If the latter be applied, it is almost sure to be coveredwith the membrane of diphtheria, similar to that inside of the mouthand of the throat, which would be a serious complication. Do not giveeither calomel or emetic tartar. Do not depress the system byaperients, for diphtheria is an awfully depressing complaint ofitself, the patient, in point of fact, is labouring under thedepressing effects of poison, for the blood has been poisoned eitherby the drinking water being contaminated by faecal matter from either aprivy or from a water-closet, by some horrid drain, by proximity to apig-sty, by an overflowing privy, especially if vegetable matter berotting at the same time in it, by bad ventilation, or bycontagion. Diphtheria may generally be traced either to the one or tothe other of the above causes, therefore let me urgently entreat youto look well into all these matters, and thus to stay the pestilence!Diphtheria might long remain in a neighbourhood if active measures benot used to exterminate it. 

212. _Have the goodness to describe the symptoms of Measles_?

Measles commences with symptoms of a common cold, the patient is atfirst chilly, then hot and feverish, he has a running at the nose, sneezing, watering, and redness of the eyes, headache, drowsiness, ahoarse and peculiar ringing cough, which nurses call "measle-cough, "and difficulty of breathing. These symptoms usually last three daysbefore the eruption appears, on the fourth it (the eruption) generallymakes its appearance, and continues for four days and then disappears, lasting altogether, from the commencement of the symptoms of cold tothe decline of the eruption, seven days. It is important to bear inmind that the eruption consists of _crescent-shaped--halfmoon-shaped--patches_, that they usually appear first about the faceand the neck, in which places they are the best marked; then on thebody and on the arms; and, lastly, on the legs, and that they areslightly raised above the surface of the skin. The face is swollen, more especially the eye-lids which are sometimes for a few daysclosed. 

Well, then, remember, _the running at the nose, the, sneezing, thepeculiar hoarse cough, and the half-moon-shaped patches_, are theleading features of the disease, and point out for a certainty that itis measles. 

213. _What constitutes the principal danger in Measles_?

The affection of the chest. The mucous or lining membrane of thebronchial tubes is always more or less inflamed, and the lungsthemselves are sometimes affected. 

214. _Do you recommend "surfeit water" and saffron tea to throw outthe eruption in Measles_?

Certainly not. The only way to throw out the eruption, as it iscalled, is to keep the body comfortably warm, and to give thebeverages ordered by the medical man, with the chill off. "Surfeitwater, " saffron tea, and remedies of that class, are hot andstimulating. The only effect they can have, will be to increase thefever and the inflammation--to add fuel to the fire. 

215. _What is the treatment of Measles_?

_What to do_. --The child ought to be confined both to his room and tohis bed, the room being kept comfortably warm; therefore, if it bewinter time, there should be a small fire in the grate; in the summertime, a fire would be improper. The child must not be exposed todraughts; notwithstanding, from time to time, the door ought to beleft a little ajar in order to change the air of the apartment; forproper ventilation, let the disease be what it may, is absolutelynecessary. 

Let the child, for the first few days, be kept on a low diet, such ason milk and water, arrow-root, bread and butter, &c. 

If the attack be mild, that is to say, if the breathing be not muchaffected (for in measles it always is more or less affected), and ifthere be not much wheezing, the Acidulated Infusion of Roses' Mixture[Footnote: See page 178] will be all that is necessary. 

But suppose that the breathing is short, and that there is a greatwheezing, then instead of giving him the mixture just advised, givehim a tea-spoonful of a mixture composed of Ipecacuanha Wine, Syrup, and Water, [Footnote: See page 161] every four hours. And if, on thefollowing day, the breathing and the wheezing be not relieved inaddition to the Ipecacuanha Mixture, apply a Tola Vesicatoria, asadvised under the head of Inflammation of the Lungs. 

When the child is convalescing, batter puddings, rice, and sagopuddings, in addition to the milk, bread and butter, &c, should begiven, and, a few days later, chicken, mutton chops, &c. 

The child ought not, even in a mild case of measles, and in favourableweather to be allowed to leave the house under a fortnight, or itmight bring on an attack of bronchitis. 

_What NOT to do_--Do not give either "surfeit water" or wine. Do notapply leeches to the chest. Do not expose the child to the coldair. Do not keep the bed room very hot, but comfortably warm. Do notlet the child leave the house, even under favourable circumstances, under a fortnight. Do not, while the eruption is out, giveaperients. Do not, "to ease the cough, " administer either emetictartar or paregoric--the former drug is awfully depressing, the latterwill stop the cough, and will thus prevent the expulsion of thephlegm. 

216. _What is the difference between Scarlatina and Scarlet Fever_?

They are indeed one and the same disease, scarlatina being the Latinfor scarlet fever. But, in a _popular_ sense, when the disease ismild, it is usually called scarlatina. The latter term does not soundso formidable to the ears either of patients or of parents. 

217. _Will you describe the symptoms of Scarlet Fever_?

The patient is generally chilly, languid, drowsy, feverish, and poorlyfor two days before the eruption appears. At the end of the secondday, the characteristic, bright scarlet efflorescence, somewhatsimilar to the colour of a boiled lobster, usually first shows itself. The scarlet appearance is not confined to the skin; but the tongue, the throat, and the whites of the eyes put on the same appearance;with this only difference, that on the tongue and on the throat thescarlet is much darker; and, as Dr Elliotson accurately describesit, --"the tongue looks as if it had been slightly sprinkled withCayenne pepper;" the tongue, at other times, looks like a strawberry;when it does, it is called "the strawberry tongue. " The eruptionusually declines on the fifth, and is generally indistinct on thesixth day; on the seventh it has completely faded away. There isusually, after the first few days, great itching on the surface of thebody. The skin, at the end of the week, begins to peel and to dustoff, making it look as though meal had been sprinkled upon it. 

There are three forms of scarlet fever;--the one where the throat islittle, if at all, affected, and this is a mild form of the disease;the second, which is generally, especially at night, attended withdelirium, where the throat is _much_ affected, being often greatlyinflamed and ulcerated; and the third (which is, except in certainunhealthy districts, comparatively rare, and which is VERY dangerous), the malignant form. 

218. _Would it be well to give a little cooling, opening physic assoon as a child begins to sicken for Scarlet Fever_?

_On no account whatever. _ Aperient medicines are, in my opinion, highly improper and dangerous both before and during the period of theeruption. It is my firm conviction, that the administration of openingmedicine, at such times, is one of the principal causes of scarletfever being so frequently fatal. This is, of course, more applicableto the poor, and to those who are unable to procure a skilful medicalman. 

219. _What constitutes the principal danger in Scarlet Fever_?

The affection of the throat, the administration of opening medicineduring the first ten days, and a peculiar disease of the kidneysending in _anasarca_ (dropsy), on which account, the medical manought, when practicable, to be sent for at the onset, that no time maybe lost in applying _proper_ remedies. 

When Scarlet Fever is complicated--as it sometimes is--withdiphtheria, the diphtheric membrane is very apt to travel into thewind-pipe, and thus to cause diphtheric croup, it is almost sure, whensuch is the case, to end in death. When a child dies from such acomplication, the death might truly be said to be owing to thediphtheric croup, and not to the Scarlet Fever, for if the diphthericcroup had not occurred, the child would, in all probability, have beensaved. The deaths from diphtheria are generally from diphtheric croup, if there be no croup, there is, as a rule, frequent recovery. 

220. _How would you distinguish between Scarlet Fever and Measles_?

Measles commences with symptoms of a common cold, scarlet fever doesnot. Measles has a _peculiar hoarse_ cough, scarlet fever has not. Theeruption of measles is in patches of a half moon shape, and isslightly raised above the skin, the eruption of scarlet fever is _not_raised above the skin at all, and is one continued mass. The colour ofthe eruption is much more vivid in scarlet fever than in measles. Thechest is the part principally affected in measles, and the throat inscarlet fever. 

There is an excellent method of determining, for a certainty, whetherthe eruption be that of scarlatina or otherwise. I myself have, inseveral instances, ascertained the truth of it--"For several years MBouchut has remarked in the eruptions of scarlatina a curiousphenomenon, which serves to distinguish this eruption from that ofmeasles, erythema, erysipelas &c. , a phenomenon essentially vital, and which is connected with the excessive contractability of thecapillaries. The phenomenon in question is a _white line_, which canbe produced at pleasure by drawing the back of the nail along the skinwhere the eruption, is situated. On drawing the nail, or the extremityof a hard body (such as a pen-holder), along the eruption, the skin isobserved to grow pale, and to present a white trace, which remains forone or two minutes, or longer, and then disappears. In this way thediagnosis of the disease may be very distinctly written on the skin;the word 'Scarlatina' disappears as the eruption regains its uniformtint. "--_Edinburgh Medical Journal. _

221. _Is it of so much importance, then, to distinguish betweenScarlet fever and Measles_?

It is of great importance, as in measles the patient ought to be kept_moderately_ warm, and the drinks should be given with the chill off;while in scarlet fever the patient ought to be kept cool--indeed, forthe first few days, _cold_--and the beverages, such as spring-water, toast and water, &c. , should be administered quite cold. 

222. _Do you believe in "Hybrid" Scarlet Fever--that is to say, in across between Scarlet Fever and Measles_?

I never in my life saw a case of "hybrid" scarlet fever--nor do Ibelieve in it. Scarlet fever and measles are both blood poisons, eachone being perfectly separate and distinct from the other. "Hybrid"Scarlet fever is, in my opinion, an utter impossibility. In oldentimes, when the symptoms of diseases were not so well and carefullydistinguished as now, scarlet fever and measles were constantlyconfounded one with the other, and was frequently said to be"hybrid"--a cross between measles and scarlet fever--to the patient'sgreat detriment and danger, the two diseases being as distinct andseparate as their treatment-and management ought to be. 

223. _What is the treatment of Scarlet Fever?_ [Footnote: On the 4thof March 1856, I had the honour to read a _Paper on the Treatment ofScarlet Fever_ before the members of Queens College Medico-ChirugicalSociety, Birmingham--which _Paper_ was afterwards published in the_Association Journal_ (March 15 1856) and in Braithwaite's _Retrospectof Medicine_ (January--June, 1856) and in Rankings _Half YearlyAbstract of the Medical Sciences_ (July--December, 1856), besides inother publications. Moreover the _Paper_ was translated into German, and published in _Canstatts Jahresbericht_, iv 456, 1859]

_What to do_--Pray pay attention to my rules, and carry out mydirections to the letter--I can then promise, _that if the scarletfever be neither malignant nor complicated with diphtheria_, the planI am about to advise will, with God's blessing, be usually successful. 

What is the first thing to be done? Send the child to bed, throw openthe windows, be it winter or summer, and have a thorough ventilation, for the bedroom must be kept cool, I may say cold. Do not be afraid offresh air, for fresh air, for the first few days, is essential torecovery. _Fresh air, and plenty of it, in scarlet fever, is the bestdoctor_ a child can have let these words be written legibly on yourmind. [Footnote: In the _Times_ of Sept 4, 1863, is the followingcopied from the _Bridgewater Mercury_--

GROSS SUPERSTITION--In one of the streets of Taunton, there resides aman and his wife who have the care of a child This child was attackedwith scarlatina, and to all appearance death was inevitable. A jury ofmatrons was as it were empanelled, and to prevent the child 'dyinghard' all the doors in the house all the drawers, all the boxes allthe cupboards were thrown wide open, the keys taken out and the bodyof the child placed under a beam, whereby a sure, certain, and easypassage into eternity could be secured. Watchers held their vigilsthroughout the weary night, and in the morning the child, to thesurprise of all, did not die, and is now gradually recovering. 

These old women--this jury of matrons--stumbled on the right remedy, "all the doors in the house. .. . Were thrown vide open, " and thus theythoroughly ventilated the apartment. What was the consequence? Thechild who, just before the opening of the doors, had all theappearances "that death was inevitable, " as soon as fresh air was letin showed symptoms of recovery, "and in the morning the child, to thesurprise of all, did not die, and is now gradually recovering. " Thereis nothing wonderful--there is nothing surprising to my mind--in allthis. Ventilation--thorough ventilation--is the grand remedy forscarlatina! Oh, that there were in scarlet fever cases a good manysuch old women's--such a "jury of matrons'"--remedies! We should notthen be horrified, as we now are, at the fearful records of death, which the Returns of the Registrar General disclose!]

If the weather be either intensely cold, or very damp, there is noobjection to a small fire in the grate provided there be, at the sametime, air--an abundance of fresh air--admitted into the room. 

Take down the curtains of the bed, remove the valances. If it besummer time, let the child be only covered with a sheet. If it bewinter time, in addition to the sheet, he should have one blanket overhim. 

Now for the throat--The best _external_ application is a barm andoatmeal poultice How ought it to be made, and how applied? Put half atea-cupful of barm into a saucepan, put it on the fire to boil; assoon as it boils, take it off the fire, and stir oatmeal into it, until it be of the consistence of a nice soft poultice; then place iton a rag, and apply it to the throat, carefully fasten it on with abandage, two or three turns of the bandage going round the throat, andtwo or three over the crown of the head, so as nicely to apply thepoultice where it is wanted--that is to say, to cover the tonsils. Tack the bandage: do not pin it. Let the poultice be changed threetimes a day. The best medicine is the Acidulated Infusion of Roses, sweetened with syrup:--

 Take of--Dilated Sulphuric Acid, half a drachm; Simple Syrup, one ounce and a half; Acid Infusion of Roses, four ounces and a half:

To make a Mixture. A table-spoonful to be taken every four hours. 

It is grateful and refreshing, it is pleasant to take, it abates feverand thirst, it cleanses the throat and tongue of mucus, and ispeculiarly efficacious in scarlet fever; as soon as the fever isabated it gives an appetite. My belief is that the sulphuric acid inthe mixture is a specific in scarlet fever, as much as quinine is inague, and sulphur in itch. I have reason to say so, for, in numerouscases I have seen its immense value. 

Now, with regard to food. --If the child be at the breast, keep himentirely to it. If he be weaned, and under two years old, give himmilk and water, and cold water to drink. If he be older, give himtoast and water, and plain water from the pump, as much as he chooses;let it be quite cold--the colder the better. Weak black tea, or thingruel, may be given, but not caring, unless he be an infant at thebreast, if he take nothing but _cold_ water. If the child be two yearsold and upwards, roasted apples with sugar, and grapes, will be veryrefreshing, and will tend to cleanse both the mouth and the throatAvoid broths and stimulants. 

When the appetite returns, you may consider the patient to besafe. The diet ought now to be gradually improved. Bread and butter, milk and water, and arrowroot made with equal parts of new milk andwater, should for the first two or three days be given. Then a lightbatter or rice pudding may be added, and in a few days, either alittle chicken or a mutton chop. 

The essential remedies, then, in scarlet fever, are, for the first fewdays--(1) plenty of fresh air and ventilation, (2) plenty of coldwater to drink, (3) barm poultices to the throat, and (4) theAcidulated Infusion of Roses Mixture as a medicine. 

Now, then, comes very important advice. After the first few days, probably five or six, sometimes as early as the fourth day--_watchcarefully and warily, and note the time, the skin will suddenly becomecool_, the child will say that he feels chilly; then is the time youmust now change your tactics--_instantly close the windows and putextra clothing_, a blanket or two, on his bed. A flannel nightgownshould, until the dead skin have peeled off, be now worn next to theskin, when the flannel nightgown should be discontinued. The patientought ever after to wear, in the day time, a flannel waistcoat. [Footnote: On the importance--the vital importance--of the wearing offlannel next to the skin, see "Flannel Waistcoats. "] His drinks mustnow be given with the chill off; he ought to have a warm cup of tea, and gradually his diet should, as I have previously advised, beimproved. 

There is one important caution I wish to impress upon you, --_do notgive opening medicine during the time the eruption is out_. In allprobability the bowels will be opened: if so, all well and good; butdo not, on any account, for the first ten days, use artificial meansto open them. It is my firm conviction that the administration ofpurgatives in scarlet fever is a fruitful source of dropsy, ofdisease, and death. When we take into consideration the sympathy thereis between the skin and the mucous membrane, I think that we shouldpause before giving irritating medicines, such as purgatives. Theirritation of aperients on the mucous membrane may cause the poison ofthe skin disease (for scarlet fever is a blood-poison) to be driveninternally to the kidneys, to the throat, to the pericardium (bag ofthe heart), or to the brain. You may say, Do you not purge if thebowels be not open for a week? I say emphatically, No!

I consider my great success in the treatment of scarlet fever to bepartly owing to my avoidance of aperients during the first ten days ofthe child's illness. 

If the bowels, after the ten days, be not properly opened, a dose ortwo of syrup of senna should be given: that is to say, one or twotea-spoonfuls should be administered early in the morning, and should, if the first dose does not operate, be repeated in four hours. 

In a subsequent Conversation, I shall strongly urge you not to allowyour child, when convalescent, to leave the house under at least amonth from the commencement of the illness; I, therefore, beg to referyou to that Conversation, and hope that you will give it your best andearnest consideration! During the last twenty years I have never haddropsy from scarlet fever, and I attribute it entirely to the plan Ihave just recommended, and in not allowing my patients to leave thehouse under the month--until, in fact, the skin that had peeled offhas been renewed. 

Let me now sum up the plan I adopt, and which I beg leave to designateas--Pye Chavasse's Fresh Air Treatment of Scarlet Fever:--

1. Thorough ventilation, a cool room, and scant clothes on the bed, for the first five or six days. 

2. A change of temperature of the skin to be carefully regarded. Assoon as the skin is cool, closing the windows, and putting additionalclothing on the bed. 

3. The Acidulated Infusion of Hoses with Syrup is _the_ medicine forscarlet fever. 

4. Purgatives to be religiously avoided for the first ten days atleast, and even afterwards, unless there be absolute necessity. 

5. Leeches, blisters, emetics, cold and tepid spongings, and paintingthe tonsils with caustic, inadmissible in scarlet fever. 

6. A strict antiphlogistic (low) diet for the first few days, duringwhich time cold water to be given _ad libitum_. 

7. The patient not to leave the house in the summer under the month;in the winter, under six weeks. 

_What NOT to do. _--Do not, then, apply either leeches or blisters tothe throat; do not paint the tonsils with caustic; do not giveaperients; do not, on any account, give either calomel or emetictartar; do not, for the first few days of the illness, be afraid of_cold air_ to the skin, and of cold water as a beverage; do not, emphatically let me say, _do not_ let the child leave the house for atleast a month from the commencement of the illness. 

My firm conviction is, that purgatives, emetics, and blisters, bydepressing the patient, sometimes cause ordinary scarlet fever todegenerate into malignant scarlet fever. 

I am aware that some of our first authorities advocate a differentplan to mine. They recommend purgatives, which I may say, in scarletfever, are my dread and abhorrence. They advise cold and tepidspongings--a plan which I think dangerous, as it will probably drivethe disease internally. Blisters, too, have been prescribed; these Iconsider weakening, injurious, and barbarous, and likely still more toinflame the already inflamed skin. They recommend leeches to thethroat, which I am convinced, by depressing the patient, will lessenthe chance of his battling against the disease, and will increase theulceration of the tonsils. Again, the patient has not too much blood;the blood is only poisoned. I look upon scarlet fever as a specificpoison of the blood, and one which will be eliminated from the system, _not_ by bleeding, _not_ by purgatives, _not_ by emetics but by aconstant supply of fresh and cool air, by the acid treatment, by coldwater as a beverage, and for the first few days by a strictantiphlogistic (low) diet. Sydenham says that scarlet fever isoftentimes "fatal through the officiousness of the doctor. " Iconscientiously believe that a truer remark was never made; and that, under a different system to the usual one adopted, scarlet fever wouldnot be so much dreaded. [Footnote: If any of my medical brethrenshould do me the honour to read these pages, let me entreat them totry my plan of treating scarlet fever, as my success has been great. Ihave given full and minute particulars, in order that they and mothers(if mothers cannot obtain medical advice) may give my plan a fair andimpartial trial. My only stipulations are that they must _begin_ withmy treatment, and _not mix_ any other with it, and carry out my planto the very letter. I then, with God's blessing, provided the cases beneither malignant nor complicated with diphtheria, shall not fear theresult. If any of my _confreres_ have tried my plan of treatment ofscarlet fever--and I have reason to know that many have--I should feelgrateful to them if they would favour me with their opinion as to itsefficacy. Address--"Pye Chavasse, 214 Hagley Road, Birmingham. "]

Dr Budd, of Bristol, recommends, in the _British Medical Journal_, that the body, including the scalp, of a scarlet fever patient, should, after about the fourth day, be anointed, every night andmorning, with camphorated oil; this anointing to be continued untilthe patient is able to take a warm bath and use disinfectant soap:this application will not only be very agreeable to the patient'sfeelings, as there is usually great irritation and itching of theskin, but it will, likewise, be an important means of preventing thedead skin, which is highly infectious, and which comes off partly inflakes and partly floats about the air as dust, from infecting otherpersons. The plan is an excellent one, and cannot be too stronglyrecommended. 

If the case be a combination of scarlet fever and of diphtheria, as itunfortunately now frequently is, let it be treated as a case ofdiphtheria. 

224. _I have heard of a case of Scarlet Fever, where the child, beforethe eruption showed itself, was suddenly struck prostrate, cold, andalmost pulseless: what, in such a case, are the symptoms, and whatimmediate treatment do you advise_?

There is an _exceptional_ case of scarlet fever, which now and thenoccurs, and which requires _exceptional_ and prompt treatment, ordeath will quickly ensue. We will suppose a case: one of the number, where nearly all the other children of a family are labouring underscarlet fever, is quite well, when suddenly--in a few hours, or even, in some cases, in an hour--utter prostration sets in, he is very cold, and is almost pulseless, and is nearly insensible--comatose. 

Having sent instantly for a judicious medical man, apply, until hearrives, hot bottles, hot bricks, hot bags of salt to the patient'sfeet and legs and back, wrap him in hot blankets, close the window, and give him hot brandy and water--a tablespoonful of brandy to half atumblerful of hot water--give it him by teaspoonfuls, continuously--tokeep him alive; when he is warm and restored to consciousness, theeruption will probably show itself, and he will become hot andfeverish; then your tactics must, at once, be changed, and my FreshAir Treatment, and the rest of the plan I have before advised must inall its integrity, be carried out. 

We sometimes hear of a child, before the eruption comes out and withintwenty-four hours of the attack, dying of scarlet fever. When such bethe case it is probably owing to low vitality of the system--to utterprostration--he is struck down, as though for death, and if the planbe not adopted of, for a few hours, keeping him alive by heat, and bystimulants, until, indeed, the eruption comes out, he will never rallyagain, but will die from scarlet fever poisoning and from utterexhaustion. These cases are comparatively rare, but they do, fromtime to time, occur, and, when they do, they demand exceptional andprompt and energetic means to save them from ending in almostimmediate and certain death. "To be forewarned is to be forearmed. "[Footnote: I have been reminded of this _exceptional_ case of scarletfever by a most intelligent and valued patient of mine, who had achild afflicted as above described, and whose child was saved fromalmost certain death, by a somewhat similar plan of treatment asadvised in the text. ]

225. _How soon ought a child to be allowed to leave the house after anattack of Scarlet Fever_?

He must not be allowed to go out for at least a month from thecommencement of the attack, in the summer, and six weeks in thewinter; and not even then without the express permission of a medicalman. It might be said that this is an unreasonable recommendation: butwhen it is considered that the whole of the skin generallydesquamates, or peels off, and consequently leaves the surface of thebody exposed to cold, which cold flies to the kidneys, producing apeculiar and serious disease in them, ending in dropsy, this warningwill not be deemed unreasonable. 

Scarlet fever dropsy, which is really a _formidable disease, generallyarises from, the carelessness, the ignorance, and the thoughtlessnessof parents in allowing a child to leave the house before the new skinbe properly formed and hardened. _ Prevention is always better thancure. 

Thus far with regard to the danger to the child himself. Now, if youplease, let me show you the risk of contagion that you inflict uponfamilies, in allowing your child to mix with others before a month atleast has elapsed. Bear in mind, a case is quite as contagious, if notmore so, while the skin is peeling off, as it was before. Thus, in tendays or a fortnight, there is as much risk of contagion as at the_beginning_ of the disease, and when the fever is at its height. Atthe conclusion of the month, the old skin has generally all peeledoff, and the new skin has taken its place; consequently there willthen be less fear of contagion to others. But the contagion of scarletfever is so subtle and so uncertain in its duration, that it isimpossible to fix the exact time when it ceases. 

Let me most earnestly implore you to ponder well on the aboveimportant facts. If these remarks should be the means of saving onlyone child from death, or from broken health, my labour will not havebeen in vain. 

226. _What means do you advise to purify a house, clothes, andfurniture, from the contagion of Scarlet Fever_?

Let every room in the house, together with its contents, and clothingand dresses that cannot be washed, be well fumigated withsulphur--taking care the while to close both windows and door; letevery room be _lime-washed_ and then be white-washed; if the contagionhave been virulent, let every bedroom be freshly papered (the wallshaving been previously stripped of the old paper and thenlime-washed); let the bed, the holsters, the pillows, and themattresses be cleansed and purified; let the blankets and coverlids bethoroughly washed, and then let them be exposed to the open air--iftaken into a field so much the better; let the rooms be well scoured;let the windows, top and bottom, be thrown wide open; let the drainsbe carefully examined; let the pump water be scrutinised, to see thatit be not contaminated by faecal matter, either from the water-closet, from the privy, from the pig-stye, or from the stable; let privies beemptied of their contents--_remember this is most importantadvice_--then put, into the empty places, either lime and powderedcharcoal or carbolic acid, for it is a well ascertained fact that itis frequently impossible to rid a house of the infection of scarletfever without adopting such a course. "In St George's, Southwark, themedical officer reports that scarlatina 'has raged fatally, almostexclusively where privy or drain, smells are to be perceived in thehouses. '" [Footnote: _Quarterly Report of the Board of Health_ uponSickness in the Metropolis. ] Let the children, who have not had, orwho do not appear to be sickening for scarlet fever, be sent away fromhome--if to a farm house so much the better. Indeed, leave no stoneunturned, no means untried, to exterminate the disease from the houseand from the neighbourhood. Remember the young are more prone to catchcontagious diseases than adults; for

 "in the morn and liquid dew of youth Contagious blastments are most imminent. "--_Shakspeare_. 

227. _Have you any further observations to offer on the precautions tobe taken against the spread of Scarlet Fever_?

Great care should be taken to separate the healthy from theinfected. The nurses selected for attending scarlet fever patientsshould be those who have previously had scarlet fever themselves. Dirty linen should be removed at once, and be put into boilingwater. Very little furniture should be in the room of a scarlet feverpatient--the less the better--it only obstructs the circulation of theair, and harbours the scarlet fever poison. The most scrupulousattention to cleanliness should, in these cases, be observed. Apatient who has recovered from scarlet fever, and before he mixes withhealthy people, should, for three or four consecutive mornings, have awarm bath, and well wash himself, while in the bath, with soap; hewill, by adopting this plan, get rid of the dead skin, and thus removethe infected particles of the disease. If scarlet fever should appearin a school, the school must for a time be broken up, in order thatthe disease might be stamped out There must be no half measures wheresuch a fearful disease is in question. A house containing scarletfever patients should, by parents, be avoided as the plague; it is afolly at any time to put one's head into the lion's mouth! Chloralumand carbolic acid, and chloride of lime, and Condy's fluid, are eachand all good disinfectants; but not one is to be compared to perfectcleanliness and to an abundance of fresh and pure air--the last ofwhich may truly _par excellence_ be called God's disinfectant! Eithera table-spoonful of chloralum, or two tea-spoonfuls of carbolic acid, or two tea-spoonfuls of Condy's fluid, or a tea-spoonful of chlorideof lime in a pint of water, are useful to sprinkle the soiledhandkerchiefs as soon as they be done with, and before the be washed, to put in the _pot-de-chambre_, and to keep in saucers about the room;but, remember, as I have said before, and cannot repeat too often, there is no preventative like the air of heaven, which should beallowed to permeate and circulate freely through the apartment andthrough the house: air, air, air is the best disinfectant, curative, and preventative of scarlet fever in the world!

I could only wish that my _Treatment of Scarlet Fever_ were, in allits integrity, more generally adopted; if it were, I am quite surethat thousands of children would annually be saved from broken healthand from death. Time still further convinces me that my treatment isbased on truth as I have every year additional proofs of its value andof its success; but error and prejudice are unfortunately ever atwork, striving all they can to defeat truth and common sense. One ofmy principal remedies in the treatment of scarlet fever is anabundance of fresh air; but many people prefer their own miserablecomplicated inventions to God's grand and yet simple remedies--theypretend that they know better than the Mighty Framer of the universe!

228. _Will you describe the symptoms of Chicken pox_?

It is occasionally, but not always, ushered in with a slight shiveringfit; the eruption shows itself in about twenty-four hours from thechild first appearing poorly. It is a vesicular [Footnote:_Vesicles_. Small elevations of the cuticle, covering a fluid whichis generally clear and colourless at first, but afterwards whitish andopaque, or pearly. --_Watson_. ] disease. The eruption comes out in theform of small pimples, and principally attacks the scalp, the neck, the back, the chest, and the shoulders, but rarely the face; while insmall-pox the face is generally the part most affected. The next daythese pimples fill with water, and thus become vesicles; on the thirdday they are at maturity. The vesicles are quite separate and distinctfrom each other. There is a slight redness around each of them. Freshones, whilst the others are dying away, make their appearance. Chicken-pox is usually attended with a slight itching of the skin;when the vesicles are scratched the fluid escapes, and leaves hardpearl-like substances, which, in a few days, disappear. Chicken-poxnever leaves pit marks behind. It is a child's complaint; adultsscarcely, if ever, have it. 

229. _Is there any danger in Chicken-pox; and what treatment do youadvise_?

It is not at all a dangerous, but, on the contrary, a trivialcomplaint. It lasts only a few days, and requires but littlemedicine. The patient ought, for three or four days, to keep thehouse, and should abstain from animal food. On the sixth day, but notuntil then, a dose or two of a mild aperient is all that will berequired. 

230. _Is Chicken-pox infectious_?

There is a diversity of opinion on this head, but one thing iscertain--it cannot be communicated by inoculation. 

231. _What are the symptoms of Modified Small-pox_?

The Modified Small-pox--that is to say, small-pox that has been robbedof its virulence by the patient having been either already vaccinated, or by his having had a previous attack of small-pox--is ushered inwith severe symptoms, with symptoms almost as severe as though thepatient had not been already somewhat protected either by vaccinationor by the previous attack of small-pox--that is to say, he has ashivering fit, great depression of spirits and debility, _malaise_, sickness, headache, and occasionally delirium. After the abovesymptoms have lasted about three days, the eruption shows itself. Theimmense value of the previous vaccination, or the previous attack ofsmall-pox, now comes into play. In a case of _unprotected_ small-pox, the appearance of the eruption _aggravates_ all the above symptoms, and the danger begins; while in the _modified_ small-pox, the momentthe eruption shows itself the patient feels better, and, as a rule, rapidly recovers. The eruption, of _modified_ small-pox variesmaterially from the eruption of the _unprotected_ small-pox. Theformer eruption assumes a varied character, and is composed, first, ofvesicles (containing water); and, secondly, of pustules (containingmatter), each of which pustules has a depression in the centre; and, thirdly, of several red pimples without either water or matter inthem, and which sometimes assume a livid appearance. These"breakings-out" generally show themselves more upon the wrist, andsometimes up one or both of the nostrils. While in the latterdisease--the _unprotected_ small-pox--the "breaking-out" is composedentirely of pustules containing matter, and which pustules are more onthe face than on any other part of the body. There is generally apeculiar smell in both diseases--an odour once smelt never to beforgotten. 

Now, there is one most important remark I have to make, --the _modifiedsmall-pox is contagious_. This ought to be borne in mind, as a personlabouring under the disease must, if there be children in the house, either be sent away himself, or else the children ought to be banishedboth the house and the neighbourhood. Another important piece ofadvice is, --let _all_ in the house--children and adults, one andall--be vaccinated, even if any or all have been previouslyvaccinated. 

_Treatment_. --Let the patient keep his room, and if he be very ill, his bed. Let the chamber be well ventilated. If it be winter time, asmall fire in the grate will encourage ventilation. If it be summer, afire is out of the question; indeed, in such a case, the window-sashought to be opened, as thorough ventilation is an important requisiteof cure, both in small-pox and in _modified_ small-pox. While theeruption is out, do not on any account give aperient medicine. In tendays from the commencement of the illness a mild aperient may begiven. The best medicine in these cases is, the sweetened AcidulatedInfusion of Roses, [Footnote: See page 178] which ought to be givenfrom the commencement of the disease, and should be continued untilthe fever be abated. For the first few days, as long as the feverlasts, the patient ought not to be allowed either meat or broth, butshould be kept on a low diet, such as on gruel, arrow-root, milk-puddings, &c. As soon as the fever is abated he ought graduallyto resume his usual diet. When he is convalescent, it is well, wherepracticable, that he should have change of air for a month. 

232. _How would you distinguish between Modified Small-pox andChicken-pox_?

Modified small-pox may readily be distinguished from chicken-pox, bythe former disease being, notwithstanding its modification, much moresevere and the fever much more intense before the eruption showsitself than chicken-pox; indeed, in chicken-pox there is little or nofever either before or after the eruption; by the former disease--themodified small-pox--consisting _partly_ of pustules (containingmatter), each pustule having a depression in the centre, and thefavourite localities of the pustules being the wrists and the insideof the nostrils; while, in the chicken-pox, the eruption consists ofvesicles (containing water), and _not_ pustules (containing matter), and the vesicles having neither a depression in the centre, nor havingany particular partiality to attack either the wrists or the inside ofthe nose. In modified small-pox each pustule is, as in unprotectedsmall-pox, inflamed at the base; while in chicken-pox there is onlyvery slight redness around each vesicle. The vesicles in chicken-poxare small--much smaller than the pustules in modified small-pox. 

233. _Is Hooping-cough an inflammatory disease_?

Hooping-cough in itself is not inflammatory, it is purely spasmodic;but it is generally accompanied with more or less of bronchitis--inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes--on whichaccount it is necessary, _in all cases_ of hooping-cough, to consult amedical man, that he may watch the progress of the disease and nipinflammation in the bud. 

234. _Will you have the goodness to give the symptoms, and a briefhistory of, Hooping-cough_?

Hooping-cough is emphatically a disease of the young; it is rare foradults to have it; if they do, they usually suffer more severely thanchildren. A child seldom has it but once in his life. It is highlycontagious, and therefore frequently runs through a whole family ofchildren, giving much annoyance, anxiety, and trouble to the motherand the nurses; hence hooping-cough is much dreaded by them. It isamenable to treatment. Spring and summer are the best seasons of theyear for the disease to occur. This complaint usually lasts from sixto twelve weeks--sometimes for a much longer period, more especiallyif proper means are not employed to relieve it. 

Hooping-cough commences as a common cold and cough. The cough, for tendays or a fortnight, increases in intensity; at about which time itputs on the characteristic "hoop. " The attack of cough comes on inparoxysms. In a paroxysm, the child coughs so long and so violently, and _expires_ so much air from the lungs without _inspiring_ any, thatat times he appears nearly suffocated and exhausted; the veins of hisneck swell; his face is nearly purple; his eyes, with the tremendousexertion, almost seem to start from their sockets; at length there isa sudden _inspiration_ of air through the contracted chink of theupper part of the wind-pipe--the glottis--causing the peculiar "hoop;"and after a little more coughing, he brings up some glairy mucus fromthe chest; and sometimes, by vomiting, food from the stomach; he is atonce relieved, until the next paroxysm occur, when the same process isrepeated, the child during the intervals, in a favourable case, appearing quite well, and after the cough is over, instantly returningeither to his play or to his food. Generally, after a paroxysm he ishungry, unless, indeed, there be severe inflammation either of thechest or of the lungs. Sickness, as I before remarked, frequentlyaccompanies hooping-cough; when it does, it might be looked upon as agood sign. The child usually knows when an attack is coming on; hedreads it, and therefore tries to prevent it; he sometimes partiallysucceeds; but, if he does, it only makes the attack, when it doescome, more severe. All causes of irritation and excitement ought, asmuch as possible, to be avoided, as passion is apt to bring on asevere paroxysm. 

A new-born babe--an infant of one or two months old--commonly escapesthe infection; but if, at that tender age, he unfortunately catchhooping-cough, it is likely to fare harder with him than if he wereolder--the younger the child, the greater the risk. But still, in sucha case, do not despair, as I have known numerous instances of new-borninfants, with judicious care, recover perfectly from the attack, andthrive after it as though nothing of the kind had ever happened. 

A new-born babe, labouring under hooping-cough, is liable toconvulsions, which is in this disease one, indeed the great, source ofdanger. A child, too, who is teething, and labouring under thedisease, is also liable to convulsions. When the patient isconvalescing, care ought to be taken that he does not catch cold, orthe "hoop" might return. Hooping-cough may either precede, attend, orfollow an attack of measle. 

235. _What is the treatment of Hooping-cough_?

We will divide the hooping-cough into three stages, and treat eachstage separately, _What to do. --In the first stage_, the commencement of hooping-cough:For the first ten days give the Ipecacuanha Wine Mixture, [Footnote:For the prescription of the Ipecacuanha Wine Mixture, see page 161. ] atea-spoonful three times a day. If the child be not weaned, keep himentirely to the breast, if he be weaned, to a milk and farinaceousdiet. Confine him for the first ten days to the house, more especiallyif the hooping-cough be attended, as it usually is, with more or lessbronchitis. But take care that the rooms be well ventilated; for goodair is essential to the cure. 

If the bronchitis attending the hooping-cough be severe, confine himto his bed, and treat him as though it were simply a case ofbronchitis. [Footnote: For the treatment of bronchitis, see answer to207th question. ]

_In the second stage_, discontinue the Ipecacuanha Mixture, and giveDr Gibb's remedy--namely, Nitric Acid--which I have found to be anefficacious and valuable one in hooping-cough:--

 Take of--Diluted Nitric Acid, two drachms; Compound Tincture of Cardamons, half a drachm; Simple Syrup, three ounces; Water, two ounces and a half:

Make a Mixture. One or two tea-spoonfuls, or a table-spoonful, according to the age of the child--one tea-spoonful for an infant ofsix months, and two tea-spoonfuls for a child of twelve months, andone table-spoonful for a child of two years, every four hours, firstshaking the bottle. 

Let the spine and the chest be well rubbed every night and morningeither with Roche's Embrocation, or with the following stimulatingliniment (first shaking the bottle):--

 Take of--Oil of Cloves, one drachm; Oil of Amber, two drachms; Camphorated Oil, nine drachms:

Make a Liniment. 

Let him wear a broad band of new flannel, which should extend roundfrom his chest to his back, and which ought to be changed every nightand morning, in order that it may be dried before putting on again. Tokeep it in its place it should be fastened by means of tapes and withshoulder-straps. 

The diet ought now to be improved--he should gradually return to hisusual food; and, weather permitting, should almost live in the openair--fresh air being, in such a case, one of the finest medicines. 

_In the third stage_, that is to say, when the complaint has lasted amonth, if by that time the child is not well, there is nothing likechange of air to a high, dry, healthy, country place. Continue theNitric Acid Mixture, and either the Embrocation or the Liniment to theback and the chest, and let him continue to almost live in the openair, and be sure that he does not discontinue wearing the flanneluntil he be quite cured, and then let it be left off by degrees. 

If the hooping-cough have caused debility, give him Cod-liver Oil--atea-spoonful twice or three times a day, giving it him on a fullstomach, after his meals. But, remember, after the first three or fourweeks, change of air, and plenty of it, is for hooping-cough the grandremedy. 

_What NOT to do_. --"Do not apply leeches to the chest, for I wouldrather put blood into a child labouring under hooping-cough than takeit out of him--hooping-cough is quite weakening enough to the systemof itself without robbing him of his life's blood; do not, on anyaccount whatever, administer either emetic tartar or antimonial wine;do not give either paregoric or syrup of white poppies; do not drughim either with calomel or with grey-powder; do not dose him withquack medicine; do not give him stimulants, but rather give him plentyof nourishment, such as milk and farinaceous food, but _no_stimulants; do not be afraid, after the first week or two, of hishaving fresh air, and plenty of it--for fresh, pure air is the grandremedy, after all that can be said and done, in hooping-cough. Although occasionally we find that, if the child to labouring underhooping-cough, and is breathing a pure country air, and is not gettingwell so rapidly as we could wish, change of air to a smoky gas-ladentown will sometimes quickly effect a cure; indeed, some persons go sofar as to say that the _best_ remedy for an _obstinate_ case ofhooping-cough is, for the child to live, the great part of every day, in gas-works!"

236. _What is to be done during a paroxysm of Hooping-cough_?

If the child be old enough, let him stand up; but if he be either tooyoung or too feeble, raise his head, and bend his body a littleforward; then support his back with one hand, and the forehead withthe other. Let the mucus, the moment it be within reach, be wiped witha soft handkerchief out of his mouth. 

237. _In an obstinate case of Hooping-cough, what is the best remedy_?

Change of air, provided there be no active inflammation, to anyhealthy spot. A farm-house, in a high, dry, and salubriousneighbourhood, is as good a place as can be chosen. If, in a shorttime, he be not quite well, take him to the sea-side: the sea breezeswill often, as if by magic, drive away the disease. 

238. _Suppose my child should have a shivering fit, is it to be lookedupon as an important symptom_?

Certainly. Nearly all _serious_ illnesses commence with a shiveringfit: severe colds, influenza, inflammations of different organs, scarlet fever, measles, small-pox, and very many other diseases, beginin this way. If, therefore, your child should ever have a shiveringfit, _instantly_ send for a medical man, as delay might bedangerous. A few hours of judicious treatment, at the commencement ofan illness, is frequently of more avail than days and weeks, naymonths, of treatment, when disease has gained a firm footing. A_serious_ disease often steals on insidiously, and we have perhapsonly the shivering fit, which might be but a _slight_ one, to tell usof its approach. 

A _trifling_ ailment, too, by neglecting the premonitory symptom, which, at first might only be indicated by a _slight_ shivering fit, will sometimes become a mortal disorder:--

 "The little rift within the lute, That by-and-by will make the music mute, And ever widening slowly silence all. " [Footnote: The above extract from Tennyson is, in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful pieces of poetry in the English language. It is a perfect gem, and a volume in itself, so truthful, so exquisite, so full of the most valuable reflections; for instance--(1. ) "The little rift within the lute, "--the little tubercle within the lung "that by-and-by will make the music mute, and ever widening slowly silence all, " and the patient eventually dies of consumption. (2. ) The little rent--the little rift of a very minute vessel in the brain, produces an attack of apoplexy, and the patient dies. (3. ) Each and all of us, in one form or another, sooner or later, will have "the little rift within the lute. " But why give more illustrations?--a little reflection will bring numerous examples to my fair reader's memory. ]

239. _In case of a shivering fit, perhaps you will tell me what todo_?

_Instantly_ have the bed warmed, and put the child to bed. Applyeither a hot bottle or a hot brick, wrapped in flannel, to the solesof his feet. Put an extra blanket on his bed, and give him a cup ofhot tea. As soon as the shivering fit is over, and he has become hot, gradually lessen the _extra_ quantity of clothes on his bed, and takeaway the hot bottle or the hot brick from his feet. 

_What NOT to do_. --Do not give either brandy or wine, as inflammationof some organ might be about taking place. Do not administer openingmedicine, as there might be some "breaking out" cooling out on theskin, and an aperient might check it. 

240. _My child, apparently otherwise healthy, screams out in the nightviolently in his sleep, and nothing for a time will pacify him: whatis likely to be the cause, and what is the treatment_?

The causes of these violent screamings in the night are various. Atone time, they proceed from teething; at another, from worms;sometimes, from night-mare; occasionally, from either disorderedstomach or bowels. Each of the above causes will, of course, requirea different plan of procedure; it will, therefore, be necessary toconsult a medical man on the subject, who will soon, with appropriatetreatment, be able to relieve him. 

241. _Have the goodness to describe the complaint of children calledMumps_. 

The mumps, inflammation of the "parotid" gland, is commonly ushered inwith a slight feverish attack. After a short time, a swelling, ofstony hardness, is noticed before and under the ear, which swellingextends along the neck towards the chin. This lump is exceedinglypainful, and continues painful and swollen for four or five days. Atthe end of which time it gradually disappears, leaving not a tracebehind. The swelling of mumps never gathers. It may affect one or bothsides of the face. It seldom occurs but once in a lifetime. It iscontagious, and has been known to run through a whole family orschool; but it is not dangerous, unless, which is rarely the case, itleaves the "parotid" gland, and migrates either to the head, to thebreast, or to the testicle. 

242. _What is the treatment of Mumps_?

Foment the swelling, four or five times a day, with a flannel wrungout of hot camomile and poppy-head decoction; [Footnote: Fourpoppy-heads and four ounces of camomile blows to be boiled in fourpints of water for half an hour, and then strained to make thedecoction. ] and apply, every night, a barm and oatmeal poultice to theswollen gland or glands. Debar, for a few days, the little patientfrom taking meat and broth, and let him live on bread and milk, lightpuddings, and arrow-root. Keep him in a well-ventilated room, and shuthim out from the company of his brothers, his sisters, and youngcompanions. Give him a little mild, aperient medicine. Of course, ifthere be the slightest symptom of migration to any other part orparts, instantly call in a medical man. 

243. _What is the treatment of a Boil_?

One of the best applications is a Burgundy-pitch plaster spread on asoft piece of wash leather. Let a chemist spread a plaster, about thesize of the hand; and, from this piece, cut small plasters, the sizeof a shilling or a florin (according to the dimensions of the boil), which snip around and apply to the part. Put a fresh one ondaily. This plaster will soon cause the boil to break; when it doesbreak, squeeze out the contents--the core and the matter--and thenapply one of the plasters as before, which, until the boil be well, renew every day. 

The old-fashioned remedy for a boil--namely, common yellow soap andbrown-sugar, is a capital one for the purpose. It is made with equalparts of brown sugar and of shredded yellow soap, and mixed by meansof a table-knife on a plate, with a few drops of water, until it beall well blended together, and of the consistence of thick paste; itshould then be spread either on a piece of wash-leather, or on thicklinen, and applied to the boil, and kept in its place by means eitherof a bandage or of a folded handkerchief; and should he removed onceor twice a day. This is an excellent application for a boil--soothing, comforting, and drawing--and will soon effect a cure. A paste of honeyand flour, spread on linen rag, is another popular and goodapplication for a boil. 

_If the boils should arise from the child being in a delicate state ofhealth_, give him cod-liver oil, meat once a day, and an abundance ofmilk and farinaceous food. Let him have plenty of fresh air, exercise, and play. 

_If the boil should arise from gross and improper feeding_, then keephim for a time from meat, and let him live principally on a milk andfarinaceous diet. 

_If the child be fat and gross_, cod-liver oil would he improper; amild aperient, such as rhubarb and magnesia, would then be the bestmedicine. 

244. _What are the symptoms of Ear-ache_?

A young child screaming shrilly, violently, and continuously, isoftentimes owing to ear-ache; carefully, therefore, examine each ear, and ascertain if there be any discharge; if there be, the mystery isexplained. 

Screaming from ear-ache may be distinguished from the screaming frombowel-ache by the former (ear-ache) being more continuous--indeed, being one continued scream, and from the child putting his hand to hishead; while, in the latter (bowel-ache), the pain is more of a comingand of a going character, and he draws up his legs to hisbowels. Again, in the former (ear-ache), the secretions from thebowels are natural; while, in the latter (bowel-ache), the secretionsfrom the bowels are usually depraved, and probably offensive. But acareful examination of the ear will generally at once decide thenature of the case. 

213. _What is the best remedy for Ear-ache_?

Apply to the ear a small flannel bag, filled with hot salt--as hot ascan be comfortably borne, or foment the ear with a flannel wrung outof hot camomile and poppy head decoction. A roasted onion, inclosed inmuslin applied to the ear, is an old-fashioned and favourite remedy, and may, if the bag of hot salt, or if the hot fomentation do notrelieve, be tried. Put into the ear, but not very far, a small pieceof cotton wool, moistened with warm olive oil. Taking care that thewool is always removed before a fresh piece be substituted, as if itbe allowed to remain in any length of time, it may produce a dischargefrom the ear. Avoid all _cold_ applications. If the ear-ache besevere, keep the little fellow at home, in a room of equaltemperature, but well-ventilated, and give him, for a day or two, nomeat. 

If a discharge from the ear should either accompany or follow theear-ache, _more especially if the discharge be offensive_, instantlycall in a medical man, or deafness for life may be the result. 

A knitted or crotcheted hat, with woollen rosettes over the ears, is, in the winter time, an excellent hat for a child subject toear-ache. The hat may be procured at any baby-linen warehouse. 

246. _What are the causes and the treatment of discharges from theEar_?

Cold, measles, scarlet fever, healing up of "breakings out" behind theear; pellets of cotton wool, which had been put in the ear, and hadbeen forgotten to be removed, are the usual causes of discharges fromthe ear. It generally commences with ear-ache. 

The _treatment_ consists in keeping the parts clean, by syringing theear every morning with warm water, by attention to food--keeping thechild principally upon a milk and a farmaceous diet, and by change ofair--more especially to the coast. If change of air be notpracticable, great attention should be paid to ventilation. As I havebefore advised, in all cases of discharge from the ear call in amedical man, as a little judicious medicine is advisable--indeed, essential; and it may be necessary to syringe the ear with lotions, instead of with warm water; and, of course, it is only a doctor whohas actually seen the patient who can decide these matters, and whatis best to be done in each case. 

247. _What is the treatment of a "stye" on the eye-lid_?

Bathe the eye frequently with warm milk and water, and apply, everynight at bedtime, a warm white-bread poultice. 

No medicine is required; but, if the child be gross, keep him for afew days from meat, and let him live on bread and milk and farinaceouspuddings. 

248. _If a child have large bowels, what would you recommend as likelyto reduce their size_?

It ought to be borne in mind, that the bowels of a child are larger inproportion than those of an adult. But, if they be actually largerthan they ought to be, let them be well rubbed for a quarter of anhour at a time night and morning, with soap liniment, and then apply abroad flannel belt. "A broad flannel belt worn night and day, firm butnot tight, is very serviceable. " [Footnote: Sir Charles Locock, in a_Letter_ to the Author. ] The child ought to be prevented from drinkingas much as he has been in the habit of doing; let him be encouraged toexercise himself well in the open air; and let strict regard be paidto his diet. 

249. _What are the best aperients for a child_?

If it be _actually_ necessary to give him opening medicine, one or twotea-spoonfuls of Syrup of Senna, repeated, if necessary, in fourhours, will generally answer the purpose; or, for a change, one or twotea-spoonfuls of Castor Oil may be substituted. Lenitive Electuary(Compound Confection of Senna) is another excellent aperient for theyoung, it being mild in its operation, and pleasant to take; a childfancying it is nothing more than jam, and which it much resembles bothin appearance and in taste. The dose is half or one tea-spoonfulearly in the morning occasionally. Senna is an admirable aperient fora child, and is a safe one, which is more than can be said of manyothers. It is worthy of note that "the taste of Senna may be concealedby sweeting the infusion, [Footnote: Infusion of Senna may be procuredof any respectable druggist. It will take about one or twotable-spoonfuls, or even more, of the infusion (according to the ageof the child, and the obstinacy of the bowels), to act as anaperient. Of course, you yourself will be able, from time to time, asthe need arises, to add the milk and the sugar, and thus to make itpalatable. It ought to be given warm, so as the more to resemble tea. ]adding milk, and drinking as ordinary tea, which, when thus prepared, it much resembles" [Footnote: _Waring's Manual of PracticalTherapeutics. _] Honey, too, is a nice aperient for a child--atea-spoonful ought to be given either by itself, or spread on a sliceof bread. 

Some mothers are in the habit of giving their children jalapgingerbread. I do not approve of it, as jalap is a drastic, gripingpurgative; besides, jalap is very nasty to take--nothing will make itpalatable. 

Fluid Magnesia--Solution of Carbonate of Magnesia--is a good aperientfor a child; and, as it has very little taste, is readily given, moreespecially if made palatable by the addition either of a little syrupor of brown sugar. The advantages which it has over the old solid formare, that it is colourless and nearly tasteless, and never formsconcretions in the bowels, as the _solid_ magnesia, if persevered infor any length of time, sometimes does. A child of two or three yearsold may take one or two table-spoonfuls of the fluid; either by itselfor in his food, repeating it every four hours until the bowels beopen. When the child is old enough to drink the draught off_immediately_, the addition of one or two tea-spoonfuls of Lemon Juiceto each dose of the Fluid Magnesia, makes a pleasant effervescingdraught, and increases its efficacy as an aperient. 

Bran-bread [Footnote: One-part of bran to three parts of flour, mixedtogether and made into bread. ] and _treacle_ will frequently open thebowels; and as treacle is wholesome, it may be substituted for butterwhen the bowels are inclined to be costive. A roasted apple, eatenwith _raw_ sugar, is another excellent mild aperient for a child. Milkgruel--that is to say, milk thickened with oatmeal--forms an excellentfood for him, and often keeps his bowels regular, and thus (_which isa very important consideration_) supersedes the necessity of givinghim an aperient. An orange (taking care he does not eat the peel orthe pulp), or a fig after dinner, or a few Muscatel raisins, willfrequently regulate the bowels. 

Stewed prunes is another admirable remedy for the costiveness of achild. The manner of stewing them is as follows:--Put a pound ofprunes in a brown jar, add two table-spoonfuls of _raw_ sugar, thencover the prunes and the sugar with cold water; place them in theoven, and let them stew for four hours. A child should every morningeat half a dozen or a dozen of them, until the bowels be relieved, taking care that he does not swallow the stones. Stewed prunes may begiven in treacle--treacle increasing the aperient properties of theprunes. 

A suppository is a mild and ready way of opening the bowels of achild. When he is two or three years old and upwards, a _Candle_suppository is better than a _Soap_ suppository. The way of preparingit is as follows:--Cut a piece of dip-tallow candle--the length ofthree inches--and insert it as you would a clyster pipe, about twoinches up the fundament, allowing the remaining inch to be in sight, and there let the suppository remain until the bowels be opened. 

Another excellent method of opening a child's bowels is by means of anenema of warm water, --from half a tea-cupful to a tea-cupful, or evenmore, according to the age of the child. I cannot speak too highly ofthis plan as a remedy for costiveness, as it entirely, in thegenerality of cases, prevents the necessity of administering aparticle of aperient medicine by the mouth. The fact of its doing sostamps it as a most valuable remedy--opening physic being, as a rule, most objectionable, and injurious to a child's bowels. Bear thisfact--for it is a fact--in mind and let it be always remembered. 

450. _What are the most frequent causes of Protrusion of thelower-bowel_?

The too common and reprehensible practice of a parent administeringfrequent aperients, especially calomel and jalap, to herchild. Another cause, is allowing him to remain for a quarter of anhour or more at a time on his chair; this induces him to strain, andto force the gut down. 

251. _What are the remedies_?

If the protrusion of the bowel have been brought on by the abase ofaperients, abstain, for the future from giving them; but if medicinebe absolutely required, give the mildest--such as either Syrup ofSenna or Castor Oil--_and the less of those the better. _

If the _external_ application of a purgative will have the desiredeffects it will in such cases, be better than the _internal_administration of aperients. Castor Oil used as a Liniment is a goodone for the purpose. Let the bowels be well rubbed, every night andmorning, for five minutes at a time with the oil. 

A wet compress to the bowels will frequently open them, and will thusdo away with the necessity of giving an aperient--_a most importantconsideration_. Fold a napkin in six thicknesses, soak it in _cold_water, and apply it to the bowels; over which put either a thincovering or sheet of gutta-percha, or a piece of oiled-silk; keep itin its place with a broad flannel roller; and let it remain on thebowels for three or four hours, or until they be opened. 

Try what diet will do, as opening the bowels by a regulated diet isfar preferable to the giving of aperients. Let him have eitherbran-bread or Robinson's Patent Groats, or Robinson's Pure ScotchOatmeal made into gruel with new milk, or Du Barry's ArabicaRevalenta, or a slice of Huntly and Palmer's lump gingerbread. Let himeat stewed prunes, stewed rhubarb, roasted apples, strawberries, raspberries, the inside of grapes and gooseberries, figs, &c. Give himearly every morning a draught of _cold_ water. 

Let me, again, urge you _not_ to give aperients in these cases, or inany case, unless you are absolutely compelled. By following my adviceyou will save yourself an immense deal of trouble, and your child along catalogue of misery. Again, I say, look well into the matter, andwhenever it be practicable avoid purgatives. 

Now, with regard to the best manner of returning the bowel, lay thechild upon the bed on his face and bowels, with his hips a littleraised; then smear lard on the forefinger of your right hand (takingcare that the nail be cut close), and gently with, your fore-fingerpress the bowel into its proper place. Remember, if the above methodsbe observed, you cannot do the slightest injury to the bowel; and thesooner it be returned, the better it will be for the child; for if thebowel be allowed to remain long down, it may slough or mortify, anddeath may ensue. The nurse, every time he has a motion, must see thatthe bowel does not come down, and if it does, she ought instantly toreturn it. Moreover, the nurse should be careful _not_ to allow thechild to remain on his chair more than two or three minutes at a time. 

Another excellent remedy for the protrusion of the lower bowel, is touse every morning a cold salt and water sitz bath. There need not bemore than a depth of three inches of water in the bath; a smallhandful of table salt should be dissolved in the water; a dash of warmwater in the winter time must be added, to take off the extreme chill;and the child ought not to be allowed to sit in the bath for more thanone minute, or whilst the mother can count a hundred; taking care, thewhile, to throw either a square of flannel or a small shawl over hisshoulders. The sitz bath ought to be continued for months, or untilthe complaint be removed. I cannot speak in too high praise of thesebaths. 

252. _Do you advise me, every spring and fall, to give my childbrimstone to purify and sweeten his blood, and as a preventivemedicine_?

Certainly not; if you wish to take away his appetite, and to weakenand depress him, give brimstone! Brimstone is not a remedy fit for achild's stomach. The principal use and value of brimstone is as anexternal application in itch, and as an internal remedy, mixed withother laxatives, in piles--piles being a complaint of adults. In oldentimes poor unfortunate children were dosed, every spring and fall, with brimstone and treacle to sweeten their blood! Fortunately for thepresent race, there is not so much of that folly practised, but stillthere is room for improvement. To dose a _healthy_ child with physicis the grossest absurdity. No, the less physic a delicate child hasthe better it will be for him, but physic to a healthy child isdownright poison! And brimstone of all medicines! It is both weakeningand depressing to the system, and by opening the pores of the skin andby relaxing the bowels, is likely to give cold, and thus to make ahealthy, a sickly child. Sweeten his blood! It is more likely toweaken his blood, and thus to make his blood impure! Blood is not madepure by drugs, but by Nature's medicine; by exercise, by pure air, bywholesome diet, by sleep in a well-ventilated apartment, by regularand thorough ablution. Brimstone a preventive medicine! Preventivemedicine--and brimstone especially in the guise of a preventivemedicine--is "a mockery, a delusion, and a snare. "

253. _When a child is delicate, and his body, without any assignablecause, is gradually wasting away, and the stomach rejects all foodthat is taken, what plan can be adopted likely to support hisstrength, and thus probably be the means of saving his life_?

I have seen, in such a case, great benefit to arise from half atea-cupful of either strong mutton-broth or of strong beef-tea, usedas an enema every four hours. [Footnote: An enema apparatus is animportant requisite in every nursery; it may be procured of anyrespectable surgical instrument maker. The India-rubber Enema Bottleis, for a child's use, a great improvement on the old syringe, as itis not so likely to get out of order, and, moreover, is more easilyused. ] It should be administered slowly, in order that it may remainin the bowel. If the child be sinking, either a dessert-spoonful ofbrandy, or half a wine-glassful of port wine, ought to be added toeach enema. 

The above plan ought only to be adopted if there be _no_ diarrhoea. Ifthere be diarrhoea, an enema must _not_ be used. Then, provided therebe great wasting away, and extreme exhaustion, and other remedieshaving failed, it would be advisable to give, by the mouth, _raw_ beefof the finest quality, which ought to be taken from the hip bone, andshould be shredded very fine. All fat and skin must be carefullyremoved. One or two tea-spoonfuls (according to the age of the child)ought to be given every four hours. The giving of _raw_ meat tochildren in exhaustive diseases, such as excessive long-standingdiarrhoea, was introduced into practice by a Russian physician, aProfessor Wiesse of St Petersburg. It certainly is, in these cases, amost valuable remedy, and has frequently been the means of snatchingsuch patients from the jaws of death. Children usually take raw meatwith avidity and with a relish. 

254. _If a child be naturally delicate, what plan would you recommendto strengthen him_?

I should advise strict attention to the rules above mentioned, and_change of air_--more especially, if it be possible, to thecoast. Change of air, sometimes, upon a delicate child, acts likemagic, and may restore him to health when all other means havefailed. If a girl be delicate, "carry her off to the farm, there toundergo the discipline of new milk, brown bread, early hours, nolessons, and romps in the hay-field. "--_Blackwood_. This advice is, ofcourse, equally applicable for a delicate boy, as delicate boys anddelicate girls ought to be treated alike. Unfortunately in these veryenlightened days there is too great a distinction made in therespective management and treatment of boys and girls. 

The best medicines for a delicate child will be the wine of iron andcod-liver oil. Give them combined in the manner I shall advise whenspeaking of the treatment of Rickets. 

In diseases of long standing, and that resist the usual remedies, there is nothing like _change of air_. Hippocrates, the father ofmedicine, says--

 "In longis morbis solum mutare. " (In tedious diseases to change the place of residence. )

A child who, in the winter, is always catching cold, whose life duringhalf of the year is one continued catarrh, who is in consequence, likely, if he grow up at all, to grow up a confirmed invalid, ought, during the winter months, to seek another clime; and if the parentscan afford the expense, they should at the beginning of October, causehim to bend his steps to the south of Europe--Mentone being as good aplace as they could probably fix upon. 

255. _Do you approve of sea bathing for a delicate young child_?

No: he is frequently so frightened by it that the alarm would do himmore harm than the bathing would do him good. The better plan would beto have him every morning well sponged, especially his back and loins, with sea water; and to have him as much as possible carried on thebeach, in order that he may inhale the sea breezes. When he be older, and is not frightened at being dipped, sea bathing will be verybeneficial to him. If bathing is to do good, either to an adult or toa child, it must be anticipated with pleasure, and neither with dreadnor with distaste. 

256. _What is the best method for administering medicine to a child_?

If he be old enough, appeal to his reason; for, if a mother endeavourto deceive her child, and he detect her, he will for the futuresuspect her. If he be too young to be reasoned with, then, if he willnot take his medicine, he must be compelled. Lay him across yourknees, let both his hands and his nose be tightly held, and then, bymeans of the patent medicine-spoon, or, if that be not at hand, byeither a tea or a dessert-spoon, pour the medicine down his throat, and he will be obliged to swallow it. 

It may be said that this is a cruel procedure; but it is the only wayto compel an unruly child to take physic, and is much less cruel thanrunning the risk of his dying from the medicine not having beenadministered. [Footnote: If any of my medical brethren shouldperchance read these Conversations, I respectfully and earnestlyrecommend them to take more pains in making medicines for childrenpleasant and palatable. I am convinced that, in the generality ofinstances, provided a little more care and thought were bestowed onthe subject, it may be done; and what an amount of both trouble andannoyance it would save! It is really painful to witness the strugglesand cries of a child when _nauseous_ medicine is to be given; thepassion and excitement often do more harm than the medicine doesgood. ]

257. _Ought a sick child to be roused from his sleep to give himphysic, when it is time for him to take it_?

On no account, as sleep, being a natural restorative, must not beinterfered with. A mother cannot be too particular in administeringthe medicine, at stated periods, whilst he is awake. 

258. _Have you any remarks to make on the management of a sick-room, and have you any directions to give on the nursing of a child_?

In sickness select a large and lofty room; if in the town, the back ofthe house will be preferable--in order to keep the patient free fromnoise and bustle--as a sick-chamber cannot be kept too quiet. Be surethat there be a chimney in the room--as there ought to be in _every_room in the house--and that it be not stopped, as it will help tocarry off the impure air of the apartment. Keep the chamber _wellventilated_, by, from time to time, opening the window. The air of theapartment cannot be too pure; therefore, let the evacuations from thebowels be instantly removed, either to a distant part of the house, orto an out-house or to the cellar, as it might be necessary to keepthem for the medical man's inspection. 

Before using either the night-commode, or the _pot-de-chambre_, let alittle water, to the depth of one or two inches, be put in the pan, or_pot_; in order to sweeten the motion, and to prevent the faecalmatter from adhering to the vessel. 

Let there be frequent change of linen, as in sickness it is even morenecessary than in health, more especially if the complaint befever. In an attack of fever, clean sheets ought, every other day, tobe put on the bed; clean body-linen every day. A frequent change oflinen in sickness is most refreshing. 

If the complaint be fever, a fire in the grate will not benecessary. Should it be a case either of inflammation of the lungs orof the chest, a small fire in the winter time is desirable, keepingthe temperature of the room as nearly as possible at 60 degreesFahrenheit. Bear in mind that a large fire in a sick-room cannot betoo strongly condemned; for if there be fever--and there are scarcelyany complaints without--a large fire only increases it. Small fires, in cases either of inflammation of the lungs or of the chest, in thewinter time, encourage ventilation of the apartment, and thus carryoff impure air. If it be summer time, of course fires would beimproper. A thermometer is an indispensable requisite in a sick-room. 

In fever, free and thorough ventilation is of vital importance, moreespecially in scarlet fever; then a patient cannot have too much air;in scarlet fever, for the first few days the windows, be it winter orsummer, must to the widest extent be opened. The fear of the patientcatching cold by doing so is one of the numerous prejudices andbaseless fears that haunt the nursery, and the sooner it is explodedthe better it will he for human life. The valances and bed-curtainsought to be removed, and there should be as little furniture in theroom as possible. 

If it be a case of measles, it will be necessary to adopt a differentcourse; then the windows ought not to be opened, but the door mustfrom time to time be left ajar. In a case of measles, if it be wintertime, a _small_ fire in the room will be necessary. In inflammation ofthe lungs or of the chest, the windows should not be opened, but thedoor ought occasionally to be left unfastened, in order to change theair and to make it pure. Remember, then, that ventilation, either byopen window or by open door, is in all diseases most necessary. Ventilation is one of the best friends a doctor has. 

In fever, do not load the bed with clothes; in the summer a sheet issufficient, in winter a sheet and a blanket. 

In fever, do not be afraid of allowing the patient plenty either ofcold water or of cold toast and water; Nature will tell him when hehas had enough. In measles, let the chill be taken off the toast andwater. 

In _croup_, have always ready a plentiful supply of hot water, in casea warm bath might he required. 

In _child-crowing_, have always in the sick-room a supply of coldwater, ready at a moment's notice to dash upon the face. 

In fever, do not let the little patient lie on the lap; he will restmore comfortably on a horse-hair mattress in his crib or cot. If hehave pain in the bowels, the lap is most agreeable to him; the warmthof the body, either of the mother or of the nurse, soothes him;besides, if he be on the lap, he can be turned on his stomach and onhis bowels, which, often affords him great relief and comfort. If hebe much emaciated, when he is nursed, place a pillow upon the lap andlet him lie upon it. 

In _head affections_, darken the room with a _green_ calico blind;keep the chamber more than usually quiet; let what little talking isnecessary be carried on in whispers, but the less of that the better;and in _head affections_, never allow smelling salts to be applied tothe nose, as they only increase the flow of blood to the head, andconsequently do harm. 

It is often a good sign for a child, who is seriously ill, to suddenlybecome cross. It is then he begins to feel his weakness and to givevent to his feelings. "Children are almost always cross whenrecovering from an illness, however patient they may have been duringits severest moments, and the phenomenon is not by any means confinedto children. "--Geo. McDonald. 

A sick child must _not_ be stuffed with _much_ food at a time. He willtake either a table-spoonful of new milk or a table-spoonful ofchicken broth every half hour with greater advantage than a tea-cupfulof either the one or the other every four hours, which large quantitywould very probably be rejected from his stomach, and may cause theunfortunately treated child to die of starvation!

If a sick child be peevish, attract his attention either by a toy orby an ornament; if he be cross, win him over to good humour by love, affection, and caresses, but let it be done gently and withoutnoise. Do not let visitors see him; they will only excite, distract, and irritate him, and help to consume the oxygen of the atmosphere, and thus rob the air of its exhilarating health-giving qualities andpurity; a sick-room, therefore, is not a proper place, either forvisitors or for gossips. 

In selecting a sick-nurse, let her be gentle, patient, cheerful, quiet, and kind, but firm withal; she ought to be neither old noryoung: if she be old she is often garrulous and prejudiced, and thinkstoo much of her trouble; if she he young, she is frequentlythoughtless and noisy; therefore choose a middle-aged woman. Do notlet there be in the sick-room more than, besides the mother, oneefficient nurse; a greater number can he of no service--they will onlybe in each other's way, and will distract the patient. 

Let stillness, especially if the head be the part affected, reign in asick-room. Creaking shoes [Footnote: Nurses at these times ought towear slippers, and not shoes. The best slippers in sick-rooms arethose manufactured by the North British Rubber Company, Edinburgh;they enable nurses to walk in them about the room without causing theslightest noise; indeed, they might truly be called "the noiselessslipper, " a great desideratum in such cases, more especially in allhead affections of children. If the above slippers cannot readily beobtained, then list slippers--soles and all bring made of list--willanswer the purpose equally as well. ] and rustling silk dresses oughtnot to be worn in sick-chambers--they are quite out of place there. Ifthe child be asleep, or if he be dozing, perfect stillness must heenjoined, not even a whisper should be heard:--

 "In the sick-room be calm, More gently and with care. Lest any jar or sudden noise, Come sharply unaware. 

 You cannot tell the harm. The mischief it may bring, To wake the sick one suddenly, Besides the suffering. 

 The broken sleep excites Fresh pain, increased distress; The quiet slumber undisturb'd Soothes pain and restlessness. 

 Sleep is the gift of God: Oh! bear these words at heart, 'He giveth His beloved sleep, ' And gently do thy part. "

[Footnote: _Household verses on Health and Happiness. _ London: Jarroldand Sons. A most delightful little volume. ]

If there be other children, let them be removed to a distant part ofthe house; or, if the disease be of an infectious nature, let them besent away from home altogether. 

In all illnesses--and bear in mind the following is most importantadvice--a child must be encouraged to try and make water, whether heask or not, at least four times during the twenty-four hours; and atany other time, if he express the slightest inclination to do so. Ihave known a little fellow to hold his water, to his great detriment, for twelve hours, because either the mother bad in her troubleforgotten to inquire, or the child himself was either too ill or tooindolent to make the attempt. 

See that the medical man's directions are, to the very letter, carriedout. Do not fancy that you know better than he does, otherwise youhave no business to employ him. Let him, then, have your implicitconfidence and your exact obedience. What _you_ may consider to be atrifling matter, may frequently be of the utmost importance, and maysometimes decide whether the case shall end either in life or death!

_Lice_. --It is not very poetical, as many of the grim facts ofevery-day life are not, but, unlike a great deal of poetry, it isunfortunately too true that after a severe and dangerous illness, especially after a bad attack of fever, a child's head frequentlybecomes infested with vermin--with lice. It therefore behoves a motherherself to thoroughly examine, by means of a fine-tooth comb, [Footnote: Which fine-tooth comb ought not to be used at any othertime except for the purpose of examination, as the constant use of afine-tooth comb would scratch the scalp, and would encourage aquantity of scurf to accumulate. ] her child's head, in order tosatisfy her mind that there be no vermin there. As soon as he be wellenough, he ought to resume his regular ablutions--that is to say, thathe must go again regularly into his tub, and have his head everymorning thoroughly washed with soap and water. A mother ought to beparticular in seeing that the nurse washes the hair-brush at leastonce every week; if she does not do so, the dirty brush which hadduring the illness been used, might contain the "nits"--the eggs ofthe lice--and would thus propagate the vermin, as they will, when onthe head of the child, soon hatch. If there be already lice on thehead, in addition to the regular washing every morning with the soapand water, and after the head has been thoroughly dried, let the hairbe well and plentifully dressed with camphorated oil--the oil beingallowed to remain on until the next washing on the followingmorning. Lice cannot live in oil (more especially if, as incamphorated oil, camphor be dissolved in it), and as the camphoratedoil will not, in the slightest degree, injure the hair, it is the bestapplication that can be used. But as soon as the vermin havedisappeared, let the oil be discontinued, as the _natural oil_ of thehair is, at other times, the only oil that is required on the head. 

The "nit"--the egg of the louse--might be distinguished from scurf(although to the _naked_ eye it is very much like it in appearance) bythe former fastening firmly on one of the hairs as a barnacle would ona rock, and by it not being readily brushed off as scurf would, whichlatter (scurf) is always loose. 

259. _My child, in the summer time, is much tormented with fleas: whatare the best remedies_?

A small muslin bag, filled with camphor, placed in the cot or bed, will drive fleas away. Each flea-bite should, from time to time, bedressed by means of a camel's hair brush, with a drop or two of Spiritof Camphor; an ounce bottle of which ought, for the purpose, to beprocured from a chemist. Camphor is also an excellent remedy toprevent bugs from biting. Bugs and fleas have a horror of camphor; andwell they might, for it is death to them!

There is a famous remedy for the destruction of fleas manufactured inFrance, entitled "_La Poudre Insecticide, _" which, although perfectlyharmless to the human economy, is utterly destructive to fleas. Bugsare best destroyed either by Creosote or by oil of Turpentine: theplaces they do love to congregate in should be well saturated by meansof a brush, with the creosote or with the oil of turpentine. A fewdressings will effectually destroy both them and their young ones. 

260. _Is not the pulse a great sign either of health or of disease_?

It is, and every mother should have a general idea of what the pulseof children of different ages should be both in health and indisease. "Every person should know how to ascertain the state of thepulse in health; then, by comparing it with what it is when he isailing, he may have some idea of the urgency of his case. Parentsshould know the healthy pulse of each child, since now and then aperson is born with a peculiarly slow or fast pulse, and the very casein hand may be of such peculiarity. An infant's pulse is 140, a childof seven about 80, and from 20 to 60 years it is 70 beats a minute, declining to 60 at fourscore. A healthful grown person beats 70 timesin a minute, declining to 60 at fourscore. At 60, if the pulse alwaysexceeds 70, there is a disease; the machine working itself out, thereis a fever or inflammation somewhere, and the body is feeding onitself, as in consumption, when the pulse is quick. "

261. _Suppose a child to have had an attack either of inflammation ofthe lungs or of bronchitis, and to be much predisposed to a return:what precautions would you take to prevent either the one or the otherfor the future_?

I would recommend him to wear fine flannel instead of lawn shirts; towear good lamb's-wool stockings _above the knees_, and good, strong, dry shoes to his feet; to live, weather permitting, a great part ofevery day in the open air; to strengthen his system by good nourishingfood--by an abundance of both milk and meat (the former especially);to send him, in the autumn, for a couple of months, to the sea-side;to administer to him, from time to time, cod-liver oil; in short, tothink only of his health, and to let learning, until he be stronger, be left alone. I also advise either table salt or bay salt, orTidman's Sea Salt, to be added to the water in which the child iswashed with in the morning, in a similar manner as recommended inanswer to a previous question. 

262. _Then do you not advise such a child to be confined withindoors_?

If any inflammation be present, or if he have but just recovered fromone, it would be improper to send him into the open air, but nototherwise, as the fresh air would be a likely means of strengtheningthe lungs, and thereby of preventing an attack of inflammation for thefuture. Besides, the more a child is coddled within doors, the morelikely will he be to catch cold, and to renew the inflammation. If theweather be cold, yet neither wet nor damp, he ought to be sent out, but let him be well clothed; and the nurse should have strictinjunctions _not_ to stand about entries or in any draughts--indeed, not to stand about at all, but to keep walking about all the time sheis in the open air. Unless you have a trustworthy nurse, it will bewell for you either to accompany her in her walk with your child, ormerely to allow her to walk with him in the garden, as you can thenkeep your eye upon both of them. 

263. _If a child be either chicken-breasted, or if he benarrow-chested, are there any means of expanding and of strengtheninghis chest_?

Learning ought to be put out of the question, attention must be paidto his health alone, or consumption will probably mark him as its own!Let him live as much as possible in the open air; if it be country, somuch the better. Let him rise early in the morning, and let him go tobed betimes; and if he be old enough to use the dumb-bells, or what isbetter, an India-rubber chest-expander, he should do so daily. Heought also to be encouraged to use two short sticks, similar to, butheavier than, a policeman's staff, and to go, every morning, throughregular exercises with them. As soon as he is old enough, let him havelessons from a drill-sergeant and from a dancing master. Let him bemade both to walk and to sit upright, and let him be kept as much aspossible upon a milk diet, [Footnote: Where milk does not agree, it maygenerally be made to do so by the addition of one part of lime waterto seven parts of new milk. Moreover, the lime will be of service inhardening his bones, and, in these cases, the bones requirehardening. ] and give him as much as he can eat of fresh meat everyday. Cod liver oil, a tea-spoonful or a dessert-spoonful, according tohis age, twice a day, is serviceable in these cases. Stimulants oughtto be carefully avoided. In short, let every means be used to nourish, to strengthen, and invigorate the system, without, at the same time, creating fever. Such a child should be a child of nature, he oughtalmost to live in the open air, and throw his books to the winds. Ofwhat use is learning without health? In such a case as this youcannot have both. 

264. _If a child be round-shouldered, or if either of hisshoulder-blades have "grown out, " what had better be done_?

Many children have either round shoulders, or have their shoulderblades grown out, or have their spines twisted, from growing too fast, from being allowed to slouch in their gait, and from not havingsufficient nourishing food, such as meat and milk, to support themwhile the rapid growth of childhood is going on. 

If your child be affected as above described, nourish him well on milkand on farinaceous food, and on meat once a day, but let milk be hisstaple diet; he ought, during the twenty four hours, to take two orthree pints of new milk. He should almost live in the open air, andmust have plenty of play. If you can so contrive it, let him live inthe country. When tired, let him lie, for half an hour, two or threetimes daily, flat on his back on the carpet. Let him rest at night ona horse-hair mattress, and not on a feather bed. 

Let him have every morning, if it be summer, a thorough cold waterablution, if it be winter, let the water be made tepid. Let either twohandfuls of table salt or a handful of bay salt be dissolved in thewater. Let the salt and water stream well over his shoulders and downhis back and loins. Let him be well dried with a moderately coarsetowel, and then let his back be well rubbed, and his shoulders bethrown back-exercising them much in the same manner as in skipping, for five or ten minutes at a time. Skipping, by-the-by, is of greatuse in these cases, whether the child be either a boy or a girl-using, of course, the rope backwards, and not forwards. 

Let books be utterly discarded until his shoulders have become strong, and thus no longer round, and his shoulder-blades have becomestraight. It is a painful sight to see a child stoop like an old man. 

Let him have, twice daily, a tea-spoonful or a dessert-spoonful(according to his age) of cod-liver oil, giving it him on a full andnot on an empty stomach. 

When he is old enough, let the drill-sergeant give him regularlessons, and let the dancing-master be put in requisition. Let him gothrough regular gymnastic exercises, provided they are not of aviolent character. 

But, bear in mind, let there be in these cases no mechanicalrestraints--no shoulder-straps, no abominable stays. Make him straightby natural means--by making him strong. Mechanical means would only, by weakening and wasting the muscles, increase the mischief, and thusthe deformity. In this world of ours there is too much reliance placedon artificial, and too little on natural means of cure. 

265. _What are the causes of Bow Legs in a child; and what is thetreatment_?

Weakness of constitution, poor and insufficient nourishment, andputting a child, more especially a fat and heavy one, on his legs tooearly. 

_Treatment. _--Nourishing food, such as an abundance of milk, and, ifhe be old enough, of meat; iron medicines; cod-liver-oil; thoroughablution, every morning of the whole body; an abundance of exercise, either on pony, or on donkey, or in carriage, but not, until his legsbe stronger, on foot. If they are much bowed, it will be necessary toconsult an experienced surgeon. 

266. _If a child, while asleep, "wet his bed" is there any method ofpreventing him from doing so_?

Let him be held out just before he himself goes to bed, and again whenthe family retires to rest. If, at the time, he be asleep, he willbecome so accustomed to it, that he will, without awaking, make water. He ought to be made to lie on his side; for, if he be put on his back, the urine will rest upon an irritable part of the bladder, and, if hebe inclined to wet his bed, he will not be able to avoid doing so. Hemust not be allowed to drink much with his meals, especially with hissupper. Wetting the bed is an infirmity with some children--theycannot help it. It is, therefore, cruel to scold and chastise them forit. Occasionally, however, wetting the bed arises from idleness; inwhich case, of course, a little wholesome correction might benecessary. 

Water-proof Bed-sheeting--one yard by three-quarters of a yard--willeffectually preserve the bed from being wetted, and ought always, onthese occasions, to be used. 

A mother ought, every morning, to ascertain for herself, whether achild have wet his bed; if he have, and if, unfortunately, thewater-proof cloth have not been used, the mattress, sheets, andblankets must be instantly taken to the kitchen fire and be properlydried. Inattention to the above has frequently caused a child tosuffer either from cold, from a fever, or from an inflammation; notonly so, but, if they be not dried, he is wallowing in filth and in anoffensive effluvium. If both mother and nurse were more attentive totheir duties--in frequently holding a child out, whether he ask ornot--a child wetting his bed would be the exception, and not, as itfrequently is, the rule. If a child be dirty, you may depend upon it, the right persons to blame are the mother and the nurse, and not thechild!

267. _If a child should catch Small-pox, what are the best means toprevent pitting_?

He ought to be desired neither to pick nor to rub the pustules. If hebe too young to attend to these directions, his hands must be securedin bags (just large enough to hold them), which bags should hefastened round the wrists. The nails must be cut very close. 

Cream smeared, by means of a feather, frequently in the day, on thepustules, affords great comfort and benefit. Tripe liquor (withoutsalt) has, for the same purpose, been strongly recommended. I myself, in several cases, have tried it, and with the happiest results. It ismost soothing, comforting, and healing to the skin. 

268. _Can you, tell me of any plan to prevent Chilblaine, or, if achild be suffering from them, to cure them_?

_First, then, the way to prevent them. _--Let a child, who is subjectto them, wear, in the winter time, a square piece of wash-leather overthe toes, a pair of warm lamb's-wool stockings, and good shoes; but, above all, let him be encouraged to run about the house as much aspossible, especially before going to bed; and on no account allow himeither to warm has feet before the fire, or to bathe them in hotwater. If the feet be cold, and the child be too young to takeexercise, then let them be well rubbed with the warm hand. If adultssuffer from chilblains, I have found friction, night and morning, withhorse-hail flesh-gloves, the best means of preventing them. 

_Secondly, the way to cure them. _--If they be unbroken: theold-fashioned remedy of onion and salt is one of the best ofremedies. Cut an onion in two; take one-half of it, dip it in tablesalt and well rub, for two or three minutes, the chilblain withit. The onion and salt is a famous remedy to relieve that intolerableitching which sometimes accompanies chilblains: then let them becovered with a piece of lint, over which a piece of wash-leathershould be placed. 

_If they be broken_, let a piece of lint be spread withspermaceti-cerate, and be applied, every morning, to the part, and leta white-bread poultice be used every night. 

269. _During the winter time my child's hands, legs, &c. , chap verymuch; what ought I to do_?

Let a tea-cupful of bran be tied up in a muslin bag, and be put, overthe night, into either a large water-can or jug of _rain_ water;[Footnote: _Rain_ water ought _always_ to be used in the washing of achild; pump water is likely to chap the skin, and to make it bothrough and irritable. ] and let this water from the can or jug be thewater he is to be washed with on the following morning, and everymorning until the chaps be cured. As often as water is withdrawn, either from the water-can or from the jog, let fresh rain water takeits place, in order that the bran may be constantly soaking in it. Thebran in the bag should be renewed about twice a week. 

Take particular care to dry the skin well every time he be washed;then, after each ablution, as well as every night at bed-time, rub apiece of deer's suet over the parts affected: a few dressings willperform a cure. The deer's suet may be bought at any of the shopswhere venison is sold. Another excellent remedy is glycerine, [Footnote: Glycerine prepared by Price's Patent Candle Company is byfar the best. Sometimes, if the child's skin be very irritable, theglycerine requires diluting with water--say, two ounces of glycerineto be mixed in a bottle with four ounces of rain water--the bottle tobe well shaken just before using it. ] which should be smeared, bymeans of the finger or by a camel's hair brush, on the parts affected, two or three times a day. If the child be very young, it might benecessary to dilute the glycerine with rose-water; fill a small bottleone-third with glycerine, and fill up the remaining two-thuds of thebottle with rose-water--shaking the bottle every time just beforeusing it. The best soap to use for chapped hands is the glycerinesoap: no other being required. 

270. _What is the best remedy for Chapped Lips_?

Cold-cream (which may be procured of any respectable chemist) is anexcellent application for _chapped lips_. It ought, by means of thefinger, to be frequently smeared on the parts affected. 

271. _Have the goodness to inform me of the different varieties ofWorms that infest a child's bowels_?

Principally three--1, The tape-worm; 2, the long round-worm; and 3, the most frequent of all, the common thread or maw-worm. The tape-worminfests the whole course of the bowels, both small and large: the longround-worm, principally the small bowels, occasionally the stomach; itsometimes crawls out of the child's mouth, causing alarm to themother; there is, of course, no danger in its doing so: the commonthread-worm or maw-worm infests the rectum or fundament. 

272. _What are the causes of Worms_?

The causes of worms are: weak bowels; bad and improper food, such asunripe, unsound, or uncooked fruit, and much green vegetables; pork, especially underdone pork; [Footnote: One frequent, if not the mostfrequent, cause of tape-worm is the eating of pork, more especially ifit be underdone. _Underdone_ pork is the most unwholesome food thatcan he eaten, and is the most frequent cause of tape-wormknown. _Underdone_ beef also gives tape-worm; let the meat, therefore, be well and properly cooked. These facts ought to be borne in mind, asprevention is always better than cure. ] an abundance of sweets; theneglecting of giving salt in the food. 

273. _What are the symptoms and the treatment of Worms_?

_The symptoms_ of worms are--emaciation; itching and picking of thenose; a dark mark under the eyes; grating, during sleep, of the teeth;starting in the sleep; foul breath; furred tongue; uncertainappetite--sometimes voracious, at other times bad, the little patientsitting down very hungry to his dinner, and before scarcely tasting amouthful, the appetite vanishing; large bowels; colicky pains of thebowels; slimy motions; itching of the fundament. Tape-worm andround-worm, more especially the former, are apt, in children, toproduce convulsions. Tape-worm is very weakening to the constitution, and usually causes great emaciation and general ill-health; thesooner, therefore, it is expelled from the bowels the better it willbe for the patient. 

Many of the obscure diseases of children arise from worms. In alldoubtful cases, therefore, this fact should be borne in mind, in orderthat a thorough investigation may be instituted. 

With regard to _treatment_, a medical man ought, of course, to beconsulted. He will soon use means both to dislodge them, and toprevent a future recurrence of them. 

Let me caution a mother never to give her child patent medicines forthe destruction of worms. There is one favourite quack powder, whichis composed principally of large doses of calomel, and which is quiteas likely to destroy the patient as the worms! No, if your child haveworms, put him under the care of a judicious medical man, who willsoon expel them, without, at the same tune, injuring health orconstitution!

274. _How may worms be prevented from infesting a child's bowels_?

Worms generally infest _weak_ bowels; hence, the moment a childbecomes strong worms cease to exist. The reason why a child is sosubject to them is owing to the improper food which is usually givento him. When he be stuffed with unsound and with unripe fruits, withmuch sweets, with rich puddings, and with pastry, and when he isoftentimes allowed to eat his meat _without_ salt, and to _bolt_ hisfood without chewing it, is there any wonder that he should sufferfrom worms? The way to prevent them is to avoid such things, and, atthe same time, to give him plenty of salt to his _fresh_ andwell-cooked meat. Salt strengthens and assists digestion, and isabsolutely necessary to the human economy. Salt is emphatically a wormdestroyer. The truth of this statement may be readily tested bysprinkling a little salt on the common earth-worm. "What a comfortand real requisite to human life is salt! It enters into theconstituents of the human blood, and to do without it is whollyimpossible. "--_The Grocer_. To do without it is wholly impossible!These are true words. Look well to it, therefore, ye mothers, andbeware of the consequences of neglecting such advice, and see foryourselves that your children regularly eat salt with their food. Ifthey neglect eating salt with their food, they _must of necessity haveworms_, and worms that will eventually injure them, and make themmiserable. All food, then, should be "flavoured with salt;"_flavoured_, that is to say, salt should be used in each and everykind of food--_not in excess, but in moderation_. 

275. _You have a great objection to the frequent administration ofaperient medicines to a child: can you advise any method to preventtheir use_?

Although we can scarcely call constipation a disease, yet it sometimesleads to disease. The frequent giving of aperients only adds to thestubbornness of the bowels. 

I have generally found a draught, early every morning, of _cold_ pumpwater, the eating either of Huntley and Palmer's loaf ginger-bread, orof oatmeal gingerbread, a variety of animal and vegetable food, ripesound fruit, Muscatel raisins, a fig, or an orange after dinner, and, when he be old enough, _coffee_ and milk instead of _tea_ and milk, tohave the desired effect, more especially if, for a time, aperients bestudiously avoided. 

276. _Have you any remarks to make on Rickets_?

Rickets is owing to a want of a sufficient quantity of earthy matterin the bones; hence the bones bend and twist, and lose their shape, causing deformity. Rickets generally begins to show itself between thefirst and second years of a child's life. Such children are generallylate in cutting their teeth, and when the teeth do come they are bad, deficient of enamel, discoloured, and readily decay. A rickety childis generally stunted in stature; he has a large head, with overhangingforehead, or what nurses call a watery-head-shaped forehead. Thefontanelles, or openings of the head, as they are called, are a longtime in closing. A rickety child is usually talented; his brain seemsto thrive at the expense of his general health. His breast-boneprojects out, and the sides of his chest are flattened; hence hebecomes what is called chicken-breasted or pigeon-breasted; his spineis usually twisted, so that he is quite awry, and, in a bad case, heis hump-backed; the ribs, from the twisted spine, on one side bulgeout; he is round-shouldered; the long bones of his body, being soft, bend; he is bow-legged, knock-kneed, and weak-ankled. 

Rickets are of various degrees of intensity, the humpbacked beingamong the worst There are many mild forms of rickets; weak ankles, knocked-knees, bowed-legs, chicken-breasts, being among the latternumber. Many a child, who is not exactly hump-backed, is veryround-shouldered, which latter is also a mild species of rickets. 

Show me a child that is rickety, and I can generally prove that it isowing to poor living, more especially to poor milk. If milk werealways genuine, and if a child had an abundance of it, my belief isthat rickets would be a very rare disease. The importance of genuinemilk is of national importance. We cannot have a race of strong menand women unless, as children, they have had a good and plentifulsupply of milk. It is utterly impossible. Milk might well beconsidered one of the necessaries of a child's existence. Genuine, fresh milk, then, is one of the grand preventatives, as well as one ofthe best remedies, for rickets. Many a child would not now have toswallow quantities Of cod-liver oil if previously he had imbibedquantities of good genuine milk. An insufficient and a poor supply ofmilk in childhood sows the seeds of many diseases, and death oftengathers the fruit. Can it be wondered at, when there is so much poorand nasty milk in England, that rickets in one shape or another is soprevalent?

When will mothers arouse from their slumbers, rub their eyes, and seeclearly the importance of the subject? When will they know that allthe symptoms of rickets I have just enumerated _usually_ proceed fromthe want of nourishment, more especially from the want of genuine, andof an abundance of, milk? There are, of, course, other means ofwarding off rickets besides an abundance of nourishing food, such asthorough ablution, plenty of air, exercise, play, and sunshine; but ofall these splendid remedies, nourishment stands at the top of thelist. 

I do not mean to say that rickets _always_ proceeds from poorness ofliving--from poor milk. It sometimes arises from scrofula, and is aninheritance of one or of both the parents. 

Rickety children, if not both carefully watched and managed, frequently, when they become youths, die of consumption. 

A mother, who has for some time neglected the advice I have justgiven, will often find, to her grievous cost, that the mischief has, past remedy, been done, and that it is now "too late!--too late!"

277. _How may a child be prevented from becoming rickety? or, if he berickety, how ought he to be treated_?

If a child be predisposed to be rickety, or if he be actually rickety, attend to the following rules:--

Let him live well, on good nourishing diet, such as on tenderrump-steaks, cut very fine, and mixed with mashed potatoes, crumb ofbread, and with the gravy of the meat. Let him have, as I have beforeadvised, an abundance of good new milk--a quart or three pints duringevery twenty-four hours. Let him have milk in every form--as milkgruel, Du Barry's Arabica Revalenta made with milk, batter and ricepuddings, suet puddings, bread and milk, etc. 

_To harden the bones_, let lime water be added to the milk (atable-spoonful to each tea-cupful of milk. )

Let him have a good supply of fresh, pure, dry air. He must almostlive in the open air--the country, if practicable, in preference tothe town, and the coast in summer and autumn. Sea bathing and seabreezes are often, in these cases, of inestimable value. 

He ought not, at an early age, to be allowed to bear his weight uponhis legs. He must sleep on a horse-hair mattress, and not on a featherbed. He should use every morning cold baths in the summer and tepidbaths in the winter, with bay salt (a handful) dissolved in the water. 

Friction with the hand must, for half an hour at a time, every nightand morning, be sedulously applied to the back and to the limbs. It iswonderful how much good in these cases friction does. 

Strict attention ought to be paid to the rules of health as laid downin these Conversations. Whatever is conducive to the general health ispreventive and curative of rickets. 

Books, if he be old enough to read them, should be thrown aside;health, and health alone, must be the one grand object. 

The best medicines in these cases are a combination of cod-liver oiland the wine of iron, given in the following manner:--Put atea-spoonful of wine of iron into a wine-glass, half fill the glasswith water, sweeten it with a lump or two of sugar, then let atea-spoonful of cod-liver oil swim on the top; let the child drink itall down together, twice or three times a day. An hour after a meal isthe _best_ time to give the medicine, as both iron and cod-liver oilsit better on a _full_ than on an _empty_ stomach. The child in ashort time will become fond of the above medicine, and will be sorrywhen it is discontinued. 

A case of rickets requires great patience and steady perseverance;let, therefore, the above plan have a fair and long-continued trial, and I can then promise that there will be every probability that greatbenefit will be derived from it. 

278. _If a child be subject to a scabby eruption about the mouth, whatis the best local application_?

Leave it to nature. Do not, on any account, apply any localapplication to heal it; if you do, you may produce injury; you mayeither bring on an attack of inflammation, or you may throw him intoconvulsions. No! This "breaking-out" is frequently a safety-valve, and must not therefore be needlessly interfered with. Should theeruption be severe, reduce the child's diet; keep him from butter, from gravy, and from fat meat, or, indeed, for a few days from meataltogether; and give him mild aperient medicine; but, above allthings, do not quack him either with calomel or with grey-powder. 

279. _Will you have the goodness to describe the eruption on the faceand on the head of a young child, called Milk-Crust or Running Scall_?

Milk-crust is a complaint of very young children--of those who arecutting their teeth--and, as it is a nasty looking complaint, andfrequently gives a mother a great deal of trouble, of anxiety, andannoyance, it will be well that you should know its symptoms, itscauses, and its probable duration. 

_Symptoms_. --When a child is about nine months or a year old, smallpimples are apt to break out around the ears, on the forehead, and onthe head. These pimples at length become vesicles (that is to say, they contain water), which run into one large one, break, and form anasty dirty-looking yellowish, and sometimes greenish, scab, whichscab is moist, indeed, sometimes quite wet, and gives out adisagreeable odour, and which is sometimes so large on the head asactually to form a skullcap, and so extensive on the face as to form amask. These, I am happy to say, are rare cases. The child's beautyis, of, course, for a time completely destroyed, and not only hisbeauty, but his good temper; for as the eruption causes greatirritation and itching, he is constantly clawing himself, and cryingwith annoyance the great part of the day, and sometimes also of thenight--the eruption preventing him from sleeping. It is notcontagious, and soon after he has cut the whole of his first set ofteeth it will get well, provided it has not been improperly interferedwith. 

_Causes_. --Irritation from teething; stuffing him with overmuch meat, thus producing a humour, which Nature tries to get rid of by throwingit out on the surface of the body; the safest place she could fix onfor the purpose; hence the folly and danger of giving medicines andapplying _external_ applications to drive the eruption in. "Diseasednature oftentimes breaks forth in strange eruptions, " and curesherself in this way, if she be not too much interfered with, and ifthe eruption be not driven in by injudicious treatment. I have knownin such cases disastrous consequences to follow over-officiousness andmeddlesomeness. Nature is trying all she can to drive the humour out, while some wiseacres are doing all they can to drive the humour in. 

_Duration_. --As milk-crust is a tedious affair, and will require avariety of treatment, it will be necessary to consult an experiencedmedical man; and although he will be able to afford great relief, thechild will not, in all probability, be quite free from the eruptionuntil he have cut the whole of his first set of teeth--until he beupwards of two years and a half old--when, with judicious and carefultreatment, it will gradually disappear, and eventually leave not atrace behind. 

It will be far better to leave the case alone--to get well ofitself--rather than to try to cure the complaint either by outwardapplications or by strong internal medicines; "the remedy is oftenworse than the disease, " of this I am quite convinced. 

280. _Have you any advice to give me as to my conduct towards mymedical man_?

Give him your entire confidence. Be truthful and be candid withhim. Tell him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but thetruth. Have no reservations; give him, as near as you can, a plain, unvarnished statement of the symptoms of the disease. Do not magnify, and do not make too light of any of them. Be prepared to state theexact time the child first showed symptoms of illness. If he have hada shivering fit, however slight, do not fail to tell your medical manof it. Note the state of the skin; if there be a "breaking-out"--be itever so trifling--let it be pointed out to him. Make yourselfacquainted with the quantity and with the appearance of the urine, taking care to have a little of it saved, in case the doctor may wishto see and examine it. Take notice of the state of the motions--theirnumber during the twenty-four hours, their colour, their smell, andtheir consistence, keeping one for his inspection. Never leave any ofthese questions to be answered by a servant; a mother is the properperson to give the necessary and truthful answers, which answersfrequently decide the fate of the patient. Bear in mind, then, amother's untiring care and love, attention and truthfulness, frequently decide whether, in a serious illness, the little fellowshall live or die! Fearful responsibility!

A medical man has arduous duties to perform; smooth, therefore, hispath as much as you can, and you will be amply repaid by the increasedgood he will be able to do your child. Strictly obey a doctor'sorders--in diet, in medicine, in everything. Never throw obstacles inhis way. Never omit any of his suggestions; for, depend upon it thatif he be a sensible man, directions, however slight, ought never to beneglected; bear in mind, with a judicious medical man, "That nothing walks with aimless feet. "--_Tennyson_. 

If the case be severe, requiring a second opinion, never of your ownaccord call in a physician, without first consulting and advising withyour own medical man. It would be an act of great discourtesy to doso. Inattention to the foregoing advice has frequently caused injuryto the patient, and heart-burnings and ill-will among doctors. 

Speak, in the presence of your child, with respect and kindness ofyour medical man, so that the former may look upon the latter as afriend--as one who will strive, with God's blessing, to relieve hispain and suffering. Remember the increased power of doing good thedoctor will have if the child be induced to like, instead of dislike, him. Not only be careful that you yourself speak before your child, respectfully and kindly of the medical man, but see that yourdomestics do so likewise; and take care that they are never allowed tofrighten your child, as many silly servants do, by saying that theywill send for the doctor, who will either give him nasty medicine, orwill perform some cruel operation upon him. A nurse-maid should, then, never for one moment be permitted to make a doctor an object of terroror of dislike to a child. 

Send, whenever it be practicable, for your doctor _early_ in themorning, as he will then make his arrangements accordingly, and can bydaylight better ascertain the nature of the complaint, more especiallyif it be a skin disease. It is utterly impossible for him to form acorrect opinion of the nature of a "breaking-out" either by gas or bycandle light. If the illness come on at night, particularly if it beushered in either with a severe shivering, or with any other urgentsymptom, no time should be lost, be it night or day, in sending forhim, "A little fire is quietly trodden out, Which, being sufier'd, rivers cannot quench. "

 _Shakespeare_. 

WARM BATHS

281. _Have the goodness to mention the complaints of a child for whichwarm baths are useful_. 

1. Convulsions; 2. Pains in the bowels, known by, the child drawing uphis legs, screaming violently, etc. ; 3. Restlessness from teething;4. Flatulence. The warm bath acts as a fomentation to the stomach andthe bowels, and gives ease where the usual remedies do not rapidlyrelieve. 

282. _Will you mention the precautions, and the rules to be observedin gutting a child info a warm bath_?

Carefully ascertain before he be immersed in the bath that the waterbe neither too hot nor too cold. Carelessness, or over-anxiety to puthim in the water as quickly as possible, has frequently, from hisbeing immersed in the bath when the water was too hot, caused himgreat pain and suffering. From 96 to 98 degrees of Fahrenheit is theproper temperature of a warm bath. If it be necessary to add freshwarm water, let him be either removed the while, or let it not be putin when very hot; for if boiling water be added to increase the heatof the bath, it naturally ascends, and may scald him. Again, let thefresh water be put in at as great a distance from him as possible. Theusual time for him to remain in a bath is a quarter of an hour ortwenty minutes. Let the chest and the bowels be rubbed with the handwhile he is in the bath. Let him be immersed in the bath as high up asthe neck, taking care that he be the while supported under thearmpits, and that his head be also rested. As soon as he comes out ofthe bath, he ought to be carefully but quickly rubbed dry; and if itbe necessary to keep up the action on the skin, he should be put tobed, between the blankets; or if the desired relief has been obtained, between the sheets, which ought to have been previously warmed, where, most likely, he will fall into a sweet refreshing sleep. 

WARM EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS. 

283. _In case of a child suffering pain either in his stomach or inhis bowels, or in case he has a feverish cold, can you tell me of thebest way of applying heat to them_?

In pain either of the stomach or of the bowels, there is nothingusually affords greater or speedier relief than the _external_application of heat The following are four different methods ofapplying heat:--1. A bag of hot salt--that is to say, powderedtable-salt--put either into the oven or into a frying-pan over thefire, and thus made hot, and placed in a flannel bag, and thenapplied, as the case may be, either to the stomach or to thebowels. Hot salt is an excellent remedy for these pains. 2. Anindia-robber hot-water bottle, [Footnote: Every house where there arechildren ought to have one of these India-rubber hot-water bottles. Itmay be procured at any respectable Vulcanised India-rubber warehouse. ]half filled with hot water--it need not be boiling--applied to thestomach or to the bowels, will afford great comfort 3. Another and anexcellent remedy for these cases is a hot bran poultice. The way tomake it is as follows:--Stir bran into a Vessel containing either apint or a quart (according to size of poultice required) of boilingwater, until it be the consistence of a nice soft poultice, then putinto a flannel bag and apply it to the part affected. When cool, dipit from time to time in _hot_ water. 4. In case a child has a feverishcold, especially if it be attended, as it sometimes is, with pains inthe bowels, the following is a good external application. --Take a yardof flannel, fold it in three widths, then dip it in very hot water, wring it out tolerably dry, and apply it evenly and neatly round andround the bowels; over this, and to keep it in its place, and to keepin the moisture, put on a _dry_ flannel bandage, four yards long andfour inches wide. If it be put on at bed-time, it ought to remain onall night. Where there are children, it is desirable to have the yardof flannel and the flannel bandage in readiness, and then a motherwill be prepared for emergencies. Either the one or the other, then, of the above applications will usually, in pains of the stomach andbowels, afford great relief. There is one great advantage of the_external_ application of heat--it can never do harm; if there beinflammation, it will do good; if there be either cramps or spasms ofthe stomach, it will be serviceable; if there be colic, it will be oneof the best remedies that can be used; if it be a feverish cold, bythrowing the child into a perspiration, it will be beneficial. 

It is well for a mother to know how to make a white bread poultice;and as the celebrated Abernethy was noted for his poultices, I willgive you his directions, and in his very words:--"Scald out a basin, for you can never make a good poultice unless you have perfectlyboiling water, then, having put in some hot water, throw in coarselycrumbled bread, and cover it with a plate. When the bread has soakedup as much water as it will imbibe, drain off the remaining water, andthere will be left a light pulp. Spread it a third of an inch thick onfolded linen, and apply it when of the temperature of a warm bath. Itmay be said that this poultice will be very inconvenient if there beno lard in it, for it will soon get dry; but this is the very thingyou want, and it can easily be moistened by dropping warm water on it, whilst a greasy poultice will be moist, but not wet. "--_South'sHousehold Surgery_. 

ACCIDENTS. 

284. _Supposing a child to cut his finger, what is the bestapplication_?

There is nothing better than tying it up with rag in its blood, asnothing is more healing than blood. Do not wash the blood away, butapply the rag at once, taking care that no foreign substance be leftin the wound. If there be either glass or dirt in it, it will ofcourse be necessary to bathe the cut in warm water, to get rid of itbefore the rag be applied. Some mothers use either salt or Fryar'sBalsam, or turpentine, to a fresh wound; these plans are cruel andunnecessary, and frequently make the cut difficult to heal. If itbleed immoderately, sponge the wound freely with cold water. If it bea severe cut, surgical aid, of course, will be required. 

285. _If a child receive a blow, causing a bruise, what had better bedone_?

Immediately smear a small lump of _fresh_ butter on the part affected, and renew it every few minutes for two or three hours; this is anold-fashioned, but a very good remedy. Olive oil may--if _fresh_butter be not at hand--be used, or soak a piece of brown-paper in onethird of French brandy and two-thirds of water, and immediately applyit to the part; when dry renew it. Either of these simple plans--thebutter plan is the best--will generally prevent both swelling anddisfiguration. 

A "_Black Eye_. "--If a child, or indeed any one else, receive a blowover the eye, which is likely to cause a "black eye, " there is noremedy superior to, nor more likely to prevent one, than wellbuttering the parts for two or three inches around the eye with freshbutter, renewing it every few minutes for the space of an hour or two;if such be well and perseveringly done, the disagreeable appearance ofa "black eye" will in all probability be prevented. A capital remedyfor a "black eye" is the Arnica Lotion, --

 Take of--Tincture of Arnica, one ounce; Water, seven ounces;

To make a Lotion. The eye to be bathed by means of a soft piece oflinen rag, with this lotion frequently; and, between times, let apiece of linen rag, wetted in the lotion, be applied: to the eye, andbe fastened in its place by means of a bandage. 

The white lily leaf, soaked in brandy, is another excellent remedy forthe bruises of a child. Gather the white lily blossoms when in fullbloom, and put them in a wide-mouthed bottle of brandy, cork thebottle, and it will then always be ready for use. Apply a leaf to thepart affected, and bind it on either with a bandage or with ahandkerchief. The white lily root sliced is another valuable externalapplication for bruises. 

286. _If a child fall upon his head and be stunned, what ought to bedone_?

If he fall upon his head and be stunned, he will look deadly pale, very much as if he had fainted. He will in a few minutes, in allprobability, regain his consciousness. Sickness frequentlysupervenes, which makes the case more serious, it being a proof thatinjury, more or less severe, has been done to the brain; send, therefore, instantly for a medical man. 

In the meantime, loosen both his collar and neckerchief, lay him flaton his back, sprinkle cold water upon his face, open the windows so asto admit plenty of fresh air, and do not let people crowd round him, nor shout at him, as some do, to make him speak. 

While he is in an unconscious state, do not on any account whateverallow a drop of blood to be taken from him, either by leeches or fromthe arm-venesection; if you do, he will probably never rally, but willmost likely "sleep the sleep that knows not breaking. "

287. _A nurse sometimes drops an infant and injures his back; whatought to be done_?

Instantly send for a surgeon; omitting to have proper advice in such acase has frequently made a child a cripple for life. A nursefrequently, when she has dropped her little charge, is afraid to tellher mistress; the consequences might then be deplorable. If ever achild scream violently without any assignable cause, and the mother isnot able for some time to pacify him, the safer plan is that she sendfor a doctor, in order that he might strip and carefully examine him;much after misery might often be averted if this plan were morefrequently followed. 

288. _Have you any remarks to make and directions to give onaccidental poisoning by lotions, by liniments, etc_?

It is a culpable practice of either a mother or nurse to leave_external_ applications within the reach of a child. It is alsohighly improper to put a mixture and an _external_ application (suchas a lotion or a liniment) on the same tray or on the samemantel-piece. Many liniments contain large quantities of opium, atea-spoonful of which would be likely to cause the death of achild. "Hartshorn and oil, " too, has frequently been swallowed bychildren, and in several instances has caused death. Many lotionscontain sugar of lead, which is also poisonous. There is not, fortunately, generally sufficient lead in the lotion to cause death;but if there be not enough to cause death, there may be more thanenough to make the child very poorly. All these accidents occur fromdisgraceful carelessness. 

A mother or a nurse ought _always_, before administering a dose ofmedicine to a child, to read the label on the bottle; by adopting thissimple plan many serious accidents and much after misery might beaverted. Again, I say, let every lotion, every liniment, and indeedeverything for external use, be either locked up or be put out of theway, and far away from all medicine that is given by the mouth. Thisadvice admits of no exception. 

If your child have swallowed a portion of a liniment containing opium, instantly send for a medical man. In the meantime force a strongmustard emetic (composed of two tea-spoonfuls of flour of mustard, mixed in half a tea-cupful of warm water) down his throat. Encouragethe vomiting by afterwards forcing him to swallow warm water. Ticklethe throat either with your finger or with a feather. Souse himalternately in hot and then in a cold bath. Dash cold water on hishead and face. Throw open the windows. Walk him about in the openair. Rouse him by slapping him, by pinching him, and by shouting tohim; rouse him, indeed, by every means in your power, for if you allowhim to go to sleep, it will, in all probability, be the sleep thatknows no waking!

If a child have swallowed "hartshorn and oil, " force him to drinkvinegar and water, lemon-juice and water sweetened with sugar, barleywater, and thin gruel. 

If he have swallowed a lead lotion, give him a mustard emetic, andthen vinegar and water, sweetened either with honey or with sugar, todrink. 

289. _Are not lucifer matches poisonous_?

Certainly, they are very poisonous; it is, therefore, desirable thatthey should be put out of the reach of children. A mother ought to bevery strict with servants on this head. Moreover, lucifer matches arenot only poisonous but dangerous, as a child might set himself on firewith them. A case bearing on the subject has just come under my ownobservation. A little boy three years old, was left alone for two orthree minutes, during which time he obtained possession of a lucifermatch, and struck a light by striking the match against thewall. Instantly there was a blaze. Fortunately for him, in his fright, he threw the match on the floor. His mother at this moment entered theroom. If his clothes had taken fire, which they might have done, hadhe not have thrown the match away, or if his mother had not been sonear at hand, he would, in all probability, have either been severelyburned or have been burned to death. 

290. _If a child's clothes take fire, what ought to be done toextinguished them_?

Lay him on the floor, then roll him either in the rug, or in thecarpet, or in the door-mat, or in any thick article of dress you mayeither have on, or have at hand--if it be woollen, so much the better;or, throw him down, and roll him over and over on the floor, as, byexcluding the atmospheric air, the flame will go out:--hence theimportance of a mother cultivating presence of mind. If parents werebetter prepared for such emergencies, such horrid disfigurations andfrightful deaths would be less frequent. 

You ought to have a proper fire-guard before the nursery grate, andshould be strict in not allowing your child to play with fire. If hestill persevere in playing with it, when he has been repeatedlycautioned not to do so, he should be punished for his temerity. Ifanything would justify corporal chastisement, it would surely be suchan act of disobedience. There are only two acts of disobedience that Iwould flog a child for--namely, the playing with fire and the tellingof a lie! If after various warnings and wholesome corrections he stillpersist, it would be well to let him slightly taste the pain of hisdoing so, either by holding his hand for a moment very near the fire, or by allowing him to slightly touch either the hot bar of the grateor the flame of the candle. Take my word for it the above plan, willeffectually cure him--he will never do it again. It would be well forthe children of the poor to have pinafores made either of woollen orof stuff materials. The dreadful deaths from burning, which so oftenoccur in winter, too frequently arise from _cotton_ pinafores firsttaking fire. [Footnote: It has been computed that upwards of 1000children are annually burned to death by accident in England. ]

If all dresses after being washed, and just before being dried, were, for a short time, soaked in a solution of tungstate of soda, suchclothes, when dried, would, be perfectly fire-proof. 

Tangstate of soda may be used either with or without starch; but fulldirections for the using of it will, at the time of purchase, be givenby the chemist. 

291. _Is a burn more dangerous than a scald_?

A burn is generally more serious than a scald. Burns and scalds aremore dangerous on the body, especially on the chest, than either onthe face or on the extremities. The younger the child, the greaterthe danger. 

Scalds both of the mouth and the throat, from a child drinking boilingwater from the spout of a tea-kettle, are most dangerous. A poorperson's child is, from the unavoidable absence of the mother, sometimes shut up in the kitchen by himself, and being very thirsty, and no other water being at hand, he is tempted, in his ignorance, todrink from the tea-kettle: If the water be unfortunately boiling, itwill most likely prove to him to be a fatal draught!

292. _What are the best immediate applications to a scald or to aburn_?

There is nothing more efficacious than flour. It ought to be thicklyapplied over the part affected, and should be kept in its place eitherwith a rag and a bandage, or with, strips of old linen. If this bedone, almost instantaneous relief will be experienced, and the burn orthe scald, if superficial, will soon be well. The advantage of flouras a remedy, is this, that it is always at hand. I have seen someextensive bums and scalds cured by the above simple plan. Anotherexcellent remedy is, cottonwool of superior quality, purposely madefor surgeons. The burn or the scald ought to be enveloped in it;layer after layer should be applied until it be several inchesthick. The cotton-wool must not be removed for several days. These tworemedies, flour and cotton-wool, may be used in conjunction; that isto say, the flour may be thickly applied to the scald or to the burn, and the cotton wool over all. 

Prepared lard--that is to say, lard without salt [Footnote: If therebe no other lard in the house but lard _with_ salt, the salt may bereadily removed by washing the lard in cold water. Preparedlard--that is to say, lard _without_ salt--can, at any moment, beprocured from the nearest druggist in the neighbourhood]--is anadmirable remedy for burns and for scalds. The advantages of lardare, --(1. ) It is almost always at hand; (2. ) It is very cooling, soothing, and unirritating to the part, and it gives almost immediatefreedom from pain; (3. ) It effectually protects and sheathes the burnor the scald from the air; (4. ) It is readily and easily applied: allthat has to be done is to spread the lard either on pieces of oldlinen rag, or on lint, and then to apply them smoothly to the partsaffected, keeping them in their places by means of bandages--whichbandages may be readily made from either old linen or calico shirts. Dr John Packard, of Philadelphia, was the first to bring this remedyfor burns and scalds before the public--he having tried it in numerousinstances, and with the happiest results. I myself have, for manyyears been in the habit of prescribing lard as a dressing forblisters, and with the best effects. I generally advise equal parts ofprepared lard and of spermaceti-cerate to be blended together to makean ointment. The spermaceti-cerate gives a little more consistence tothe lard, which, in warm weather especially, is a great advantage. 

Another valuable remedy for burns is "carron-oil;" which is made bymixing equal parts of linseed-oil and lime-water in a bottle, andshaking it up before using it. 

Cold applications, such as cold water, cold vinegar and water, andcold lotions, are most injurious, and, in many cases, evendangerous. Scraped potatoes, sliced cucumber, salt, and spirits ofturpentine, have all been recommended; but, in my practice, nothinghas been so efficacious as the remedies above enumerated. 

Do not wash the wound, and do not dress it more frequently than every_other_ day. If there be much discharge, let it be gently sopped upwith soft old linen rag; but do not, _on any_ account, let the burn berubbed or roughly handled. I am convinced that, in the majority ofcases, wounds are too frequently dressed, and that the washing ofwounds prevents the healing of them. "It is a great mistake, " saidAmbrose Pare, "to dress ulcers too often, and to wipe their surfacesclean, for thereby we not only remove the useless excrement, which isthe mud or sanies of ulcers, but also the matter which forms theflesh. Consequently, for these reasons, ulcers should not be dressedtoo often. "

It is nature, and not the surgeon, that really cures the wound, and itis done, like all Nature's works, principally in secret, by degrees, and by patience, and resents much interference. The seldom-dressing ofa wound and patience are, then, two of the best remedies for effectinga cure. Shakspeare, who seemed to know surgery, as he did almosteverything else beside was quite cognisant of the fact:--

 "How poor are they, that have not patience What wound did ever heal, but by degrees"

The burn or the scald may, after the first two days, if severe, require different dressings; but, if it be severe, the child ought ofcourse to be immediately placed under the care of a surgeon. 

If the scald be either on the leg or on the foot, a common practice isto take the shoe and the stocking off; in this operation the skin isalso at the same time very apt to be removed. Now, both the shoe andthe stocking ought to be slit up, and thus be taken off, so thatneither unnecessary pain nor mischief may be caused. 

293. _If a bit of quick-lime should accidentally enter the eye of mychild, what ought to be done_?

Instantly, but tenderly remove, either by means of a camel's hairbrush, or by a small spill of paper, any bit of lime that may adhereto the ball of the eye, or that may be within the eye or on theeye-lashes; then well bathe the eye (allowing a portion to enter it)with vinegar and water-one part of vinegar to three parts of water, that is to say, a quarter fill a clean half-pint medicine bottle withvinegar, and then fill it up with spring water, and it will be readyfor use. Let the eye be bathed for at least a quarter of an hour with, it The vinegar will neutralise the lime, and will rob it of itsburning properties. 

Having bathed the eye with vinegar and water for a quarter of an hour, bathe it for another quarter of an hour simply with a little warmwater, after which, drop into the eye two or three drops of the bestsweet-oil, put on an eye-shade made of three thicknesses of linen rag, covered with green silk, and then do nothing more until the doctorarrive. 

If the above rules be not _promptly_ and _properly_ followed out, thechild may irreparably lose his eyesight; hence the necessity ofconversations of this kind, to tell a mother, provided _immediate_assistance cannot be obtained, what ought _instantly_ to be done; formoments, in such a case, are precious. 

While doing all that I have just recommended, let a surgeon be sentfor, as a smart attack of inflammation, of the eye is very apt tofollow the burn of lime; but which inflammation will, provided the_previous_ directions have been _promptly_ and _efficiently_ followedout, with appropriate treatment, soon subside. 

The above accident is apt to occur to a child who is standing near abuilding when the slacking of quicklime is going on, and whereportions of lime in the form of powder are flying about the air. Itwould be well not to allow a child to stand about such places, asprevention is always better than cure. _Quicklime_ is sometimes called_caustic-lime_--it well deserves its name, for it is a _burning-lime_, and if proper means be not promptly used, will soon burn away thesight. 

294. _If any other foreign substance should enter the eye, what is thebest method of removing it_?

If there be grit, or sand, or dust, or particle of coal, or gnat, or ahair, or an eye-lash in the eye, it ought to be tenderly removed by asmall tightly-folded paper spill, holding down the lower lid with thefore-finger of the left hand the while; and the eye, if inflamed, should be frequently bathed with warm milk and water; but generally assoon as the cause is removed the effect will cease, and aftertreatment will be unnecessary. 

If a particle of metal be sticking on the cornea of the eye, as itsometimes does, it will require the skilled hand of a surgeon toremove it. 

Any foreign substance, however minute, in the eye, is very painful;but a piece of burning lime is excruciating. Shakspeare gives agraphic description of the pain from the presence of any foreignsubstance, however small, in the eye:--

 "Oh heaven!--that there were but a mote in yours, A grain, a dust, a gnat, a wand'ring hair, Any annoyance in that precious sense! Then, feeling what small things are boist'rous there, Your vile intent must needs seem horrible. "

295. _What ought to be done in a case of choking_?

How often does a hungry little child, if not carefully watched, fillhis mouth so full, and swallow lumps of food in such hot haste, as tochoke himself--

 "With eager feeding, food doth choke the feeder"

 _Shakespeare. _

_Treatment_. -Instantly put your finger into the throat and feel if thesubstance be within reach; if it be food, force it down, and thusliberate the breathing; should it be a hard substance, endeavour tohook it out; if you cannot reach it, give a good smart blow or twowith the flat of the hand on the back; or, as recommended bycontributor to the _Lancet_, on the chest, taking care to "seize thelittle patient, and place him between your knees side ways, and inthis or some other manner to _compress the abdomen_ [the belly], otherwise the power of the blow will be lost by the yielding of theabdominal parieties [walls of the belly], and the respiratory effortwill not be produced. " If that does not have the desired effect, tickle the throat with your finger, so as to ensure immediatevomiting, and the subsequent ejection of the offending substance. 

296. _Should my child be bitten by a dog supposed to be mad, whatought to be done_?

Instantly well rub for the space of five or ten _seconds_--seconds, _not_ minutes--a stick of nitrate of silver (lunar-caustic) into thewound. The stick of lunar-caustic should be pointed, like a cedarpencil for writing, in order the more thoroughly to enter thewound. [Footnote: A stick of pointed nitrate of silver, in a case, ready for use, may be procured of any respectable chemist. ] This, ifproperly done directly after the bite, will effectually preventhydrophobia. The nitrate of silver acts not only as a caustic to thepart, but it appears effectually to neutralise the poison, and thus, by making the virus perfectly innocuous, is a complete antidote. If itbe either the lip, or the parts near the eye, or the wrist, that havebeen bitten, it is far preferable to apply the caustic than to cut thepart out; as the former is neither so formidable, nor so dangerous, nor so disfiguring as the latter, and yet it is equally asefficacious. I am indebted to the late Mr Youatt, the celebratedveterinary surgeon, for this valuable antidote or remedy for the_prevention_ of the most horrible, heart-rending, and incurabledisease known. Mr Youatt had an immense practice among, dogs as wellas among horses. He was a keen observer of disease, and a dear loverof his profession, and he had paid great attention to rabies--dog-madness. He and his assistants had been repeatedly bitten byrabid dogs; but knowing that he was in possession of an infalliblepreventive remedy, he never dreaded the wounds inflicted either uponhimself or upon his assistants. Mr Youatt never knew lunar-caustic, ifproperly and _immediately_ applied, to fail. It is, of course, only apreventive. If hydrophobia be once developed in the human system, noantidote has ever yet, for this fell and intractable disease, beenfound. 

While walking the London Hospitals, upwards of forty years ago, Ireceived an invitation from Mr Youatt to attend a lecture onrabies--dog-madness. He had, during the lecture, a dog presentlabouring under _incipient_ madness. In a day or two after thelecture, he requested me and other students to call at his infirmaryand see the dog, as the disease was at that time fully developed. Wedid so, and found the poor animal raving mad--frothing at the mouth, and snapping at the iron bars of his prison. I was particularly struckwith a peculiar brilliancy and wildness of the dog's eyes. He seemedas though, with affright and consternation, he beheld objects unseenby all around. It was pitiful to witness his frightened and anxiouscountenance. Death soon closed the scene!

I have thought it my duty to bring the value of lunar-caustic as apreventive of hydrophobia prominently before your notice, and to pay atribute of respect to the memory of Mr Youatt--a man of talent and ofgenius. 

Never kill a dog supposed to be mad who has bitten either a child, orany one else, until it has, past all doubt, been ascertained whetherhe be really mad or not. He ought, of course, to be tied up; and becarefully watched, and be prevented the while from biting any oneelse. The dog by all means should be allowed to live at least for someweeks, as the fact of his remaining well will be the best guaranteethat there is no fear of the bitten child having caught hydrophobia. 

There is a foolish prejudice abroad, that a dog, be he mad or not, whohas bitten a person ought to be _immediately_ destroyed; that althoughthe dog be not at the time mad, but should at a future period becomeso, the person who had been bitten when the dog was _not_ mad, would, when the dog became mad, have hydrophobia! It seems almost absurd tobring the subject forward; but the opinion is so very general anddeep-rooted, that I think it well to declare that there is not theslightest foundation of truth in it, but that it is a ridiculousfallacy!

A cat sometimes goes mad, and its bite may cause hydrophobia; indeed, the bite of a mad cat is more dangerous than the bite of a mad dog. Abite from a mad cat ought to be treated precisely in the samemanner-namely, with the lunar-caustic--as for a mad dog. 

Hydrophobia was by our forefathers graphically called _water-fright_:it was well named, for the horror of swallowing water is, by anhydrophobic patient, most intense, and is _the_ leading symptom ofthis fell and incurable disease. 

A bite either from a dog or from a cat _who is not mad_, from a catespecially, is often venomous and difficult to heal. The bestapplication is, _immediately_ to apply a large hot white breadpoultice to the part, and to renew it every four hours; and, if therebe much pain in the wound, to well foment the part, every time beforeapplying the poultice, with a hot camomile and poppy-head fomentation. 

Scratches of a cat are best treated by smearing, and that freely andcontinuously for an hour, and then afterwards at longer intervals, fresh butter on the part affected. If fresh butter Be not at hand, fresh lard--that is to say, lard _without_ salt--will answer thepurpose. If the pain of the scratch be very intense, foment the partaffected with hot water, and then apply a hot white bread poultice, which should be frequently renewed. 

297. _What are the best remedies in ease of a sting from either a beeor a wasp_?

Extract the sting, if it have been left behind, either by means of thepair of dressing forceps, or by the pressure of the hollow of a smallkey--a watch-key will answer the purpose; then, the blue-bag (which isused in washing) moistened with water, should be applied to the part;or a few drops of solution of potash, [Footnote: Which may beinstantly procured of a druggist. ] or "apply moist snuff or tobacco, rubbing it well in, " [Footnote: A Bee-master. _The Times_, July28, 1864. ] and renew from time to time either of them: if either ofthese be not at hand, either honey, or treacle, or fresh butter, willanswer the purpose. Should there be much swelling or inflammation, foment the part with hot water, and then apply hot bread poultice, andrenew it frequently. In eating apricots, or peaches, or other fruit, they ought beforehand to be carefully examined, in order to ascertainthat no wasp is lurking in them; otherwise, it may sting the throat, and serious consequences will ensue. 

298. _If a child receive a fall, causing the skin to be grazed, canyou tell me of a good application_?

You will find gummed paper an excellent remedy: the way of preparingit is as follows:--Apply evenly, by means of a small brush, thickmucilage of gum-arabic to cap-paper; hang it up to dry, and keep itready for use. When wanted, cut a portion as large as may berequisite, then moisten it with your tongue, in the same manner youwould a postage stamp, and apply it to the grazed part. It may beremoved when necessary by simply wetting it with water. The part intwo or three days will be well. There is usually a margin of gummedpaper sold with postage stamps; this will answer the purpose equallywell. If the gummed paper be not at hand, then frequently, for thespace of an hour or two, smear the part affected with fresh butter. 

299. _In case of a child swallowing by mistake either laudanum, orparegoric, or Godfrey's Cordial, or any other preparation of opium, what ought to be done_?

Give, as _quickly as possible_, a strong mustard emetic; that is tosay, mix two tea-spoonfuls of flour of mustard in half a tea-cupfulof water, and force it down his throat. If free vomiting be notinduced, tickle the upper part of the swallow with a feather, drenchthe little patient's stomach with large quantities of warm water. Assoon as it can be obtained from the druggist, give him the followingemetic draught--

 Take of--Sulphate of Zinc, one scruple; Simple Syrup, one drachm. Distilled Water, seven drachms;

To make a Draught. 

Smack his buttocks and his back, walk him, or lead him, or carry himabout in the fresh air, shake him by the shoulders, pat his hair, tickle his nostrils, shout and holler in his ears, plunge him into awarm bath and then into a cold bath alternately. Well sponge his headand face with cold water, dash cold water on his head, face, and neck, and do not, on any account, until the effects of the opiate are goneoff, allow him to go to sleep, if you do, he will never wake again!While doing all those things, of course, you ought to lose no time insending for a medical man. 

300. _Have you any observation to make on parent's allowing the DeadlyNightshade (Atropa Belladonna) to grow in their gardens_?

I wish to caution you not on any account to allow the Belladonna--theDeadly Nightshade--to grow in your garden. The whole plant--root, leaves, and berries--is poisonous and the berries, being attractive tothe eye, are very alluring to children. 

301. _What is the treatment of poisoning by Belladonna_?

Instantly send for a medical man, but, in the mean time, give anemetic-a mustard emetic--mix two teaspoonfuls of flour of mustard inhalf a tea-cupful of warm water, and force it down the child's throatthen drench him with warm water, and tickle the upper part of hisswallow either with a feather or with the finger, to make him sick asthe grand remedy is an emetic to bring up the offending cause. If theemetic has not acted sufficiently, the medical man when he arrives maydeem it necessary to use the stomach pump, but remember not a momentmust be lost, for moments are precious in a case of belladonnapoisoning, in giving a mustard emetic, and repeating it again andagain until the enemy be dislodged. Dash cold water upon his head andface; the best way of doing which is by means of a large sponge, holding his head and his face over a wash-hand basin, half filled withcold water, and filling the sponge from the basin, and squeezing itover his head and face, allowing the water to continuously stream overthem for an hour or two, or until the effects of the poison havepassed away. This sponging of the head and face is very useful inpoisoning by opium, as well as in poisoning by belladonna; indeed, thetreatment of poisoning by the one is very similar to the treatment ofpoisoning by the other. I, therefore, for the further treatment ofpoisoning by belladonna, beg to refer you to a previous Conversation, on the treatment of poisoning by opium. 

302. _Should a child put either a pea or a bead, or any other foreignsubstance, up the nose, what ought to be done_?

Do not attempt to extract it yourself, or you might push it furtherin, but send instantly for a surgeon, who will readily remove it, either with a pair of forceps, or by means of a bent probe, or with adirector. If it be a pea, and it be allowed for any length of time toremain in, it will swell, and will thus become difficult to extract, and may produce great irritation and inflammation. A child ought notto be allowed to play with peas or with beads (unless the beads are ona string), as he is apt, for amusement, to push them up his nose. 

303. _If a child have put either a pea, a bean, a bead, acherry-stone, or any other smooth substance, into his ear, what oughtto be done to remove it_?

Turn his head on one side, in order to let the ear with the pea or thebead in it be undermost, then give with the flat of your hand two orthree sharp, sudden slaps or boxes on the other, or _upper_most ear, and most likely the offending substance will drop out. Poking at theear will, in the majority of cases, only send the substance furtherin, and will make it more difficult (if the above simple plan does notsucceed) for the medical man to remove. The surgeon will, in allprobability, syringe the ear; therefore have a supply of warm water inreadiness for him, in order that no time may be lost. 

304. _If an earwig or any other living thing, should get into the earof a child, what ought to be done_?

Lay the child on his side, the affected ear being uppermost, and fillthe ear, from a tea-spoon, with either water or sweet oil. The wateror oil will carry the living thing, whatever it be, out of the ear, and the child is at once relieved. 

305. _If a child swallow a piece of broken glass, what ought to bedone_?

Avoid purgatives, as the free action on the bowels would be likely toforce the spiculae of glass into the mucous membrane of the bowels, andthus would wound them, and might cause ulceration, and even death. "The object of treatment will be to allow them to pass through theintestines well enveloped by the other contents of the tube, and forthis purpose a solid, farinaceous diet should be ordered, andpurgatives scrupulously avoided. "--_Shaw's Medical Remembrancer_, byHutchinson. 

306. _If a child swallow a pin, what should be done_?

Treat him as for broken glass. Give him no aperients, or it might, inaction, force the pin into the bowel. I have known more than oneinstance where a child, after swallowing a pin, to have, voided it inhis motion. 

307. _If a child swallow a coin of any kind, is danger likely, toensue, and what ought to be done_?

There is, as a rule, no danger. A dose or two of castor oil will beall that is usually necessary. The evacuations ought to be carefullyexamined until the coin be discovered. I once knew a child swallow apennypiece, and pass it in his stool. 

308. _If a child, while playing with a small coin (such as either athreepenny or a fourpenny piece), or any other substance, should tossit into his mouth, and inadvertently allow it to enter the windpipe, what ought to be done_?

Take hold of him by the legs, allowing his head to hang downwards;then give him with the palm of your hand several sharp blows on hisback, and you may have the good fortune to see the coin coughed out ofhis mouth. Of course, if this plan does not succeed, send instantly, for a medical man. 

309. _How can a mother prevent her child from having an accident_?

By strict supervision over frim on her own part, and by not permittingher child to be left to the tender mercies of servants; by notallowing him to play with fire, to swing over banisters, and to haveknives and playthings of a dangerous character; to keep all poisonousarticles and cutting instruments out of his reach; and, above all andbefore all, insisting, lovingly, affectionately, but firmly, uponimplicit obedience. 

Accidents generally arise from one of three causes, namely, eitherfrom wilful disobedience, or from gross carelessness, or fromdownright folly. I quite agree with Davenant, that they do not arisefrom chance--

 "If we consider accident, And how, repugnant unto sense, It pays desert with bad event, We shall disparage Providence. "

PART III. 

BOYHOOD AND GIRLHOOD. 

 _Just at the age 'twixt boy and youth When thought is speech and speech is truth_--SCOTT

 _'Tis with him e'en standing water. Between man and boy_--SHAKESPEARE

 _Standing with reluctant feet, Where the brook and river meet, Womanhood and childhood fleet_--LONGFELLOW

ABLUTION, ETC. 

310. _Have you any remarks to make on the ablution of boys and girls_?

How is it that a mother thinks it absolutely necessary (which itreally is) that her babe's _whole_ body should, every morning, bewashed; and yet who does not deem it needful that her girl or boy, oftwelve years old, should go through the process of daily and_thorough_ ablution? If the one case be necessary, sure I am that theother is equally if not more needful. 

Thorough ablution of the body every morning at least is essential tohealth. I maintain that no one can be in the enjoyment of perfecthealth who does not keep his skin--the whole of his skin--clean. Inthe absence of cleanliness, a pellicle forms on the skin whichengenders disease. Moreover, a person who does not keep his skin cleanis more susceptible of contracting contagious disease, such assmall-pox, typhus fever, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, etc. 

Thorough ablution of the body is a grand requisite of I maintain thatno one can be perfectly healthy unless he thoroughly wash hisbody--the whole of his body; if filth accumulate which, if not washedoff, it is sure to do, disease must, as a matter of course, follow. Besides, ablution is a delightful process; it makes one feel fresh andsweet, and young and healthy; it makes the young look handsome, andthe old look young! Thorough ablution might truly be said both torenovate and to rejuvenise! A scrupulously clean skin is one of thegrand distinctive characteristics both of a lady and of a gentleman, Dirty people are not only a nuisance to themselves, but to all around;they are not only a nuisance but a danger, as their dirty bodies areapt to carry from place to place contagious diseases. 

It is important that parts that are covered should be kept cleanerthan parts exposed to the air, as dirt is more apt to fester in darkplaces; besides, parts exposed to the air have the advantage of theair's sweetening properties; air acts as a bath, and purifies the skinamazingly. 

It is desirable to commence a complete system of washing early inlife, as it then becomes a second nature, and cannot afterwards bedispensed with. One accustomed to the luxury of his morning ablution, if anything prevented him from taking it, would feel mostuncomfortable; he would as soon think of dispensing with his breakfastas with his bath. 

Every boy, every girl, and every adult, ought each to have either aroom or a dressing-room to himself or to herself, in order that he orshe might strip to the skin and thoroughly wash themselves; no one canwash properly and effectually without doing so. 

Now, for the paraphernalia required for the process--(1. ) A largenursery basin, one that will hold six or eight quarts of water(Wedgwood's make being considered the best); (2. ) A piece of coarseflannel, a yard long and half a yard wide; (3. ) A large sponge; (4. ) Atablet either of the best yellow or of curd soap; (5. ) Two towels-onebeing a diaper, and the other a Turkish rubber. Now, as to the mannerof performing ablution. You ought to fill the basin three parts fullwith _rain_ water, then, having well-soaped and cleansed your hands, re-soap them, dip your head and face into the water, then with thesoaped hands well rub and wash your head, face, neck, chest, andarmpits; having done which, take the wetted sponge, and go over allthe parts previously travelled over by the soaped hands; then fold theflannel, as you would a neck-kerchief, and dip it in the water, thenthrow it, as you would a skipping-rope, over your shoulders and moveit a few times from right to left and from left to right, and up anddown, and then across the back and loins; having done which, dip thesponge in the water, and holding your head over the water, let thewater stream from the sponge a time or two over your head, neck, andface. Dip your head and face in the water, then put your hands andarms (as far as they will go) into the water, holding them there whileyou can count thirty. Having reduced the quantity of water to a thirdof a basinful, place the basin on the floor, and sit (while you cancount fifty) in the water; then put one foot at a time in the water, and quickly rub, with soaped hands, up and down your leg, over thefoot, and pass your thumb between each toe (this latter proceduretends to keep away soft corns); then take the sponge, filled withwater, and squeeze it over your leg and foot, from the kneedownwards, --then serve your other leg and foot in the same way. Byadopting the above plan, the whole of the body will, every morning, bethoroughly washed. 

A little warm water might at first, and during the winter time, beadded, to take off the chill; but the sooner quite cold water is usedthe better. The body ought to be quickly dried (taking care to wipebetween each toe), first with the diaper, and then with the Turkishrubber. In drying your back and loins, you ought to throw as you woulda skipping-rope, the Turkish rubber over your shoulders, and move it afew times front side to side, until the parts be dry. 

Although the above description is necessarily prolix, the washingitself ought to be very expeditiously performed; there should be nodawdling over it, otherwise the body will become chilled, and harminstead of good will be the result. If due dispatch be used, the wholeof the body might, according to the above method, be thoroughly washedand dried in the space of ten minutes. 

A boy ought to wash his head, as above directed, every morning, agirl, who has much hair, once a week, with soap and water, withflannel and sponge. The hair, if not frequently washed, is very dirty, and nothing is more repulsive than a dirty head!

It might be said, "Why do you go into particulars? why dwell so muchupon minutiae? Every one, without being told, knows how to washhimself!" I reply, "That very few people do know how to washthemselves properly; it is a misfortune that they do not--they wouldbe healthier and happier and sweeter if they did!"

311. _Have you any remarks to make on boys and girls learning toswim_?

Let me strongly urge you to let your sons and daughters be _early_taught to swim. Swimming is a glorious exercise--one of the best thatcan be taken; it expands the chest; it promotes digestion; it developsthe muscles, and brings into action some muscles that in any otherform of exercise are but seldom brought into play; it strengthens andbraces the whole frame, and thus makes the swimmer resist theliability of catching cold; it gives both boys and girls courage, energy, and self-reliance, --splendid qualities in this rough world ofours. Swimming is oftentimes the means of saving human life; this ofitself would be a great recommendation of its value. It is adelightful amusement; to breast the waves is as exhilarating to thespirits as clearing on horse-back a five-barred gate. 

The art of learning to swim is quite as necessary to be learned by agirl as by a boy; the former has similar muscles, lungs, and otherorgans to develop as the latter. 

It is very desirable that in large towns swimming-baths for ladiesshould be instituted. Swimming ought, then, to be a part and parcel ofthe education of every boy and of every girl. 

Swimming does not always agree. This sometimes arises from a personbeing quite cold before he plunges into the water. Many people have anidea that they ought to go into the water while their bodies are in acool state. Now this is a mistaken notion, and is likely to producedangerous consequences. The skin ought to be comfortably warm, neithervery hot nor very cold, and then the bather will receive everyadvantage that cold bathing can produce, If he go into the bath whilstthe body is cold, the blood becomes chilled, and is driven to internalparts, and thus mischief is frequently produced. 

A boy, after using cold bathing, ought, if it _agree_ with him, toexperience a pleasing glow over the whole surface of his body, hisspirits and appetite should be increased, and he ought to feelstronger; but if it _disagree_ with him, a chilliness and coldness, alassitude and a depression of spirits, will be the result; the facewill be pale and the features will be pinched, and, in some instances, the lips and the nails will become blue; all these are signs that_cold_ bathing is injurious, and, therefore, that it ought on noaccount to be persevered in, unless these symptoms have hithertoproceeded from his going into the bath whilst he was quite cold. Hemay, previously to entering the bath, warm himself by walking brisklyfor a few minutes. Where cold, sea water bathing does not agree, _warm_ sea bathing should be substituted. 

312. _Which do you prefer--sea bathing or fresh water bathing_?

Sea bathing. Sea bathing is incomparably superior to fresh waterbathing; the salt water is far more refreshing and invigorating; thebattling with the waves is more exciting; the sea breezes, blowing onthe nude body, breathes (for the skin is a breathing apparatus) healthand strength into the frame, and comeliness into the face; the seawater and the sea breezes are splendid cosmetics; the salt water isone of the finest applications, both for strengthening the roots andbrightening the colour of the hair, provided grease and pomatum havenot been previously used. 

313. _Have you any directions to give as to the time and the seasons, and the best mode of sea bathing_?

Summer and autumn are the best seasons of the year for cold seabathing--August and September being the best months. To prepare theskin for the cold sea bathing, it would be well, before taking a dipin the sea, to have on the previous day a warm salt water bath. It isinjurious, and even dangerous, to bathe _immediately_ after a _full_meal; the best time to bathe is about two hours after breakfast-thatis to say, at about eleven or twelve o'clock in the forenoon. Thebather as soon as he enters the water, ought _instantly_ to wet hishead; this may be done either by his jumping at once from the machineinto the water, or, if he have not the courage to do so, by plunginghis head without loss of time _completely_ under the water. He shouldremain in the water about a quarter of an hour, but never longer thanhalf an hour. Many bathers by remaining a long time in the water dothemselves great injury. If sea bathing be found to be invigorating--and how often to the delicate it has proved to be truly magical--apatient may bathe once every day, but on no account oftener. If he benot strong, he had better, at first, bathe only every other day, oreven only twice a week. The bather, after leaving the machine, oughtfor half an hour to take a brisk walk in order to promote a reaction, and thus to cause a free circulation of the blood. 

314. _Do you think a tepid bath [Footnote: A tepid bath from 62 to 96degrees of, Fahrenheit. ] may be more safely used_?

A tepid bath may be taken at almost any time, and a bather may remainlonger in one, with safety, than in a cold bath. 

315. _Do you approve of warm bathing_?

A warm, bath [Footnote: A warm bath from 97 to 100 degrees ofFahrenheit] may with advantage be occasionally used--say, once aweek. A warm bath cleanses the skin more effectually than either acold or a tepid bath; but, as it is more relaxing, ought not to beemployed so often as either of them. A person should not continuelonger than ten minutes in a warm bath. Once a week, as a rule isquite often enough for a warm bath; and it would be an excellent planif every boy and girl and adult would make a practice of having oneregularly every week, unless any special reason should arise to forbidits use. 

316. _But does not warm bathing, by relaxing the pores of the skin, cause a person to catch cold if he expose himself to the airimmediately afterwards_?

There is, on this point, a great deal of misconception and unnecessaryfear. A person, _immediately_ after using a warm bath, should takeproper precautions--that is to say, he must not expose himself todraughts, neither ought he to wash himself in _cold_ water, nor shouldhe, _immediately_ after taking one, drink _cold_ water. But he mayfollow his usual exercise or employment, provided the weather be fine, and the wind be neither in the east nor the north-east. 

Every house of any pretension ought to have a bathroom. Nothing wouldbe more conducive to health than regular systematic bathing. A hot andcold bath, a sitz bath, and a shower bath--each and all in theirturn--are grand requisites to preserve and procure health. If thehouse cannot boast of a bath-room, then the Corporation Baths (whichnearly every large town possesses) ought to be liberally patronised. 

MANAGEMENT OF THE HAIR

317. _What is the best application for the hair_?

A sponge and _cold_ water, and two good hair-brushes. Avoid grease, pomatum, bandoline, and all abominations of that kind. There is anatural oil of the hair, which is far superior to either Rowland'sMacassar Oil or any other oil! The best scent for the hair is anoccasional dressing of soap and water; the best beautifier of the hairis a downright thorough good brushing with two good hair brushes!Again, I say, _avoid grease of all kinds to the hair_. "And as forwoman's hair, don't plaster it with scented and sour grease, or withany grease; it has an oil of its own. And don't tie up your hairtight, and make it like a cap of iron over your skull. And why areyour ears covered? You hear all the worse, and they are not thecleaner. Besides, the ear is beautiful in itself, and plays its ownpart in the concert of the features. " [Footnote: _Health. _ By JohnBrown, M. D. ]

If the hair cannot, without some application, be kept tidy, then alittle castor oil, scented, might, by means of an old tooth-brush, beused to smooth it; castor oil is, for the purpose, one of the mostsimple and harmless of dressings; but, as I said before, the hair'sown natural oil cannot be equalled, far less surpassed!

If the hair fall off, the castor oil, scented with a few drops eitherof otto of roses or of essence of bergamot, is a good remedy toprevent its doing so; a little of it ought, night and morning, to bewell rubbed into the roots of the hair. Cocoa-nut oil is anotherexcellent application for the falling off of the hair, and can neverdo harm, which is more than can be said of many vaunted remedies forthe Hair!

CLOTHING. 

318. _Do you approve of a boy wearing flannel next to the skin?_

England is so variable a climate, and the changes from heat to cold, and from dryness to moisture of the atmosphere, are so sudden, thatsome means are required to guard against their effects. Flannel, as itis a bad conductor of heat, prevents the sudden changes from affectingthe body, and thus is a great preservative against cold. 

Flannel is as necessary in the summer as in the winter time; indeed, we are more likely both to sit and to stand in draughts in the summerthan in the winter; and thus we are more liable to become chilled andto catch cold. 

Woollen shirts are now much worn; they are very comfortable andbeneficial to health. Moreover, they simplify the dress, as theysupersede the necessity of wearing either both flannel and linen, orflannel and calico shirts. 

319. _Flannel sometimes produces great irritation of the skin: whatought to be done to prevent it_?

Have a moderately fine flannel, and persevere in its use; the skin ina few days will bear it comfortably. The Angola and wove-silkwaistcoats have been recommended as substitutes, but there is nothingequal to the old-fashioned Welsh flannel. 

320. _If a boy have delicate lungs, do you approve of his wearing aprepared hare-skin over the chest_?

I do not: the chest may be kept too warm as well as too cold. Thehare-skin heats the chest too much, and thereby promotes a violentperspiration; which, by his going into the cold air, may becomesuddenly checked, and may thus produce mischief. If the chest bedelicate, there is nothing like flannel to ward off colds. 

321. _After an attack of Rheumatic Fever, what extra clothing do youadvise_?

In the case of a boy, or a girl, just recovering from a severe attackof Rheumatic Fever, flannel next the skin ought always, winter andsummer, to be worn--flannel drawers as well as a flannel vest. 

322. _Have you any remarks to make on boys' waistcoats_?

Fashion in this, as in most other instances, is at direct variancewith common sense. It would seem that fashion was intended to makework for the doctor, and to swell the bills of mortality! It might beasked, What part of the chest, in particular, ought to be kept warm?The upper part needs it most. It is in the _upper_ part of the lungsthat tubercles (consumption) usually first make their appearance; andis it not preposterous to have such parts, in particular, kept cool?

Double-breasted waistcoats cannot be too strongly recommended for_delicate_ youths, and for all men who have _weak_ chests. 

323. _Have you any directions to give respecting the shoes and thestockings_?

The shoes for winter should be moderately thick and waterproof. Ifboys and girls be delicate, they ought to have double soles to theirshoes, with a piece of bladder between each sole, or the inner solemay be made of cork; either of the above plans will make the soles ofboots and shoes completely water-proof. In wet or dirty weatherIndia-rubber over-shoes are useful, as they keep the _upper_ as wellas the _under_ leathers perfectly dry. 

The socks, or stockings, for winter, ought to be either lambs-wool orworsted; it is absurd to wear _cotton_ socks or stockings all the yearround. I should advise a boy to wear socks not stockings, as he willthen be able to dispense with garters. Garters, as I have remarked ina previous Conversation, are injurious--they not only interfere withthe circulation of the blood, but also, by pressure, injure the bones, and thus the shape of the legs. 

Boys and girls cannot be too particular in keeping their feet warm anddry, as cold wet feet are one of the most frequent exciting causes ofbronchitis, of sore throats, and of consumption. 

324. _When should a girl begin to wear stays_?

She ought never to wear them. 

325. _Do not stays strengthen the body_?

No; on the contrary, they weaken it (1. ) _They, weaken themuscles_. The pressure upon them causes them to waste; so that, in theend, a girl cannot do without them, as the stays are then obliged toperform the duty of the wasted muscles. (2. ) _They weaken the lungs_by interfering with their functions. Every inspiration is accompaniedby a movement of the ribs. If this movement be impeded, the functionsof the lungs are impeded likewise, and, consequently, disease islikely to follow, and either difficulty of breathing, or cough, orconsumption, may ensue. (3) _They weaken the heart's action_, and thusfrequently produce palpitation, and, perhaps, eventually, organic orincurable disease of the heart (4) _They weaken the digestion_, bypushing down the stomach and the liver, and by compressing the latter, and thus induce indigestion, flatulence, and liver-disease. [Footnote:Several years ago, while prosecuting my anatomical studies in LondonUniversity College Dissecting rooms, on opening a young women, Idiscovered an immense indentation of the liver large enough to admit arolling pin, produced by tight lacing!] (5) _They weaken the bowels_, by impeding their proper peristaltic (spiral) motion, and thus mightproduce either constipation or a rupture. Is it not presumptuous toimagine that man can improve upon God's works, and that if moresupport had been required, the Almighty would not have given it?--

 "God never made his work for man to mend"--_Dryden. _

326. _Have you any remarks to make on female dress_?

There is a perfect disregard of health in everything appertaining tofashion. Parts that ought to be kept warm, remain unclothed, the_upper_ portion of the chest, most prone to tubercles (consumption), is completely exposed, the feet, great inlets to cold, are coveredwith thin stockings, and with shoes as thin as paper. Parts thatshould have full play are cramped and hampered, the chest is cribbedin with stays, the feet with _tight_ shoes, --hence causing deformity, and preventing a free circulation of blood. The mind, that ought to becalm and unruffled, is kept in a constant state of excitement byballs, and concerts, and plays. Mind and body sympathise with eachother, and disease is the consequence. Night is turned into day, anda delicate girl leaves the heated ball room, decked out in her airyfinery, to breathe the damp and cold air of night. She goes to bed, but, for the first few hours, she is too much excited to sleep, towards morning, when the air is pure and invigorating, and, when tobreathe it, would be to inhale health and life, she falls into afeverish slumber, and wakes not until noon-day. Oh, that a mothershould be so blinded and so infatuated!

327. _Have you any observations to make on a girl wearing a greendress_?

It is injurious to wear a green dress, if the colour have beenimparted to it by means of _Scheele's green_, which is arsenite ofcopper--a deadly poison. I have known the arsenic to fly off from a_green_ dress in the form of powder, and to produce, in consequence, ill-health. Gas-light green is a lovely green, and free from alldanger, and is fortunately superseding the Scheele's green both indresses and in worsted work. I should advise my fair reader, when sheselects green as her colour, always to choose the gas-light green, andto wear and to use for worsted work no other green besides, unless itbe imperial green. 

DIET. 

328. _Which is the more wholesome, coffee or tea, where milk does notagree, for a youth's breakfast_?

Coffee, provided it be made properly, and provided the boy or the girltake a great deal of out-door exercise; if a youth be much confinedwithin doors, black tea is preferable to coffee. The usual practice ofmaking coffee is to boil it, to get out the strength! But the fact is, the process of boiling boils the strength away; it drives off thataromatic, grateful principle, so wholesome to the stomach, and soexhilarating to the spirits; and, in lieu of which, extracts its dregsand impurities, which are both heavy and difficult of digestion. Thecoffee ought, if practicable, to be _freshly_ ground every morning, inorder that you may be quite sure that it be perfectly genuine, andthat none of the aroma of the coffee has flown off from long exposureto the atmosphere. If a youth's bowels be inclined to be costive, coffee is preferable to tea for breakfast, as coffee tends to keep thebowels regular. Fresh milk ought always to be added to the coffee inthe proportion of half coffee and half new milk. If coffee does notagree, then _black_ tea should be substituted, which ought to be takenwith plenty of fresh milk in it. Milk may be frequently given in tea, when it otherwise would disagree. 

When a youth is delicate, it is an excellent plan to give him, everymorning before he leaves his bed, a tumblerful of _new_ milk. Thedraught of milk, of course, is not in any way to interfere with hisregular breakfast. 

329. _Do you approve of a boy eating meat with his breakfast_?

This will depend upon the exercise he uses. If he have had a good walkor run before breakfast, or if he intend, after breakfast, to takeplenty of athletic out-door exercise, meat, or a rasher or two ofbacon, may, with advantage, be eaten; but not otherwise. 

330. _What is the best dinner for a youth_?

Fresh mutton or beef, a variety of vegetables, and a farinaceouspudding. It is a bad practice to allow him to dine, exclusively, either on a fruit pudding, or on any other pudding, or onpastry. Unless he be ill, he must, if he is to be healthy, strong, andcourageous, eat meat every day of his life. "All courageous animalsare carnivorous, and greater courage is to be expected in a people, such as the English, whose food is strong and hearty, than in thehalf-starved commonalty of other countries. "--Sir W. Temple. 

Let him be debarred from rich soups and from high-seasoned dishes, which only disorder the stomach and inflame the blood. It is a mistaketo give a boy or a girl broth or soup, in lieu of meat for dinner; thestomach takes such slops in a discontented way, and is not at allsatisfied. It may be well, occasionally, to give a youth with hisdinner, _in addition to his meat_, either good soup or good broth nothighly seasoned, made of good _meat_ stock. But after all that can besaid on the subject, a plain joint of meat, either roast or boiled, isfar superior for health and strength than either soup or broth, let itbe ever so good or so well made. 

He should be desired to take plenty of time over his dinner, so thathe may be able to chew his food well, and thus that it may be reducedto an impalpable mass, and be well mixed with the saliva, --which theaction of the jaws will cause to be secreted--before it passes intothe stomach. If such were usually the case, the stomach would not havedouble duty to perform, and a boy would not so frequently lay thefoundation of indigestion, etc. , which may embitter, and even makemiserable, his after-life. Meat, plain pudding, vegetables, bread, andhunger for sauce (which exercise will readily give), is the best, and, indeed, should be, as a rule, the only dinner he should have. A youthought not to dine later than two o'clock. 

331. _Do you consider broths and soups wholesome_?

The stomach can digest solid much more readily than it can liquidfood; on which account the dinner, specified above, is far preferableto one either of broth or of soup. Fluids in large quantities toomuch dilute the gastric juice, and over-distend the stomach, and henceweaken it, and thus produce indigestion: indeed, it might truly besaid that the stomach often takes broths and soups in a grumbling way!

332. _Do you approve of a boy drinking beer with his dinner_?

There is no objection to a little good, mild table-beer, but _strong_ale ought never to be allowed. It is, indeed, questionable whether aboy, unless he take unusual exercise, requires anything but water withhis meals. 

333. _Do you approve of a youth, more especially if he be weakly, having a glass or two of wine after dinner_?

I disapprove of it: his young blood does not require to be inflamed, and his sensitive nerves excited, with wine; and, if he he delicate, Ishould be sorry to endeavour to strengthen him by giving him such aninflammable fluid. If he be weakly, he is more predisposed to put oneither fever or inflammation of some organ; and, being thuspredisposed, wine would be likely to excite either the one or theother of them into action. 

 "Wine and youth are fire upon fire. "--_Fielding. _

A parent ought on no account to allow a boy to touch spirits, howevermuch diluted; they are, to the young, still more deadly in theireffects than wine. 

334. _Have you any objection to a youth drinking tea_?

Not at all, provided it be not _green_ tea, that it be not madestrong, and that it have plenty of milk in it. Green tea is apt tomake people nervous, and boys and girls ought not even to know what itis to be nervous. 

335. _Do you object to supper for a youth_?

Meat suppers are highly prejudicial. If he be hungry (and if he havebeen much in the open air, he is almost sure to be), a piece of breadand cheese, or of bread and butter, with a draught either of new milkor of table beer, will form the best supper he can have. He ought notto sup later than eight o'clock. 

336. _Do you approve of a boy having anything between meals_?

I do not; let him have four meals a day, and he will require nothingin the intervals. It is a mistaken notion that "little and often isbest, " The stomach requires rest as much as, or perhaps more than (forit is frequently sadly over-worked) any other part of the body. I donot mean that he is to have "_much_ and seldom:" moderation, ineverything, is to be observed. Give him as much as a growing boyrequires (_and that is a great deal_), but do not let him eatgluttonously, as many indulgent parents encourage their children todo. Intemperance in eating cannot be too strongly condemned. 

337. _Have you any objection to a boy having pocket money_?

It is a bad practice to allow a boy _much_ pocket money; if he be soallowed, he will be loading his stomach with sweets, fruit, andpastry, and thus his stomach will become cloyed and disordered, andthe keen appetite, so characteristic of youth, will be blunted, andill-health will ensue. "In a public education, boys early learnintemperance, and if the parents and friends would give them lessmoney upon their usual visits, it would be much to their advantage, since it may justly be said that a great part of their disorders arisefrom surfeit, '_plus occidit gula quam gladius_' (gluttony kills morethan the sword). "--_Goldsmith. _

How true is the saying that "many people dig their graves with theirteeth. " You may depend upon it that more die from stuffing than fromstarvation! There would be little for doctors to do if there were notso much stuffing and imbibing of strong drinks going on in the world!

AIR AND EXERCISE. 

338. _Have you any remarks to make on fresh air and exercise for boysand girls_?

Girls and boys, especially the former, are too much confined withindoors. It is imperatively necessary, if you wish them to be strong andhealthy, that they should have plenty of fresh air and exercise;remember, I mean fresh air--country air, not the close air of a town. By exercise, I mean the free unrestrained use of their limbs. Girls, in this respect, are unfortunately worse off than boys, although theyhave similar muscles to develop, similar lungs that require fresh air, and similar nerves to be braced and strengthened. It is not consideredlady-like to be natural--all then: movements must be measured by ruleand compass!

The reason why so many young girls of the present day are so sallow, under-sized, and ill-shaped, is for the want of air andexercise. After a time the want of air and exercise, by causing illhealth, makes them slothful and indolent-it is a trouble for them tomove from their chairs!

Respiration, digestion, and a proper action of the bowels, imperatively demand fresh air and exercise. Ill health will inevitablyensue if boys and girls are cooped up a great part of the day in aclose room. A distinguished writer of the present day says: "Thechildren of the very poor are always out and about. In this respectthey are an example to those careful mammas who keep their children, the whole day long, in their chairs, reading, writing, ciphering, drawing, practising music lessons, doing crotchet work, or anything, in fact, except running about in spite of the sunshine always peepingin and inviting them out of doors; and who, in the due course of time, are surprised to find their children growing up with incurable heart, head, lung, or stomach complaints. "

339. _What is the lest exercise for a youth_?

Walking or running: provided either of them be not carried tofatigue, --the slightest approach to it should warn a youth to desistfrom carrying it further. Walking exercise is not sufficientlyinsisted upon. A boy or a girl, to be in the enjoyment of good health, ought to walk at least ten miles every day. I do not mean ten miles ata stretch, but at different times of the day. Some young ladies thinkit an awfully long walk if they manage a couple of miles! How canthey, with such exercise, expect to be well? How can their muscles bedeveloped? How can their nerves be braced? How can their spines bestrengthened and be straight? How can their blood course merrilythrough their blood-vessels? How can their chests expand and bestrong? Why, it is impossible! Ill health must be the penalty of suchindolence, for Nature will not be trifled with! Walking exercise, then, is the finest exercise that can be taken, and must be taken, andthat without stint, if boys and girls are to be strong and well! Theadvantage of our climate is, that there is not a day in the whole yearthat walking exercise cannot be enjoyed. I use the term enjoyedadvisedly. The roads may, of course, be dirty; but what of that A goodthick pair of boots will be the remedy. 

Do then, let me entreat you, insist upon your--girls and boys takingplenty of exercise; let them almost live in the open air! Do notcoddle them; this is a rough; world of ours, and they must rough it;they must be knocked about a great deal, and the knocks will do them, good. Poor youths who are, as it were, tied to their mother's apronstrings, are much to be pitied; they are usually puny and delicate, and effeminate, and utterly deficient of self-reliance. 

340. _Do you approve of--horse or pony exercise for boys and girls_?

Most certainly I do; but still it ought not to supersedewalking. Horse or pony exercise is very beneficial, and cannot be toostrongly recommended. One great advantage for those living in towns, which it has over walking, is, that a person may go further into thecountry, and thus be enabled to breathe a purer and more healthyatmosphere. Again, it is a much more amusing exercise than walking, and this, for the young, is a great consideration indeed. 

Horse exercise is for both boys and girls a splendid exercise; itimproves the figure, it gives grace to the movements, it strengthensthe chest, it braces the muscles, and gives to the character energyand courage. Both boys and girls ought to be early taught to ride. There is nothing that gives more pleasure to the young than ridingeither on a pony or on a horse, and for younger children, even on thatdespised, although useful animal, a donkey. Exercise, taken withpleasure, is doubly beneficial. 

If girls were to ride more on horseback than they now do, we shouldhear less of crooked spines and of round shoulders, of chlorosis andof hysteria, and of other numerous diseases of that class, owing, generally, to debility and to mismanagement. 

Those ladies who "affect the saddle" are usually much healthier, stronger, and straighter than those who either never or but seldomride on horseback. 

Siding on horseback is both an exercise and an amusement, and ispeculiarly suitable for the fair sex, more especially as their modesof exercise are somewhat limited, ladies being excluded from followingmany games, such as cricket, and foot-ball, both of which arepractised, with such zest and benefit, by the rougher sex. 

341. _Do you approve of carriage exercise_?

There is no muscular exertion in carriage exercise; its principaladvantage is, that it enables a person to have a change of air, whichmay be purer than the one he is in the habit of breathing. But, whether it be so or not, change of air frequently does good, even, ifthe air be not so pure. Carriage exercise, therefore, does onlypartial good, and ought never to supersede either walking or horseexercise. 

342. _What is the best time of the day, for the taking of exercise_?

In the summer time, early in the morning and before breakfast, as"cool morning air exhilarates young blood like wine. " If a boy cannottake exercise upon an empty stomach, let him have a slice of bread anda draught of milk. When he returns home he will be able to do justiceto his breakfast. In fine weather he cannot take too much exercise, provided it be not carried to fatigue. 

343. _What is the best time for him to keep quiet_?

He ought not to take exercise immediately after--say for half an hourafter--a hearty meal, or it will be likely to interfere with hisdigestion. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

344. _What amusements do you recommend for a boy as being mostbeneficial to health_?

Manly games--such as rowing, skating, cricket, quoits, foot-ball, rackets, single-stick, bandy, bowls, skittles, and all gymnasticexercises. Such games bring the muscles into proper action, and thuscause them to be fully developed. They expand and strengthen thechest; they cause a due circulation of the blood, making it to boundmerrily through the blood-vessels, and thus to diffuse health andhappiness in its course. Another excellent amusement for boys, is thebrandishing of clubs. They ought to be made in the form of aconstable's staff, but should be much larger and heavier. The mannerof handling them is so graphically described by Addison that I cannotdo better than transcribe it--"When I was some years younger than I amat present, I used to employ myself in a more laborious diversion, which I learned from a Latin treatise of exercises that is writtenwith great erudition; it is there called the [Greek: skiomachia] orthe fighting with a man's own shadow, and consists in the brandishingof two short sticks grasped in each hand, and loaded with plugs oflead at either end. This opens the chest, exercises the limbs, andgives a man all the pleasure of boxing without the blows. I could wishthat several learned men would lay out that time which they employ incontroversies and disputes about nothing, in this method of fightingwith their own shadows. It might conduce very much to evaporate thespleen which makes them uneasy to the public as well as tothemselves. "

Another capital, healthful game is single-stick, which makes a boy "togain an upright and elastic carriage, and to learn the use of hislimbs. "--_H. Kingsley_. Single-stick may be taught by anydrill-sergeant in the neighbourhood. Do everything to make a boystrong. Remember, "the glory of young men is their strength. "

If games were more patronised in youth, so many miserable, nervous, useless creatures would not abound. Let a boy or girl, then, haveplenty of play; let half of his or her time be spent in play. 

There ought to be a gymnasium established in every town of thekingdom. The gymnasium, the cricket ground, and the swimming bath, areamong our finest establishments, and should be patronised accordingly. 

First of all, by an abundance of exercise and fresh air make your boysand girls strong, and then, in due time, they will be ready and beable to have their minds properly cultivated. Unfortunately, in thisenlightened age, we commence at the wrong end--we put the cart beforethe horse--we begin by cultivating the mind, and we leave the body tobe taken care of afterwards; the results are, broken health, precocious, stunted, crooked, and deformed youths, and prematuredecay. 

One great advantage of gymnastic exercise is, it makes the chestexpand, it fills the lungs with air, and by doing so strengthens themamazingly, and wards off many diseases. The lungs are not sufficientlyexercised and expanded; boys and girls, girls especially, do not as arule half fill their lungs with air; now air to the lungs is food tothe lungs, and portions of the lungs have not half their proper food, and in consequence suffer. 

It is very desirable that every boy and girl should, every day of hisor her life, and for a quarter of an hour at least each time, gothrough a regular _breathing exercise_--that is to say, should be madeto stand upright, throw back the shoulders, and the while alternatelyand regularly fully fill and fully empty the lungs of air. If thisplan were daily followed, the chest and lungs would be wonderfullyinvigorated, and the whole body benefited. 

345. _Is playing the flute, blowing the bugle, or any other windinstrument, injurious to health_?

Decidedly so: the lungs and the windpipe are brought into unnaturalaction by them. If a boy be of a consumptive habit, this will, ofcourse, hold good with tenfold force. If a youth must be musical lethim be taught singing, as that, provided the lungs be not diseased, will be beneficial. 

346. _What amusements do you recommend for a girl_?

Archery, skipping, horse exercise, croquet, the hand-swing, thefly-pole, skating, and dancing, are among the best. Archery expandsthe chest, throws back the shoulders, thus improving the figure, anddevelops the muscles. Skipping is exceedingly good exercise for agirl, every part of the body being put into action by it Horseexercise is splendid for a girl; it improves the figure amazingly--itis most exhilarating and amusing; moreover, it gives her courage andmakes her self-reliant Croquet develops and improves the muscles ofthe arms, beautifies the complexion, strengthens the back, and throwsout the chest. Croquet is for girls and women what cricket is for boysand men--a glorious game. Croquet has improved both the health andthe happiness of womankind more than any game ever before invented. Croquet, in the bright sunshine, with the winds of heaven blowingabout the players, is not like a ball in a stifling hot ball-room, with gas-lights poisoning the air. Croquet is a more sensibleamusement than dancing; it brings the intellect as well as the musclesinto play. The man who invented croquet has deserved greater glory, and has done more good to his species, than many philosophers whosenames are emblazoned in story. Hand-swing is a capital exercise for agirl, the whole of the body is thrown into action by it, and thespine, the shoulders, and the shoulder-blades, are especiallybenefited. The fly-pole, too, is good exercise for the whole of themuscles of the body, especially of the legs and the arms. Skating isfor a girl excellent exercise, and is as exhilarating as a glass ofchampagne, but will do her far more good! Skating improves the figure, and makes a girl balance and carry herself upright and well; it is amost becoming exercise for her, and is much in every way to becommended. Moreover, skating gives a girl courage and self-reliance. Dancing, followed as a rational amusement, causes a free circulationof the blood, and provided it does not induce her to sit up late atnight, is most beneficial. 

347. _If dancing be so beneficial why are balls such fruitful sourcesof coughs, of cold, and consumptions_?

On many accounts. They induce young ladies to sit up late at night;they cause them to dress more lightly than they are accustomed to do;and thus thinly clad, they leave their homes while the weather isperhaps piercingly cold, to plunge into a suffocating, hot ballroom, made doubly injurious by the immense number of lights, which consumethe oxygen intended for the due performance of the healthy functionsof the lungs. Their partners, the brilliancy of the scene, and themusic, excite their nerves to undue and thus to unnatural, action, andwhat is the consequence? Fatigue, weakness, hysterics, and extremedepression follow. They leave the heated ball-room when the morninghas far advanced, to breathe the bitterly cold and frequently damp airof a winter's night, and what is the result? Hundreds die ofconsumption, who might otherwise have lived. Ought there not, then, tobe a distinction between a ball at midnight and a dance in theevening?

348. _But still, would you have a girl brought up to forego thepleasure of a ball_?

If a parent prefer her so-called pleasures to her health, certainlynot; to such a mother I do not address myself. 

349. _Have you any remarks to make on singing, or on reading aloud_?

Before a mother allows her daughter to take lessons in singing, sheshould ascertain that there be no actual disease of the lungs, for ifthere be, it will probably excite it into action; but if no diseaseexist, singing or reading aloud is very conducive to health. Publicsingers are seldom known to die of consumption. Singing expands thechest, improves the pronunciation, enriches the voice forconversation, strengthens the lungs, and wards off many of theirdiseases. 

350. _Do you approve of corporal punishments in schools_?

I do not. I consider it to be decidedly injurious both to body andmind. Is it not painful to witness the pale cheeks and the dejectedlooks of those boys who are often flogged? If their tempers are mild, their spirits are broken; if their dispositions are at all obstinate, they become hardened and wilful, and are made little better thanbrutes. [Footnote: "I would have given him, Captain Fleming, had hebeen my son, " quoth old Pearson the elder, "such's good sound drubbingas he never would have forgotten--never!"

"Pooh! pooh! my good sir. Don't tell me. Never saw flogging in thenavy do good. Kept down brutes; never made a man yet. "--Dr NormanMacleod in _Good Words_, May 1861. ] A boy who is often flogged losesthat noble ingenuousness and fine sensibility so characteristic ofyouth. He looks upon his school as his prison, and his master as hisgaoler, and as he grows up to manhood, hates and despises the man whohas flogged him. Corporal punishment is revolting, disgusting, anddemoralising to the boy; and is degrading to the schoolmaster as a manand as a Christian, If schoolmasters must flog, let them flog their own sons. If they mustruin the tempers, the dispositions, and the constitution of boys, theyhave more right to practise upon their own than on other people'schildren! Oh! that parents would raise--and that without anyuncertain sound--their voices against such abominations, and thedetestable cane would soon be banished the school-room! "I amconfident that no boy, " says Addison, "who will not be allured byletters without blows, will never be brought to anything with them. Agreat or good mind must necessarily be the worse for such indignities;and it is a sad change to lose of its virtue for the improvement ofits knowledge. No one has gone through what they call a great school, but must have remembered to have seen children of excellent andingenuous natures (as have afterwards appeared in their manhood). Isay, no man has passed through this way of education but must haveseen an ingenuous creature expiring with shame, with pale looks, beseeching sorrow, and silent tears, throw up its honest sighs, andkneel on its tender knees to an inexorable blockhead, to be forgiventhe false quantity of a word in making a Latin verse. The child ispunished, and the next day he commits a like crime, and so a third, with the same consequence. I would fain ask any reasonable man whetherthis lad, in the simplicity of his native innocence, full of shame, and capable of any impression from that grace of soul, was not fitterfor any purpose in this life than after that spark of virtue isextinguished in him, though he is able to write twenty verses in anevening?"

How often is corporal punishment resorted to at school because themaster is in a passion, and he vents his rage upon the poorschool-boy's unfortunate back!

Oh! the mistaken notion that flogging will make a bad-behaved boy agood boy; it has the contrary effect. "'I dunno how 'tis, sir, ' saidan old farm labourer, in reply to a question from his clergymanrespecting the bad behaviour of his children, 'I dunno how 'tis; Ibeats 'em till they're black and blue, and when they won't kneel downto pray I knocks 'em down, and yet they ain't good. '"--_The BirminghamJournal. _

In an excellent article in _Temple Bar_(November 1864) on flogging inthe army, the following sensible remarks occur:--"In nearly a quarterof a century's experience with soldiers, the writer has always, andwithout a single exception, found flogging makes a good man bad, and abad man worse. " With equal truth it may be said that, without a singleexception, flogging makes a good boy bad, and a bad boy worse. Howmany men owe their ferocity to the canings they received whenschool-boys! The early floggings hardened and soured them, and bluntedtheir sensibility. 

Dr Arnold of Rugby, one of the best schoolmasters that England everproduced, seldom caned a boy--not more than once or twice during thehalf year; but when he did cane him, he charged for the use of thecane each time in the bill, in order that the parents might know howmany times their son had been punished. At some of our public schoolsnow-a-days, a boy is caned as many times in a morning as the worthydoctor would have caned him during the whole half year; but then, thedoctor treated the boys as gentlemen, and trusted much to theirhonour; but now many schoolmasters trust much to fear, little tohonour, and treat them as brute beasts. 

It might be said that the discipline of a school cannot be maintainedunless the boys be frequently caned, that it must be either caning orexpulsion. I deny these assertions. Dr Arnold was able to conduct hisschool with honour to himself, and with immense benefit to the risinggeneration, without either frequent canings or expulsions. The humaneplan, however, requires at first both trouble and patience; andtrouble some schoolmasters do not like, and patience they do notpossess; the use of the cane is quick, sharp, decisive, and at thetime effective. 

If caning be ever necessary, which it might occasionally be, for thetelling of lies for instance, or for gross immorality, let the headmaster himself be the only one to perform the operation, but let himnot be allowed to delegate it to others. A law ought in all publicschools to be in force to that effect. High time that something weredone to abate such disgraceful practices. 

Never should a schoolmaster, or any one else, be allowed, _on anypretence whatever_, to strike a boy upon his head. Boxing of the earshas sometimes caused laceration of the drum of the ear, and consequentpartial deafness for life. Boxing of the ears injures the brain, andtherefore the intellect. 

It might be said, that I am travelling out of my province in makingremarks on corporal chastisement in schools? But, with deference, Ireply that I am strictly in the path of duty. My office is to informyou of everything that is detrimental to your children's health andhappiness; and corporal punishment is assuredly most injurious both totheir health and happiness. It is the bounden duty of every man, andespecially of every medical man, to lift up his voice against theabominable, disgusting, and degrading system of flogging, and to warnparents of the danger and the mischief of sending boys to thoseschools where flogging is, except in rare and flagrant cases, permitted. 

351. _Have you any observations to make on the selection, of a femaleboarding-school_?

Home education, where it be practicable, is far preferable to sendinga girl to school; as _at_ home, her health, her morals, and herhousehold duties, can be attended to much more effectually than _from_home. Moreover, it is a serious injury to a girl, in more ways thanone, to separate her from her own brothers: they very much lose theiraffection for each other, and mutual companionship (so delightful andbeneficial between brothers and sisters) is severed. 

If home education be not practicable, great care must be taken inmaking choice of a school. Boarding school education requires greatreformation. Accomplishments, superficial acquirements, andbrain-work, are the order of the day; health is very littlestudied. You ought, in the education of your daughters, to rememberthat they, in a few years, will be the wives and the mothers ofEngland; and, if they have not health and strength, and a properknowledge of household duties to sustain their characters, whatuseless, listless wives and mothers they will make!

Remember, then, the body, and not the mind, ought, in early life, tobe principally cultivated and strengthened, and that the growing brainwill not bear, with impunity, much book learning. The brain of aschool-girl is frequently injured by getting up voluminous questionsby rote, that are not of the slightest use or benefit to her, or toany one else. Instead of this ridiculous system, educate a girl to beuseful and self-reliant. "From babyhood they are given to understandthat helplessness is feminine and beautiful; helpfulness, except incertain received forms of manifestation, unwomanly and ugly. The boysmay do a thousand things which are 'not proper for little girls. '"--_AWoman's Thoughts about Women_. 

From her twelfth to her seventeenth year, is the most important epochof a girl's existence, as regards her future health, and consequently, in a great measure, her future happiness; and one, in which, more thanat any other period of her life, she requires a plentiful supply offresh air, exercise, recreation, a variety of innocent amusements, andan abundance of good nourishment--more especially of fresh meat; iftherefore you have determined on sending your girl to school, you mustascertain that the pupils have as much plain wholesome nourishing foodas they can eat, [Footnote: If a girl have an _abundance_ of goodnourishment, the schoolmistress must, of coarse, be remunerated forthe necessary and costly expense; and how can this be done on thepaltry sum charged at _cheap_ boarding schools? It is utterlyimpossible! And what are we to expect from poor and insufficientnourishment to a fast-growing girl, and at the time of life, remember, when she requires an _extra_ quantity of good sustaining, supportingfood? A poor girl, from such treatment, becomes either consumptive orbroken down in constitution, and from which she never recovers, butdrags on a miserable existence. ] that the school be situated in ahealthy spot, that it be well-drained, that there be a largeplay-ground attached to it, that the young people are allowed plentyof exercise in the open air--indeed, that at least one-third of theday is spent there in croquet, skipping, archery, battle-dore andshuttlecock, gardening, walking, running, &c. 

Take care that the school-rooms are well-ventilated, that they are notover-crowded, and that the pupils are allowed chairs to sit upon, andnot those abominations--forms and stools. If you wish to try theeffect of them upon yourselves, sit for a couple of hours withoutstirring upon a form or upon a stool, and, take my word for it, youwill insist that forms and stools be banished for ever from theschoolroom. 

Assure yourself that the pupils are compelled to rise early in themorning, and that they retire early to rest; that each young lady hasa separate bed [Footnote: A horse-hair mattress should always bepreferred to a feather-bed. It is not only better for the health, butit improves the figure] and that many are not allowed to sleep in thesame room, and that the apartments are large and well-ventilated. Infine, their health and their morals ought to be preferred far aboveall their accomplishments. 

352. _They use, in some schools, straight-backed chairs to make a girlsit upright, and to give strength to her back: do you approve ofthem_?

Certainly not: the natural and the graceful curve of the back is notthe curve of a straight-backed chair. Straight-backed chairs areinstruments of torture, and are more likely to make a girl crookedthan to make her straight. Sir Astley Cooper ridiculed straight-backedchairs, and well he might. It is always well for a mother to try, forsome considerable time, such ridiculous inventions upon herself beforeshe experiments upon her unfortunate daughter. The position is mostunnatural. I do not approve of a girl lounging and lolling on a sofa;but, if she be tired and wants to rest herself, let her, like anyother reasonable being, sit upon a comfortable ordinary chair. 

If you want her to be straight, let her be made strong; and if she isto be strong, she must use plenty of exercise and exertion, such asdrilling, dancing, skipping, archery, croquet, hand-swinging, horse-exercise, swimming, bowls, etc. This is the plan to make herback straight and her muscles strong. Why should we bring up a girldifferently from a boy? Muscular exercises, gymnastic performances, and health-giving exertion, are unladylike, forsooth!

HOUSEHOLD WORK FOR GIRLS. 

353. _Do you recommend household work as a means of health for mydaughter_?

Decidedly: whatever you do, do not make a fine lady of her, or shewill become puny and delicate, listless, and miserable. A girl, lether station be what it might, ought, as soon as she be old enough, tomake her own bed. There is no better exercise to expand the figure andto beautify the shape than is bed-making. Let her make tidy her ownroom. Let her use her hands and her arms. Let her, to a great extent, be self-reliant, and let her wait upon herself. There is nothingvulgar in her being useful. Let me ask, of what use are many girls ofthe present day? They are utterly useless. Are they happy? No, forthe want of employment, they are miserable--I mean bodily employment, household work. Many girls, now-a-days, unfortunately, are made tolook upon a pretty face, dress, and accomplishments, as the onlythings needed! And, when they do become women and wives--if ever theydo become women and wives--what miserable lackadaisical wives, andwhat senseless, useless mothers they will make!

CHOICE OF PROFESSION OR TRADE. 

354. _What profession or trade would you recommend a boy of a delicateor of a consumptive habit to follow_?

If a youth be delicate, it is a common practice among parents eitherto put him to some light in-door trade, or, if they can afford it, toone of the learned professions. Such a practice is absurd, andfraught with danger. The close confinement of an in-door trade ishighly prejudicial to health. The hard reading requisite to fit a manto fill, for instance, the sacred office, only increases delicacy ofconstitution. The stooping at a desk, in an attorney's office, is mosttrying to the chest. The harass, the anxiety, the disturbed nights, the interrupted meals, and the intense study necessary to fit a manfor the medical profession, is still more dangerous to health thaneither law, divinity, or any in-door trade. "Sir Walter Scott says ofthe country surgeon, that he is worse fed and harder wrought than anyone else in the parish, except it be his fiorse. "--_Brown's HoroeSubsecivoe. _

A modern writer, speaking of the life of a medical man, observes, "There is no career which so rapidly wears away the powers of life, because there is no other which requires a greater activity of mindand body. He has to bear the changes of weather, continued fatigue, irregularity in his meals, and broken rest; to live in the midst ofmiasma and contagion. If in the country, he has to traverseconsiderable distances on horseback, exposed to wind and storm; tobrave all dangers to go to the relief of suffering humanity. A fearfultruth for medical men has been established by the table of mortalityof Dr. Caspar, published in the _British Review_. Of 1000 members ofthe medical profession, 600 died before their sixty-second year;whilst of persons leading a quiet life--such as agriculturists ortheologians--the mortality is only 347. If we take 100 individuals ofeach of these classes, 43 theologians, 40 agriculturists, 35 clerks, 32 soldiers, will reach their seventieth year; of 100 professors ofthe healing art, 24 only will reach that age. They are the sign-poststo health; they can show the road to old age, but rarely tread itthemselves. "

If a boy, therefore, be of a delicate or of a consumptive habit, anout-door calling should be advised, such as that of a farmer, of atanner, or a land-surveyor; but, if he be of an inferior station ofsociety, the trade of a butcher may be recommended. Tanners andbutchers are seldom known to die of consumption. 

I cannot refrain from reprobating the too common practice amongparents of bringing up their boys to the professions. The anxietiesand the heartaches which they undergo if they do not succeed (and howcan many of them succeed when there is such a superabundance ofcandidates?) materially injure their health. "I very much wonder, "says Addison, "at the humour of parents, who will not rather choose toplace their sons in a way of life where an honest industry cannot butthrive, than in stations where the greatest probity, learning, andgood sense, may miscarry. How many men are country curates, that mighthave made themselves aldermen of London by a right improvement of asmaller sum of money than what is usually laid out upon a learnededucation? A sober, frugal person, of slender parts and a slowapprehension, might have thrived in trade, though he starves uponphysic; as a man would be well enough pleased to buy silks of one whomhe could not venture to feel his pulse. Vagellius is careful, studious, and obliging, but withal a little thick-skulled; he has nota single client, but might have had abundance of customers. Themisfortune is that parents take a liking to a particular profession, and therefore desire their sons may be of it; whereas, in so great anaffair of life, they should consider the genius and abilities of theirchildren more than their own inclinations. It is the great advantageof a trading nation, that there are very few in it so dull and heavywho may not be placed in stations of life which may give them anopportunity of making their fortunes. A well-regulated commerce isnot, like law, physic, or divinity, to be overstocked with hands; but, on the contrary, flourishes by multitudes, and gives employment to allits professors. Fleets of merchantmen are so many squadrons offloating shops, that vend our wares and manufactures in all themarkets of the world, and find out chapmen under both the tropics. "

355. _Then, do you recommend a delicate youth to be brought up eitherto a profession or to a trade_?

Decidedly; there is nothing so injurious for a delicate boy, or foranyone else, as idleness. Work, in moderation, enlivens the spirits, braces the nerves, and gives tone to the muscles, and thus strengthensthe constitution. Of all miserable people, the idle boy, or the idleman, is the most miserable! If you be poor, of course you will bringhim up to some calling; but if you be rich, and your boy be delicate(if he be not actually in a consumption), you will, if you are wise, still bring him up to some trade or profession. You will, otherwise, be making a rod for your own as well as for your son's back. Oh, whata blessed thing is work!

356. _Have you any remarks to make on the sleep of boys and girls_?

Sleeping-rooms, are, generally, the smallest in the house, whereas, for health's sake, they ought to be the largest If it be impossible tohave a _large_ bedroom, I should advise a parent to have a dozen ortwenty holes (each about the size of a florin) bored with a centre-bitin the upper part of the chamber door, and the same number of holes inthe lower part of the door, so as constantly to admit a free currentof air from the passages. If this cannot readily be done, then let thebedroom door be left ajar all night, a door chain being on the door toprevent intrusion; and, in the summer time, during the night, let thewindow-sash, to the extent of about two or three inches, be left open. 

If there be a dressing-room next to the bedroom, it will be well tohave the dressing-room window, instead of the bedroom window, open atnight. The dressing-room door will regulate the quantity of air to beadmitted into the bedroom, opening it either little or much, as theweather might be cold or otherwise. 

_Fresh air during deep is indispensable to health. _--If a bedroom beclose, the sleep, instead of being calm and refreshing, is broken anddisturbed; and the boy, when he awakes in the morning, feels morefatigued than when he retired to rest. 

If sleep is to be refreshing, the air, then, must be pure, and freefrom carbonic acid gas, which, is constantly being evolved from thelungs. If sleep is to be health-giving, the lungs ought to have theirproper food--oxygen, and not to be cheated by giving them instead apoison--carbonic acid gas. 

It would be well for each boy to have a separate room to himself, andeach girl a separate room to herself. If two boys are obliged, fromthe smallness of the house, to sleep in one room, and if two girls, from the same cause, are compelled to occupy the same chamber, by allmeans let each one have a _separate_ bed to himself and to herself, asit is so much more healthy and expedient for both boy and girl tosleep alone. 

The roof of the bed should be left open--that is to say, the top ofthe bedstead ought not to be covered with bed furniture, but should beopen to the ceiling, in order to encourage a free ventilation ofair. A bed-curtain may be allowed on the side of the bed where thereare windy currents of air; otherwise bed-curtains and valances oughton no account to be allowed. They prevent a free circulation of theair. A youth should sleep on a horse-hair mattress. Such mattressesgreatly improve the figure and strengthen the frame. During the daytime, provided it does not rain, the windows must be thrown wide open, and, directly after he has risen from bed, the clothes ought to bethrown entirely back, in order that they may become, before the bed bemade, well ventilated and purified by the air--

 "Do yon wish to be healthy?-- Then keep the home sweet, As soon as you're up Shake each blanket and sheet. 

 Leave the beds to get fresh On the close crowded floor Let the wind sweep right through-- Open window and door

 The bad air will rush out As the good air comes in, Just as goodness is stronger And better than sin. 

 Do this, it's soon done, In the fresh morning air, It will lighten your labour And lessen your care

 You are weary--no wonder, There's weight and there's gloom Hanging heavily round In each over full room. 

 Be sure all the trouble Is profit and gain For there's head ache and heart-ache, And fever and pain

 Hovering round, settling down In the closeness and heat Let the wind sweep right through Till the air's fresh and sweet, And more cheerful you'll feel Through the toil of the day, More refreshed you'll awake When the night's paved away" [Footnote: _Household Verses on Health and Happiness_ London. Jarrold and Sons. Every mother should read these _Verses_. ]

Plants and flowers ought not to be allowed to remain in a chamber atnight. Experiments have proved that plants and flowers take up, inthe day-time, carbonic acid gas (the refuse of respiration), and giveoff oxygen (a gas so necessary and beneficial to health), but giveout, in the night season, a poisonous exhalation. 

Early rising cannot be too strongly insisted upon; nothing is moreconducive to health and thus to long life. A youth is frequentlyallowed to spend the early part of the morning in bed, breathing theimpure atmosphere of a bedroom, when he should be up and about, inhaling the balmy and health-giving breezes of the morning:--

 "Rise with the lark, and with the lark to bed: The breath of night's destructive to the hue Of ev'ry flower that blows. Go to the field, And ask the humble daisy why it sleeps Soon as the sun departs? Why close the eyes Of blossoms infinite long ere the moon Her oriental veil puts off? Think why, Nor let the sweetest blossom Nature boasts Be thus exposed to night's unkindly damp. Well may it droop, and all its freshness lose, Compell'd to taste the rank and pois'nous steam Of midnight theatre and morning ball Gire to repose the solemn hour she claims; And from the forehead of the morning steal The sweet occasion. Oh! there is a charm Which morning has, that gives the brow of age, a smack of youth, and makes the lip of youth Shed perfume exquisite. Expect it not Ye who till noon upon a down-bed lie, Indulging feverish sleep. "--_Hurdis_. 

If early rising be commenced in childhood it becomes a habit, and willthen probably be continued through life. A boy ought on no account tobe roused from his sleep; but, as soon as he be awake in the morning, he should be encouraged to rise. Dozing--that state between sleepingand waking--is injurious; it enervates both body and mind, and is asdetrimental to health as dram drinking! But if he rise early he mustgo to bed betimes; it is a bad practice to keep him up until thefamily retire to rest. He ought, winter and summer, to seek his pillowby nine o'clock, and should rise as soon as he awake in the morning. 

Let me urge upon a parent the great importance of _not_ allowing thechimney of any bedroom, or of any room in the house, to be stopped, asmany are in the habit of doing to prevent, as _they_ call it, adraught, but to prevent, as _I_ should call it, health. 

357. _How many hours of deep ought a boy to have_?

This, of course, will depend upon the exercise he takes: but, on anaverage, he should have every night at least eight hours. It is amistaken notion that a boy does _better_ with _little_ sleep. Infants, children, and youths require more than those who are further advancedin years; hence old people can frequently do with little sleep. Thismay in a measure be accounted for from the quantity of exercise theyoung take. Another reason may be, the young have neither rackingpain, nor hidden sorrow, nor carking care, to keep them awake; while, on the contrary, the old have frequently, the one, the other, orall:--

 "Care keeps his watch on every old man's eye, And where care lodges, sleep will never lie. "--_Shakspeare_. 

ON THE TEETH AND THE GUMS. 

358. _What are the beet means of keeping the teeth and the gums in ahealthy state_?

I would recommend the teeth and the gums to be well brushed with warmsalt and water, in the proportion of one large tea-spoonful of, saltto a tumbler of water. I was induced to try the above plan by therecommendation of an American writer--_Todd_. The salt and watershould be used _every night_. 

The following is an excellent tooth-powder:--

 Take of--Finely-powder Peruvian Bark; '' Prepared Coral; '' Prepared Chalk; '' Myrrh, of each half an ounce '' Orris root, a quarter of an ounce:

Mix them well together in a mortar, and preserve the powder in a widemouthed stoppered bottle. 

The teeth ought to be well brushed with the above tooth-powder everymorning. 

If the teeth be much decayed, and if, in consequence, the breath beoffensive, two ounces of finely-powdered charcoal well mixed with theabove ingredients will be found a valuable addition. Some personsclean their teeth every morning with soap; if soap be used it ought tobe Castile soap; and if the teeth be not white and clean, Castile soapis an excellent cleanser of the teeth, and may be used in lieu of thetooth powder as before recommended. 

There are few persons who brush their teeth properly. I will tell youthe right way. First of all procure a tooth brush of the best make, and of rather hard bristles, to enable it to penetrate into all thenooks and corners of the teeth; then, having put a small quantity ofwarm water into your mouth, letting the principal of it escape intothe basin, dip your brush in warm water, and if you are about usingCastile soap, rub the brush on a cake of the soap, and then well brushyour teeth, first upwards and then downwards, then from side toside--from right to left, and from left to right--then the backs ofthe teeth, then apply the brush to the tops of the crowns of the teethboth of the upper and of the lower jaw, --so that _every_ part of eachtooth, including the gums, may in turn be well cleansed and be wellbrushed. Be not afraid of using the brush; a good brushing anddressing will do the teeth and the gums an immensity of good; it willmake the breath sweet, and will preserve the teeth sound andgood. After using the brush the mouth must, of course, be well rinsedout with warm water. 

The finest get of teeth I ever saw m my life belonged to a middle-agedgentleman; the teeth had neither spot nor blemish, they were likebeautiful pearls. He never had toothache in his life, and did not knowwhat toothache meant! He brushed his teeth, every morning, with soapand water, in the manner I have previously recommended. I can only sayto you--go and do likewise!

Camphor ought never to be used as an ingredient of tooth-powder, itmakes the teeth brittle. Camphor certainly has the effect of makingthe teeth, for a time, look very white; but it is an evanescentbeauty. 

Tartar is apt to accumulate between and around the teeth; it is betterin such a case not to remove it by sealing instruments, but to adoptthe plan recommended by Dr Richardson, namely, to well brush the teethwith pure vinegar and water. 

PREVENTION OF DISEASE, ETC

359. _If a boy or a girl show great precocity of intellect, is anyorgan likely to become affected_?

A greater quantity of arterial blood is sent to the brain of those whoare prematurely talented, and hence it becomes more than ordinarilydeveloped. Such advantages are not unmixed with danger; this samearterial blood may exite and feed inflammation, and eitherconvulsions, or water on the brain, or insanity, or, at last, idiocymay follow. How proud a mother is in having a precocious child! Howlittle is she aware that precocity is frequently an indication ofdisease!

360. _How can danger in such a case be warded off_?

It behoves a parent, if her son be precocious, to restrain him--tosend him to a quiet country place, free from the excitement of thetown; and when he is sent to school, to give directions to the masterthat he is not on any account to tax his intellect (for a master isapt, if he have a clever boy, to urge him forward); and to keep himfrom those institutions where a spirit of rivalry is maintained, andwhere the brain is thus kept in a state of constant excitement. Medalsand prizes are well enough for those who have moderate abilities, butdangerous, indeed, to those who have brilliant ones. 

An over-worked precocious brain is apt to cause the death of theowner; and if it does not do so, it in too many instances injures thebrain irreparably, and the possessor of such an organ, from being oneof the most intellectual of children becomes one of the mostcommonplace of men. 

Let me urge you, if you have a precocious child, to give, and thatbefore it be too late, the subject in question your bestconsideration. 

361. _Are precocious boys in their general health usually strong ordelicate_?

Delicate: nature seems to have given a delicate body to compensate forthe advantages of a talented mind. A precocious youth is predisposedto consumption, more so than to any other disease. The hard studywhich he frequently undergoes excites the disease into action. It isnot desirable, therefore, to have a precocious child. A writer in"Eraser's Magazine" speaks very much to the purpose when he says, "Give us intellectual beef rather than intellectual veal. "

362. _What Habit of body is most predisposed to scrofula_?

He or she who has a moist, cold, fair, delicate and almost transparentskin, large prominent blue eyes, protuberant forehead, light-brown orauburn hair, rosy cheeks, pouting lips, milk-white teeth, long neck, high shoulders, small, flat, and contracted chest, tumid bowels, largejoints, thin limbs, and flabby muscles, is the person, mostpredisposed to scrofula. The disease is not entirely confined to theabove; sometimes she or he who has black hair, dark eyes andcomplexion, is subject to it, but yet, far less frequently than theformer. It is a remarkable fact that the most talented are the mostprone to scrofula, and being thus clever their intellects are toooften cultivated at the expense of their health. In infancy andchildhood, either water on the brain or mesenteric disease; in youth, pulmonary consumption is frequently their doom: they are like shiningmeteors; their life is short, but brilliant. 

363. _How may scrofula be warded off_?

Strict attention to the roles of health is the means to preventscrofula. Books, unless as an amusement, ought to be discarded. Thepatient must almost live in the open air, and his residence should bea healthy country place, where the air is dry and bracing; if it be ata farm-house, in a salubrious neighbourhood, so much the better. Inselecting a house for a patient predisposed to scrofula, _good purewater should be an important requisite;_ indeed for every one whovalues his health. Early rising in such a case is most beneficial. Wine, spirits, and all fermented liquors ought to be avoided. Beef-steaks and mutton-chops in abundance, and plenty of milk and offarinaceous food--such as rice, sago, arrowroot, &c. , should be hisdiet. 

Scrofula, if the above rules be strictly and perseveringly followed, may be warded off; but there must be no half measures, no trying toserve two masters--to cultivate at the same time the health and theintellect. The brain, until the body becomes strong, must _not_ betaxed. "You may prevent scrofula by care, but that some children areoriginally predisposed to the disease there cannot be the least doubt, and in such cases the education and the habits of youth should be sodirected as to ward off a complaint, the effects of which are sofrequently fatal. "--_Sir Astley Cooper on Scrofula_. 

364. _But suppose the disease to be already formed, what must then bedone_?

The plan recommended above must still be pursued, not by fits andstarts, but steadily and continuously, for it is a complaint thatrequires a vast deal of patience and great perseverance. Warm and coldsea-bathing in such a case are generally most beneficial. In a patientwith confirmed scrofula it will of course be necessary to consult askilful and experienced doctor. 

But do not allow without a second opinion any plan to be adopted thatwill weaken the system, which is already too much depressed. No, rather build up the body by good nourishing diet (as previouslyrecommended), by cod-liver oil, by a dry bracing atmosphere, such as, either Brighton, or Ramsgate, or Llandudno; or if the lungs bedelicate, by a more sheltered coast, such as, either St Leonards orTorquay. 

Let no active purging, no-mercurials, no violent, desperate remediesbe allowed. If the patient cannot be cured _without_ them, I ampositive that he will not be cured _with_ them. 

But do not despair; many scrofulous patients are cured by time and byjudicious treatment But if desperate remedies are to be used, the poorpatient had better by jar be left to Nature: "Let me fall now into thehand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies; but let me not fallinto the hand of man. "--_Chronicles_. 

365. _Have you any remarks to make on a girl stooping_?

A girl ought never to be allowed to stoop: stooping spoils the figure, weakens the chest, and interferes with the digestion. If she cannothelp stooping, you may depend upon it that she is in bad health, andthat a medical man ought to be consulted. As soon as her health isimproved the dancing-master should be put in requisition, andcalisthenic and gymnastic exercises should be resorted to. Horseexercise and swimming in such a case are very beneficial The girlshould live well, on good nourishing diet, and not be too closelyconfined either to the house or to her lessons. She ought during thenight to lie on a horsehair mattress, and during the day, for two orthree hours, flat on, her back on a reclining board. Stooping, ifneglected, is very likely to lead to consumption. 

366. _If a boy be round-shouldered and slouching in his gait, whatought to be done_?

Let him be drilled; there is nothing more likely to benefit him thandrilling. You never see a soldier round-shouldered nor slouching inhis gait He walks every inch like a man. Look at the difference inappearance between a country bumpkin and a soldier! It is the drillingthat makes the difference: "Oh, for a drill-sergeant to teach them tostand upright, and to turn out their toes, and to get rid of thatslouching, hulking gait, which gives such a look of clumsiness andstupidity!" [Footnote: A. K, H. B. , _Fraser's Magazine_, October1861. ]

367. _My daughter has grown out of shape, she has grown on one ride, her spine is not straight, and her ribs bulge out more on the one sidethan on the other; what is the cause, and can anything be done toremedy the deformity_?

The causes of this lateral curvature of the spine, and consequentbulging out of the ribs that you have just now described, arise eitherfrom delicacy of constitution, from the want of proper exercise, fromtoo much learning, or from too little play, or from not sufficient orproper nourishment for a rapidly-growing body. I am happy to say thatsuch a case, by judicious treatment, can generally be cured--namely, by gymnastic exercises, such as the hand-swing, the fly-pole, thepatent parlour gymnasium, the chest-expander, the skipping rope, theswimming bath; all sorts of out-door games, such as croquet, archery, &c. ; by plenty of good nourishment, by making her a child of Nature, by letting her almost live in the open air, and by throwing books tothe winds. But let me strongly urge you not, unless ordered by anexperienced surgeon, to allow any mechanical restraints or appliancesto be used. If she be made strong, the muscles themselves will pullboth the spine and the ribs into their proper places, more especiallyif judicious games and exercises (as I have before advised), and othertreatment of a strengthening and bracing nature, which a medical manwill indicate to you, be enjoined. Mechanical appliances will, if notjudiciously applied, and in a proper case, waste away the muscles, andwill thus increase the mischief; if they cause the ribs to be pushedin in one place, they will bulge them out in another, until, insteadof being one, there will be a series of deformities. No, the giving ofstrength and the judicious exercising of the muscles are, for alateral curvature of the spine and the consequent bulging out of oneside of the ribs, the proper remedies, and, in the majority of cases, are most effectual, and quite sufficient for the purpose. 

I think it well to strongly impress upon a mother's mind the greatimportance of early treatment. If the above advice be followed, everycurvature in the beginning might be cured. Cases of several years'standing might, with judicious treatment, be wonderfully relieved. 

Bear in mind, then, that if the girl is to be made straight, she isfirst of all to be made strong; the latter, together with the properexercises of the muscles, will lead to the former; and the _earlier_ amedical man takes it in hand, the more rapid, the more certain, andthe more effectual will be the cure. 

An inveterate, long-continued, and neglected case of curvature of thespine and bulging out of the ribs on one side might require mechanicalappliances, but such a case can only be decided on by an experiencedsurgeon, who ought always, _in the first place_, to be consulted. 

368. _Is a slight spitting of blood to be looked upon as a dangeroussymptom_?

Spitting of blood is always to be looked upon with suspicion; evenwhen a youth appears, in other respects, to be in good health, it isfrequently the forerunner of consumption. It might be said that, bymentioning the fact, I am unnecessarily alarming a parent, but itwould be a false kindness if I did not do so:--

 "I most be cruel, only to be kind. "--_Shakspeare_. 

Let me ask, When is consumption to be cured? Is it at the onset, or isit when it is confirmed? If a mother had been more generally awarethat spitting of blood was frequently the forerunner of consumption, she would, in the management of her offspring, have taken greaterprecautions; she would have, made everything give way to thepreservation of their health; and, in many instances, she would havebeen amply repaid by having the lives of her children spared toher. We frequently hear of patients, in _confirmed_ consumption, beingsent to Mentone, to Madeira, and to other foreign parts. Can anythingbe more cruel or absurd? If there be any disease that requires thecomforts of home--and truly may an Englishman's dwelling be called_home!_--and good nursing more than another, it is consumption. 

369. _What it the death-rate of consumption in England? At what agedoes consumption most frequently occur? Are girls more liable to itthan boys? What are the symptoms of this disease_?

It is asserted, on good authority, that there always are in England, 78, 000 cases of consumption, and that the yearly death-rate of thisfell disease alone is 39, 000! Consumption more frequently showsitself between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one: after then, theliability to the disease gradually diminishes, until, at the age offorty-five, it becomes comparatively rare. Boys are more prone to thiscomplaint than girls. Some of the most important symptoms of pulmonaryconsumption are indicated by the stethoscope; but, as I am addressinga mother, it would, of course, be quite out of place to treat of suchsigns in Conversations of this kind. The symptoms it might be well fora parent to recognise, in order that she may seek aid early, I willpresently describe. It is perfectly hopeless to expect to cureconsumption unless advice be sought at the _onset_, as the onlyeffectual good in this disease is to be done _at first_. 

It might be well to state that consumption creeps on insidiously. Oneof the earliest symptoms of this dreadful scourge is a slight, dry, short cough, attended with tickling and irritation at the top of thethroat. This cough generally occurs in the morning; but, after sometime, comes on at night, and gradually throughout the day and thenight. Frequently during the early stage of the disease _a slightspitting of blood occurs_. Now, this is a most dangerous symptom;indeed, I may go so far as to say that, as a rule, it is almost a suresign that the patient is in the _first_ stage of a consumption. 

There is usually hoarseness, not constant, but coming on if thepatient be tired, or towards the evening; there is also a sense oflassitude and depression, shortness of breath, a feeling of beingquickly wearied--more especially on the slightest exertion. The hairof a consumptive person usually falls off, and what little remains isweak and poor; the joints of the fingers become enlarged, or clubbedas it is sometimes called; the patient loses flesh, and, after sometime, night sweats make their appearance: then we may know that hecticfever has commenced. 

Hectic begins with chilliness, which is soon followed by flushings ofthe face, and by burning heat of the hands and the feet, especially ofthe palms and the soles. This is soon succeeded by perspirations. Thepatient has generally, during the day, two decided paroxysms of hecticfever--the one at noon, which lasts above five hours; the other in theevening, which is more severe, and ends in violent perspirations, which perspirations continue the whole night through. He may, duringthe day, have several attacks of hectic flushes of the face, especially after eating; at one moment he complains of being too hot, and rushes to the cool air; the next moment he is too cold, and almostscorches himself by sitting too near the fire. Whenever thecircumscribed hectic flush is on the cheek, it looks as though thecheek had been painted with vermilion, then is the time when the palmsof the hands are burning hot. Crabbe, in the following lines, graphically describes the hectic flush:--

 "When his thin cheek assumed a deadly hue, And all the rose to one small spot withdrew: They call'd it hectic; 'twas a fiery flush, More fix'd and deeper than the maiden blush. "

The expectoration at first is merely mucus, but after a time itassumes a characteristic appearance; it has a roundish, flocculent, woolly form, each portion of phlegm keeping, as it were, distinct; andif the expectoration be stirred in water, it has a milk-likeappearance. The patient is commonly harassed by frequent bowelcomplaints, which rob him of what little strength he has left. Thefeet and ankles swell. The perspiration, as before remarked, comes onin the evening, continues all night--more especially towards morning, and while the patient is asleep; during the time he is awake, even atnight, he seldom sweats much. The thrush generally shows itselftowards the close of the disease, attacking the tongue, the tonsils, and the soft palate, and _is a sure harbinger of approachingdeath_. Emaciation rapidly sets in. 

If we consider the immense engines of destruction at work-viz. , the-colliquative (melting) sweats, the violent bowel complaints, thevital parts that are affected, the harassing cough, the profuseexpectoration, the hectic fever, the distressing exertion ofstruggling to breathe--we cannot be surprised that "consumption hadhung out her red flag of no surrender, " and that death soon closes thescene. In girls, provided they have been previously regular, menstruation gradually declines, and then entirely disappears. 

370. _What are the causes of consumption_?

The _predisposing_ causes of consumption are the tuberculous habit ofbody, hereditary predisposition, narrow or contracted chest, deformedspine, delicacy of constitution, bad and scanty diet, or foodcontaining but little nourishment, impure air, close in-doorconfinement in schools, in shops, and in factories, ill-ventilatedapartments, dissipation, late hours, over-taxing with book-learningthe growing brain, thus producing debility, want of proper out-doorexercises and amusements, tight lacing; indeed, anything andeverything, that either will debilitate the constitution, or willinterfere with, or will impede, the proper action of the lungs, willbe the predisposing causes of this fearful and lamentable disease. 

An ill, poor, and insufficient diet is the mother of many diseases, and especially of consumption: "Whatsoever was the father of adisease, an ill diet was the mother. "

The most common _exciting_ causes of consumption are slighted colds, neglected inflammation of the chest, long continuance of influenza, sleeping in damp beds, allowing wet clothes to dry on the body, unhealthy employments--such as needle-grinding, pearl button makingetc. 

371. _Supposing a youth to have spitting of blood, what precautionswould you take to prevent it from ending in consumption_?

Let his health be the first consideration; throw books to the winds;if he be at school, take him away; if he be in trade, cancel hisindentures; if he be in the town, send him to a sheltered healthy spotin the country, or to the south coast; as, for instance, either to StLeonards-on-Sea, to Torquay, or to the Isle of Wight. 

I should be particular in his clothing, taking especial care to keephis chest and feet warm. If he did not already wear flannelwaistcoats, let it be winter or summer, I should recommend himimmediately to do so: if it be winter, I should advise him also totake to _flannel_ drawers. The feet must be carefully attended to;they ought to be kept both warm and dry, the slightest dampness ofeither shoes or stockings should cause them to be immediatelychanged. If a boy, he ought to wear double-breasted waistcoats; if agirl, high dresses. 

The diet must be nutritious and generous; he should be encouraged toeat plentifully of beef and mutton. There is nothing better forbreakfast, where it agree, than milk; indeed, it may be frequentlymade to agree by previously boiling it. Good home-brewed ale or soundporter ought, in moderation, to be taken. Wine and spirits must on noaccount be allowed. I caution parents in this particular, as many havean idea that wine, in such cases, is strengthening, and that _rum_ andmilk is a good thing either to cure or to prevent a cough!

If it be summer, let him be much in the open air, avoiding the eveningand the night air. If it be winter, he should, unless the weather bemild for the season, keep within doors. Particular attention ought tobe paid to the point the wind is in, as he should not be allowed to goout if it is either in the north, in the east, or in the north-east;the latter is more especially dangerous. If it be spring, and theweather be favourable, or summer or autumn, change of air, moreespecially to the south-coast--to the Isle of Wight, for instance--would be desirable; indeed, in a case of spitting of blood, I know ofno remedy so likely to ward off that formidable, and, generally, intractable complaint--consumption--as change of air. The beginning ofthe autumn is, of course, the beat season for visiting the coast. Itwould be advisable, at the commencement of October, to send him eitherto Italy, to the south of France--to Mentone [Footnote: See _Winterand Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean_, By J. Henry Bennet, M. D. , London: Churchill. ]--or to the mild parts of England--moreespecially either to Hastings, or to Torquay, or to the Isle ofWight--to winter. But remember, if he be actually in a _confirmed_consumption, I would not on any account whatever let him leave hishome; as then the comforts of home will far, very far, out-weigh anybenefit of change of air. 

372. _Suppose a youth to be much predisposed to a sore throat, whatprecautions ought he to take to ward off future attacks_?

He must use every morning thorough ablution of the body, beginningcautiously; that is to say, commencing with the neck one morning, thenby degrees, morning after morning, sponging a larger surface, untilthe whole of the body be sponged. The chill at first must be taken offthe water; gradually the temperature ought to be lowered until thewater be quite cold, taking care to rub the body thoroughly dry with acoarse towel--a Turkish rubber being the best for the purpose. 

He ought to bathe his throat externally every night and morning withluke-warm salt and water, the temperature of which must be graduallyreduced until at length no warm water be added. He should gargle histhroat either with barm, vinegar, and sage tea, [Footnote: Awine-glassful of barm, a wine-glassful of vinegar, and the remaindersage tea, to make a half-pint bottle of gargle. ] or with salt andwater--two tea-spoonfuls of table salt dissolved in a tumbler ofwater. He ought to harden himself by taking plenty of exercise in theopen air. He must, as much as possible, avoid either sitting orstanding in a draught, if he be in one, he should face it. He ought tokeep his feet warm and dry. He should take as little aperientmedicine as possible, avoiding especially both calomel and bluepill. As he grows up to manhood he ought to allow his beard to grow, as such would be a natural covering for his throat. I have known greatbenefit to arise from this simple plan. The fashion is now to wear thebeard, not to use the razor at all, and a sensible fashion I considerit to be. The finest respirator in the world is the beard. The beardis not only good for sore throats, but for weak chests. The wearing ofthe beard is a splendid innovation, it saves no end of trouble, isvery beneficial to health, and is a great improvement "to the humanface divine. "

373. _Have you any remarks to make on the almost universal habit ofboys and of very young men smoking_?

I am not now called upon to give an opinion of the effects of tobaccosmoking on the middle-aged and on the aged. I am addressing a motheras to the desirability of her sons, when boys, being allowed to smoke. I consider tobacco smoking one of the most injurious and deadly habitsa boy or young man can indulge in. It contracts the chest and weakensthe lungs, thus predisposing to consumption. It impairs the stomach, thus producing indigestion. It debilitates the brain and nervoussystem, thus inducing epileptic fits and nervous depression. It stuntsthe growth, and is one cause of the present race of pigmies. It makesthe young lazy and disinclined for work. It is one of the greatestcurses of the present day. The following cases prove, more than anyargument can prove, the dangerous and deplorable effects of a boysmoking. I copy the first case from _Public Opinion_. "The _France_mentions the following fact as a proof of the evil consequences ofsmoking for boys--'A pupil in one of the colleges, only twelve yearsof age, was some tune since seized with epileptic fits, which becameworse and worse in spite of all the remedies employed. At last it wasdiscovered that the lad had been for two years past secretly indulgingin the weed. Effectual means were adopted to prevent his obtainingtobacco, and he soon recovered. '"

The other case occurred about fifteen years ago in my ownpractice. The patient was a youth of nineteen. He was an inveteratesmoker. From being a bright intelligent lad, he was becoming idiotic, and epileptic fits were supervening. I painted to him, in vividcolours, the horrors of his case, and assured him that if he stillpersisted in his bad practices, he would soon become a drivellingidiot! I at length, after some trouble and contention, prevailed uponhim to desist from smoking altogether. He rapidly lost all epilepticsymptoms, his face soon resumed its wonted intelligence, and his mindasserted its former power. He remains well to this day, and is now amarried man with a family. 

374. _What are the best methods to restrain a violent bleeding fromthe nose_?

Do not, unless it be violent, interfere with a bleeding from thenose. A bleeding from the nose is frequently an effort of Nature torelieve itself, and therefore, unless it be likely to weaken thepatient, ought not to be restrained. If it be necessary to restrainthe bleeding, press firmly, for a few minutes, the nose between thefinger and the thumb; this alone will often stop the bleeding; if itshould not, then try what bathing the nose and the forehead and thenape of the neck with water quite cold from the pump, will do. If thatdoes not succeed, try the old-fashioned remedy of putting a cold largedoor-key down the back. If these plans fail, try the effects either ofpowdered alum or of powdered matico, used after the fashion ofsnuff--a pinch or two either of the one or of the other, or of both, should be sniffed up the bleeding nostril. If these should not answerthe purpose, although they almost invariably will, apply a large lumpof ice to the nape of the neck, and put a small piece of ice into thepatient's mouth for him to suck. 

If these methods do not succeed, plunge the hand and the fore-arm intocold water, keep them in for a few minutes, then take them out, andeither hold, or let be held up, the arms and the hands high above thehead: this plan has frequently succeeded when others have failed. Letthe room he kept cool, throw open the windows, and do not have many inthe room to crowd around the patient. 

Doubtless Dr Richardson's local anaesthetic--the ether spray--playingfor a few seconds to a minute _on_ the nose and _up_ the bleedingnostril, would act most beneficially in a severe case of this kind, and would, before resorting to the disagreeable operation of pluggingthe nose, deserve a trial. I respectfully submit this suggestion to mymedical brethren. The ether--rectified ether--used for the spray oughtto be perfectly pure, and of the specific gravity of 0. 723. 

If the above treatment does not soon succeed, send for a medical man, as more active means, such as plugging of the nostrils--_which, is notdone unless in extreme cases_--might be necessary. 

But before plugging of the nose is resorted to, it will be well to trythe effects of a cold solution of alum:--

 Take of--Powdered Alum, one drachm; Water, half a pint:

To make a Lotion. 

A little of the lotion should be put into the palm of the hand andsniffed up the bleeding nostril; or, if that does not succeed, some ofthe lotion ought, by means of a syringe, to be syringed up the nose. 

375. _In case of a young lady fainting, what had better be done_?

Lay her flat upon her back, taking care that the head be as low as, orlower than, the body; throw open the-windows, do not crowd aroundher, [Footnote: Shakspeare knew the great importance of not crowdingaround a patient who has fainted. He says--

 "So play the foolish throngs with one that swoons; Come all to help him, and so stop the air By which he should revive. "] unloosen her dress as quickly as possible; ascertain if she have been guilty of tight-lacing--for fainting is sometimes produced by that reprehensible practice. Apply smelling salts to her nostrils; if they be not at hand, burn a piece of rag under her nose; dash cold water upon her face; throw open the window; fan her; and do not, as is generally done, crowd round her, and thus prevent a free circulation of air. As soon as she can swallow, give her either a draught of _cold_ water or a glass of wine, or a tea-spoonful of sal-volatile in a wine-glassful of water. 

_To prevent fainting for the future. _--I would recommend early hours;country air and exercise; the stays, if worn at all, to be worn slack;attention to diet; avoidance of wine, beer, spirits, excitement, andfashionable amusements. 

Sometimes the cause of a young lady fainting, is either a disorderedstomach, or a constipated state of the bowels. If the fainting havebeen caused by _disordered stomach_, it may be necessary to stop thesupplies, and give the stomach, for a day or two, but little to do; afast will frequently prevent the necessity of giving medicine. Ofcourse, if the stomach be _much_ disordered, it will be desirable toconsult a medical man. 

If your daughter's fainting have originated from a _costive state ofthe bowels_ (another frequent cause of fainting), I beg to refer youto a subsequent Conversation, in which I will give you a list ofremedies for the prevention and the treatment of constipation. 

A young lady's fainting occasionally arises from debility--fromdownright weakness of the constitution; then the best remedies willbe, change of air to the coast, good nourishing diet, and thefollowing strengthening mixture:

 Take of--Tincture of Perchloride of Iron, two drachms; Tincture of Calumba, six drachms; Distilled Water, seven ounces:

Two table-spoonfuls of this mixture to be taken three times a day. 

Or for a change, the following:--

 Take of--Wine of Iron, one ounce and a half Distilled Water, six ounces and a half

To make a Mixture. Two table spoonfuls to be taken three times a day. 

Iron medicines ought always to be taken _after_ instead of _before_ ameal. The best times of the day for taking either of the abovemixtures will be eleven o'clock, four o'clock, and seven o'clock. 

376. _You had a great objection to a mother administering calomeleither to an infant or to a child, have you the same objection to aboy or a girl taking it when he or she requires an aperient_?

Equally as great. It is my firm belief that the frequent use, orrather the abuse, of calomel and of other preparations of mercury, isoften a source of liver disease and an exciter of scrofula. It is amedicine of great value in some diseases, when given by a _judicious_medical man, but, at the same time, it is a drag of great danger wheneither given indiscriminately, or when too often prescribed. I willgrant that in liver diseases it frequently gives temporary relief, butwhen a patient has once commenced the regular use of it, he cannot dowithout it, until, at length, the _functional_ ends in _organic_disease of the liver. The use of calomel predisposes to cold, and thusfrequently brings on either inflammation or consumption. Familyaperient pills ought never to contain, in any form whatever, aparticle of mercury. 

377. _Will you give me a list of remedies for the prevention and forthe cure of constipation_?

If you find it necessary to give your son or daughter an aperient, themildest should be selected, for instance, an agreeable and effectualone, is an electuary composed of the following ingredients--

 Take of--Beat Alexandria Senna, powdered, one ounce Best figs, two ounces, Best Raisins (stoned), two ounces, All chopped very fine. The size of a nutmeg or two to be eaten, eitherearly in the morning or at bedtime. 

Or, one or two tea-spoonfuls of Compound Confection. Of Senna(lenitive electuary) may occasionally, early in the morning, betaken. Or, for a change, a tea-spoonful of Henry's Magnesia, in half atumblerful of warm water. If this should not be sufficiently active, a tea-spoonful of Epsom salts should be given with the magnesia. ASeidlitz Powder forms another safe and mild aperient, or one or twoCompound Rhubarb Pills may be given at bed time. The followingprescription for a pill, where an aperient is absolutely necessary, isa mild, gentle, and effective one for the purpose--

 Take of--Extract of Socotrine Aloes, eight grains, Compound Extract of Colocynth, forty-eight grains, Hard Soap, twenty four grains, Treacle, a sufficient quantity

To make twenty four Pills. One or two to be taken at bedtimeoccasionally. 

But, after all, the best opening medicines are--cold ablutions everymorning of the whole body, attention to diet, variety of food, bran-bread, grapes, stewed prunes, French plums, Muscatel raisins, figs, fruit both cooked and raw--if it be ripe and sound, oatmealporridge, lentil powder, in the form of Du Barry's Arabica Revalenta, vegetables of all kinds, especially spinach, exercise in the open air, early rising, daily visiting the water-closet at a certain hour--thereis nothing keeps the bowels open so regularly and well as establishingthe habit of visiting the water-closet at a certain hour everymorning, and the other rules of health specified in theseConversations. If more attention were paid to these points, poorschool boys and school girls would not be compelled to swallow suchnauseous and disgusting messes as they usually do to their aversionand injury. 

Should these plans not succeed (although in the majority of cases, with patience and perseverance, they will) I would advise an enemaonce or twice a week, either simply of warm water, or of one made ofgruel, table-salt, and olive-oil, in the proportion of twotable-spoonfuls of salt, two of oil, and a pint of warm gruel, which aboy may administer to himself, or a girl to herself, by means of aproper enema apparatus. 

Hydropathy is oftentimes very serviceable in preventing and in curingcostiveness; and as it will sometimes prevent the necessity ofadministering medicine, it is both a boon and a blessing. "Hydropathyalso supplies us with various remedies for constipation. From thesimple glass of cold water, taken early in the morning, to the variousdouches and sea-baths, a long list of useful appliances might be madeout, among which we may mention the 'wet compresses' worn for threehours over the abdomen [bowels], with a gutta percha covering. "

I have here a word or two to say to a mother who is always physickingher family. It is an unnatural thing to be constantly dosing either achild, or any one else, with medicine. One would suppose that somepeople were only sent into the world to be physicked! If more carewere paid to the rules of health, very little medicine would berequired! This is a hold assertion; but I am confident that it is atrue one. It is a strange admission for a medical man to make, but, nevertheless, my convictions compel me to avow it. 

378. _What is the reason girls are so subject to costiveness_?

The principal reason why girls suffer more from costiveness than boys, is that their habits are more sedentary; as the best opening medicinesin the world are an abundance of exercise, of muscular exertion, andof fresh air. Unfortunately, poor girls in this enlightened age mustbe engaged, sitting all the while, several hours every day at fancywork, the piano, and other accomplishments; they, consequently, havelittle time for exercise of any kind. The bowels, as a matter ofcourse, become constipated; they are, therefore, dosed with pills, with black draughts, with brimstone and treacle--Oh! the abomination!--and with medicines of that class, almost _ad infinitum_. What is theconsequence? Opening medicines, by constant repetition, lose theireffects, and, therefore, require to be made stronger and stillstronger, until at length, the strongest will scarcely act at all, andthe poor unfortunate girl, when she becomes a woman, _if she ever doesbecome one_, is spiritless, heavy, doll, and listless, requiring dailydoses of physic, until she almost lives on medicine!

All this misery and wretchedness proceed from Nature's laws havingbeen set at defiance, from _artificial_ means taking the place of_natural_ ones--from a mother adopting as her rule and guide fashionand folly, rather than reason and common sense. When will a motherawake from her folly and stupidity? This is strong language to addressto a lady, but it is not stronger than the subject demands. 

Mothers of England do, let me entreat you, ponder well upon what Ihave said. Do rescue your girls from the bondage of fashion and offolly, which is worse than the bondage of the Egyptian task masters, for the Israelites did, in making bricks without straw, work m theopen air--"So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the landof Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw, " but your girls, many ofthem, at least, have no work, either in the house or in the openair--they have no exercise whatever. They are poor, drawling, dawdling, miserable nonentities, with muscles, for the want of properexercise, like ribands, and with faces, for the lack of fresh air, aswhite as a sheet of paper. What a host of charming girls are yearlysacrificed at the shrine of fashion and of folly. 

Another, and a frequent cause of costiveness, is the bad habit ofdisobeying the call of having the bowels opened. The moment there isthe slightest inclination to relieve the bowels, _instantly_ it oughtto be attended to, or serious results will follow. Let me urge amother to instil into her daughter's mind the importance of thisadvice. 

379. _Young people are subject to pimples on the face, what is theremedy_?

These hard red pimples (acne--"the grub pimple") are a common and anobstinate affection of the skin, affecting the forehead, the temples, the nose, the chin, and the cheeks, occasionally attacking the neck, the shoulders, the back, and the chest; and as they more frequentlyaffect the young, from the age of 15 to 35, and are disfiguring, theycause much annoyance. "These pimples are so well known by most personsas scarcely to need description; they are conical, red, and hard;after a while, they become white, and yellow at the point, thendischarge a thick, yellow-coloured matter, mingled with a whitishsubstance, and become covered by a hard brown scab, and lastly, disappear very slowly, sometimes very imperfectly, and often leavingan ugly scar behind them. To these symptoms are not unfrequently addedconsiderable pain, and always much unsightliness. When these littlecones have the black head of a 'grub' at their point, they constitutethe variety termed _spotted acne_. These latter often remainstationary for months, without increasing or becoming red; but whenthey inflame, they are in nowise different in their course from thecommon kind. "--_Wilson on Healthy Skin_. 

I find, in these cases, great benefit to be derived from bathing theface, night and morning, with strong salt and water--a table-spoonfulof table-salt to a tea-cupful of water; by paying attention to thebowels; by living on plain, wholesome, nourishing food; and by takinga great of out-door exercise. Sea-bathing, in these cases, is oftenvery beneficial. Grubs and worms have a mortal antipathy to salt. 

380. _What is the cause of a Gum-boil_?

A decayed root of a tooth, which causes inflammation and abscess ofthe gum, which abscess breaks, and thus becomes a gum-boil. 

381. _What is the treatment of a Gum-boil_?

Foment the outside of the face with a hot camomile and poppy headfomentation, [Footnote: Four poppy heads and four ounces of camomileblows to be boiled in four pints of water for half an hoar, and thento be strained to make the fomentation. ] and apply to the gum-boil, between the cheek and the gum, a small white bread and milk poultice, [Footnote: Cut a piece of bread, about the size of the little finger--without breaking it into crumb--pour boiling hot milk upon it, coverit over, and let it stand for five minutes, then apply the soakedbread over the gum-boil, letting it rest between the cheek and thegum. ] which renew frequently. 

As soon as the gum-boil has become quiet, _by all means_ have theaffected tooth extracted, or it might cause disease, and consequentlyserious injury of the jaw; and whenever the patient catches cold therewill be a renewal of the inflammation, of the abscess, and of thegum-boil, and, as a matter of course, renewed pain, trouble, andannoyance. Moreover, decayed fangs of teeth often cause the breath tobe offensive. 

382. _What is the best remedy for a Corn_?

The best remedy for a _hard corn_ is to remove it. The usual method ofcutting, or of paring a corn away, is erroneous. The following is theright way--Cut with a _sharp_ pair of pointed scissors around thecircumference of the corn. Work gradually round and round and towardsthe centre. When you have for some considerable distance well loosenedthe edges, you can either with your fingers or with a pair of forcepsgenerally remove the corn bodily, and that without pain and withoutthe loss of any blood: this plan of treating a corn I can recommend toyou as being most effectual. 

If the corn be properly and wholly removed it will leave a smallcavity or round hole in the centre, where the blood-vessels and thenerve of the corn--vulgarly called the root--really were, and which, in point of fact, constituted the very existence or the essence of thecorn. Moreover, if the corn be entirely removed, you will, withoutgiving yourself the slightest pain, be able to squeeze the partaffected between your finger and thumb. 

_Hard corns_ on the sole of the foot and on the sides of the foot arebest treated by filing--by filing them with a sharp cutting file (flaton one side and convex on the other) neither too coarse nor too finein the cutting. The corn ought, once every day, to be filed, andshould daily be continued until you experience a slight pain, whichtells you that the end of the corn is approaching. Many cases of _hardcorn_ that have resisted every other plan of treatment, have been_entirely_ cured by means of the file. One great advantage of the fileis, it cannot possibly do any harm, and may be used by a timidperson--by one who would not readily submit to any cutting instrumentbeing applied to the corn. 

The file, if properly used, is an effectual remedy for a _hard_ cornon the sole of the foot. I myself have seen the value of it in severalcases, particularly in one case, that of an old gentleman of ninetyfive, who had had a corn on the sole of his foot for upwards of half acentury, and which had resisted numerous, indeed almost innumerableremedies, at length I recommended the file, and after a fewapplications entire relief was obtained, and the corn was completelyeradicated. 

The corns between the toes are called _soft corns_. A _soft corn_ isquickly removed by the strong Acetic Acid--Acid. Acetic Fort--whichought to be applied to the corn every night by means of a camel's hairbrush. The toes should be kept asunder for a few minutes, in orderthat the acid may soak in, then apply between the toes a small pieceof cotton wool. 

Galbanum Plaster spread either on wash leather, or on what is better, on an old white kid glove, has been, in one of our medical journals, strongly recommended as a corn plaster, it certainly is an admirableone, and when the corn is between the toes is sometimes mostcomfortable--affording immense relief. 

Corns are like the little worries of life--very teazing andtroublesome a good remedy for a corn--which the Galbanum Plasterundoubtedly is-is therefore worth knowing. 

_Hard corns_, then, on the sole and on the side of the foot are besttreated by the file, _hard corns_ on the toes by the scissors, and_soft corns_ between the toes either by the strong Acetic Acid or bythe Galbanum Plaster. 

In the generality of cases the plans recommended above, if properlyperformed, will effect a cure, but if the corn, from pressure or fromany other cause, should return, remove it again, and proceed as beforedirected. If the corn have been caused either by tight or by illfitting shoes, the only way to prevent a recurrence is, of course, tohave the shoes, properly made by a clever shoemaker--by one whothoroughly understands his business, and who will have a pair of lastsmade purposely for the feet. [Footnote: As long as fashion instead ofcommon sense is followed in the making of both boots and shoes, menand women will, as a matter of course, suffer from corns. 

It has, often struck me as singular, when all the professions andtrades are so overstocked, that there should be, as there is in everylarge town, such a want of chiropodists (corn-cutters)--of respectablechiropodists--of men who would charge a _fixed_ sum for every visitthe patient may make, for instance to every working man a shilling, and to every gentleman half-a-crown or five shillings for _each_sitting, and not for _each_ corn (which latter system is a mostunsatisfactory way of doing business). I am quite sure that of such aplan were adopted, every town of any size in the kingdom wouldemployee regularly one chiropodist at least. However we might dislikesome few of the American customs, we may copy them with advantage inthis particular--namely, in having a regular staff of chiropodistsboth in civil and in military life. ]

The German method of making boots and shoes is a capital one for theprevention of corns, as the boots and shoes are made, scientificallyto fit a _real_ and not an _ideal_ foot. 

One of the best preventatives of as well as of the best remedies forcorns, especially of soft corns between the toes, is washing the feetevery morning as recommended in a previous Conversation, [Footnote:Youth--Ablution, page 250. ] taking especial care to wash with thethumb, and afterwards to wipe with the towel between each toe. 

383. _What are the best remedies to destroy a Wart_?

Pure nitric acid, [Footnote: A very small quantity of Pure NitricAcid--just a drain at the bottom of a stoppered bottle--is all that isneeded, and which may be procured of a chemist. ] carefully applied tothe wart by means of a small stick of cedar wood--a camel's hairpencil-holder--every other day, will soon destroy it. Care must betaken that the acid does not touch the healthy skin, or it will act asa caustic to it. The nitric acid should be preserved in a stopperedbottle and must be put out of the reach of children. 

Glacial Acetic Acid is another excellent destroyer of warts: itshould, by means of a camel's hair brush, be applied to each wart, every night just before going to bed. The warts will, after a fewapplications, completely disappear. 

384. _What is the best remedy for tender feet, for sweaty feet, andfor smelling feet_?

Cold water: bathing the feet in cold water, beginning with tepidwater; but gradually from day to day reducing the warm until the waterbe quite cold. A large nursery-basin one-third full of water, ought tobe placed on the floor, and one foot at a time should be put in thewater, washing the while with a sponge the foot, and with the thumbbetween each toe. Each foot should remain in the water about half aminute. The feet ought, after each washing, to be well dried, takingcare to dry with the towel between each toe. The above process must berepeated at least once every day--every morning, and if the annoyancebe great, every night as well. A clean pair of stockings ought inthese cases to be put on daily, as perfect cleanliness is absolutelynecessary both to afford relief and to effect a cure. 

If the feet be tender, or if there be either bunions, or corns, theshoes and the boots made according to the German method (which arefashioned according to the actual shape of the foot) should alone beworn. 

385. _What are the causes of so many young ladies of the present daybeing weak, nervous, and unhappy_?

The principal causes are--ignorance of the laws of health, Nature'slaws being set at nought by fashion and by folly, by want of fresh airand exercise, by want of occupation, and by want of self-reliance. Weak, nervous, and unhappy! Well they might be! What have they tomake them strong and happy? Have they work to do to brace themuscles? Have they occupation--useful, active occupation--to makethem happy? No! they have neither the one nor the other!

386. What diseases are girls most subject to?

The diseases peculiar to girls are--Chlorosis--Green-sickness--andHysterics. 

387. What are the usual causes of Chlorosis? Chlorosis is caused bytorpor and debility of the whole frame, especially of the womb. It isgenerally produced by scanty or by improper food, by the want of airand of exercise, and by too close application within doors. Here wehave the same tale over again--close application within doors, and thewant of fresh air and of exercise. When will the eyes of a mother heopened, to this important subject?--the most important that can engageher attention!

388. What is the usual age for Chlorosis to occur and what are thesymptoms?

Chlorosis more frequently attacks girls from fifteen to twenty yearsof age; although unmarried women, much older, occasionally have it. Isay _unmarried_, for, as a rule, it is a complaint of the _single_. 

The patient, first of all, complains of being languid, tired, and outof spirits; she is fatigued with the slightest exertion; she hasusually palpitation of the heart (so as to make her fancy that she hasa disease of that organ, which, in all probability, she has not); shehas shortness of breath, and a short dry cough; her face is flabby andpale; her complexion gradually assumes a yellowish or greenishhue--hence the name of chlorosis; there is a dark, livid circle aroundher eyes; her lips lose their colour, and become almost white; hertongue is generally white and pasty, her appetite is bad, and isfrequently depraved--the patient often preferring chalk, slate pencil, cinder, and even dirt, to the daintiest food, indigestion frequentlyattends chlorosis, she has usually pains over the short-ribs, on the_left_ side, she suffers greatly from "wind"--is frequently nearlychoken by it, her bowels are generally costive, and the stools areunhealthy, she has pains in her hips, loins, and back, and her feetand ankles are oftentimes swollen. _The menstrual discharge is eithersuspended or very partially performed_, if the latter, it is usuallyalmost colourless. Hysterical fits not unfrequently occur during anattack of chlorosis. 

389. _How may Chlorosis be prevented_?

If health were more and fashion were less studied, chlorosis would notbe such a frequent complaint. This disease generally takes its risefrom mismanagement--from Nature's laws having been set at defiance. Ihave heard a silly mother express an opinion that it is not _genteel_for a girl to eat _heartily!_ Such language is perfectly absurd andcruel. How often, too, a weak mother declares that a healthy, bloominggirl looks like a milk maid! It would be well if she did! How true andsad it is, that "a pale, delicate face, and clear eyes, indicative ofconsumption, are the fashionable _desiderata_ at present forcomplexion. "--_Dublin University Magazine. _

A growing girl requires _plenty_ of _good_ nourishment--as much as herappetite demands, and if she have it not, she will become eitherchlorotic, or consumptive, or delicate. Besides, _the greatestbeautifier in the world is health_, therefore, by a mother studyingthe health of her daughter, she will, at the same time, adorn her bodywith, beauty! I am sorry to say that too many parents think more ofthe beauty than of the health of their girls. Sad and lamentableinfatuation! Nathaniel Hawthorne--a distinguished American--gives agraphic description of a delicate young lady. He says--"She is one ofthose delicate nervous young creatures not uncommon in New England, and whom I suppose to have become what we find them by the graduallyrefining away of the physical system among young women. Somephilosophers choose to glorify this habit of body by terming itspiritual, but in my opinion, it is rather the effect of unwholesomefood, bad air, lack of out-door exercise, and neglect of bathing, onthe part of these damsels and their female progenitors, all resultingin a kind of hereditary dyspepsia. "

Nathaniel Hawthorne was right. Such ladies, when he wrote, were notuncommon, but within the last two or three years, to their greatcredit be it spoken, "a change has come o'er the spirit of theirdreams, " and they are wonderfully improved in health, for, with allreverence be it spoken, "God helps them who help themselves, " and theyhave helped themselves by attending to the rales of health--"The womenof America are growing more and more handsome every year for just thisreason. They are growing rounder of chest, fuller of limb, gaining, substance and development in every direction. Whatever may be urged tothe contrary we believe this to be a demonstrable fact. When therising generation of American girls once begin to wear thick shoes, totake much exercise in the open air, to skate, to play at croquet, andto affect the saddle, it not only begins to grow more wise but morehealthful, and which must follow as the night the day--morebeautiful"--_The Round Table_. 

If a young girl had plenty-of wholesome meat, varied from day to day, either plain roast or boiled, and neither stewed, nor hashed, norhighly seasoned for the stomach, if she has had an abundance of freshair for her lungs, if she had plenty of active exercise, such asskipping, dancing, running, riding, swimming, for her muscles, if herclothing were warm and loose, and adapted to the season, if her mindwere more occupied with active _useful_ occupation, such as householdwork, than at present, and if she were kept calm and untroubled fromthe hurly-burly and excitement of fashionable life--chlorosis wouldalmost be an unknown disease. It is a complaint of rare occurrencewith country girls, but of great frequency with fine city ladies. 

390. _What treatment should you advise_?

The treatment which would prevent should be adopted when the complaintfirst makes its appearance. If the above means do not quickly removeit, the mother must then apply to a medical man, and he will givemedicines _which will soon have the desired effect_. Chlorosis is veryamenable to treatment. If the disease be allowed for any length oftime to run on, it may produce either organic--incurable--disease ofthe heart, or consumption or indigestion, or confirmed ill-health. 

391. _At what period of life is a lady most prone in Hysterics, andwhat are the symptoms_?

The time of life when hysterics occur is generally from the age offifteen to fifty. Hysterics come on by paroxysms--hence they arecalled hysterical fits. A patient, just before an attack, islow-spirited; crying without a cause; she is "nervous, " as it iscalled; she has flushings of the face; she is at other times verypale; she has shortness of breath and occasional palpitations of theheart; her appetite is usually bad; she passes quantities ofcolourless limpid urine, having the appearance of pump water; she ismuch troubled with flatulence in her bowels, and, in consequence, shefeels bloated and uncomfortable. The "wind" at length rises upwardstowards the stomach, and still upwards to the throat, giving her thesensation of a ball stopping her breathing, and producing a feeling ofsuffocation. The sensation of a ball in the throat (_globushystericus_) is the commencement of the fit. 

She now becomes _partially_ insensible, although she seldom loses_complete_ consciousness. Her face becomes flushed, her nostrilsdilated, her head thrown back, and her stomach and bowels enormouslydistended with "wind. " After a short time she throws her arms and herlegs about convulsively, she beats her breast, tears her hair andclothes, laughs boisterously and screams violently; at other times shemakes a peculiar noise; sometimes she sobs and her face is muchdistorted. At length she brings up enormous quantities of wind; aftera time she bursts into a violent flood of tears, and then graduallycomes to herself. 

As soon as the fit is at an end she generally passes enormousquantities of colourless limpid urine. She might, in a short time, fall into another attack similar to the above. When she comes toherself she feels exhausted and tired, and usually complains of aslight headache, and of great soreness of the body and limbs. Sheseldom remembers what has occurred during the fit. Hysterics aresometimes frightful to witness, but, in themselves, are not at alldangerous. 

Hysterics--an hysterical fit--is sometimes styled hystericalpassion. Shakspeare, in one of his plays, calls it _hystericapassio_--

 "Oh how this, mother, swells up toward my Heart! _Hysterica passio!_"

Sir Walter Scott graphically describes an attack--"The hystericalpassion that impels tears is a terrible violence--a sort of throttlingsensation--then succeeded by a state of dreaming stupidity"

392. _What are the causes of Hysterics_?

Delicate health, chlorosis, improper and not sufficiently nourishingfood, grief, anxiety, excitement of the mind, closely confined rooms, want of exercise, indigestion, flatulence and tight-lacing, are thecauses which usually produce hysterics. Hysterics are frequentlyfeigned, indeed, oftener than any other complaint, and even a genuinecase is usually much aggravated by a patient herself giving way tothem. 

393. _What do you recommend an hysterical lady to do_?

To improve her health by proper management, to rise early and to takea walk, that she may breathe pure and wholesome air, --indeed, sheought to live nearly half her time in the open air, exercising herselfwith walking, skipping, etc. , to employ her mind with botany, croquet, archery, or with any out-door amusement, to confine herself to plain, wholesome, nourishing food, to avoid tight lacing; to eschewfashionable amusements; and, above all, not to give way to herfeelings, but, if she feel an attack approaching, to rouse herself. 

_If the fit be upon her_, the better plan is, to banish all the _male_sex from the room, and not even to have many women about her, and forthose around to loosen her dress; to lay her in the centre of theroom, flat upon the ground, with a pillow under her head, to removecombs and pins and brooches from her person; to dash cold water uponher face; to apply cloths, or a large sponge wetted in cold water, toher head; to throw open the window, and then to leave her to herself;or, at all events, to leave her with only one _female_ friend orattendant. If such be done, she will soon come round; but what is theusual practice? If a girl be in hysterics, the whole house, andperhaps the neighbourhood, is roused; the room is crowded tosuffocation; fears are openly expressed by those around that she is ina dangerous state; she hears what they say, and her hysterics areincreased ten-fold. 

394. _Have you any remarks to make on a patient recovering from asevere illness_?

There is something charming and delightful in the feelings of apatient recovering from a severe illness: it is like a new birth: itis almost worth the pain and anguish of having been ill to feel quitewell again: everything around and about him wears a charming aspect--aroseate hue: the appetite for food returns with pristine vigour; theviands, be they ever so homely, never tasted before so deliciouslysweet; and a draught of water from the spring has the flavour ofambrosial nectar: the convalescent treads the ground as though he wereon the ambient air; and the earth to him for a while is Paradise: thevery act of living is a joy and gladness:--

 "See the wretch that long has tost On the thorny bed of pain Again repair his vigour lost And walk and run again. 

 The meanest flow'ret of the vale, The amplest note that swells the gale, The common air, the earth, the skies, To him are opening Paradise. "--_Grey_

 * * * * *

CONCLUDING REMARKS

If this book is to be of use to mothers and to the rising generation, as I humbly hope and trust that it has been, and that it will be stillmore abundantly, it ought not to be listlessly read, merely as a novelor as any other piece of fiction; but it must be thoughtfully andcarefully studied, until its contents, in all its bearings, becompletely mastered and understood. 

 * * * * *

In conclusion: I beg to thank you for the courtesy, confidence, andattention I have received at your hands; and to express a hope that myadvice, through God's blessing, may not have been given in vain; butthat it may be--one among many--an humble instrument for improving therace of our children--England's priceless treasures! O, that the timemay come, and may not be far distant, "That our sons may grow up asthe young plants, and that our daughters may be as the polishedcorners of the temple!"

INDEX. 

ABLUTION of a child

 of an infant

 of a youth

 thorough, of boy and girl

Accidents of children

 how to prevent

Acne, symptoms and treatment of

Advice to a mother if her infant be poorly

 to _Mr Pater familias_

Ailments, the distinction between between _serious_ and _slight_

 of infants

Air and exercise for youth

 the importance of good

 the necessity of fresh, and changing the

Airing an infant's clothes

Alternately to each breast

American ladies

Amusements for a child

 for a boy

 for a girl

Ankles, weak

Antipathies of a child

Aperients for a child

 for an infant

 for a new-born babe

 for a youth

 danger of frequent

Appeal to mothers

Appetite, on a child losing his

Applications, hot

Apron, washing

Archery

Arnold, Dr, on corporal punishment

Arrow-root for an infant

Artificial food for an infant at breast

Asses' milk

BABES should kick on floor

Babe's clothing

Babe himself taking exercise

Babyhood, the language of

Baby daughter

Baked crumb of bread for an infant

 flour for an infant

Bakers' and home made bread

Bathing after _full_ meal

Baths, cold, tepid, and warm

 warm, as a remedy for flatulence

Beard, best respirator

Bed, on placing child in

Beds, feather

 purification of

Bed-rooms, the ventilation of

 cool

 large

 a plan to ventilate

Bee, the sting of

Beef, salted or boiled

Beer, on giving child

Belladonna, poisoning by

Belly-band, best kind

 when to discontinue

Beverage for a child

"Black-eye, " remedies for

Bladder and bowels of an infant

Bleeding from navel, how to restrain

 of nose

Blood, spitting of

Blows and bruises

Boarding schools for females

 on cheap (note)

Boiled bread for infants' food

 flour for infants' food

Boils, the treatment of

Boots and shoes

Bottles, the best nursing

Boulogne sore-throat

Bow-legs

Bowels, large, of children

 looseness of

 protrusion of lower

 regulation of, by diet

Boys should be made strong

Brain, water on the

Bran to soften water

Bran Poultices

Breakfast of a child

 of a youth

Breast on early putting an infant to

Breathing exercise

Brimstone and treacle

Brown and Polson's Corn Flour

Bronchitis, the treatment of

Broth for Infants

 for a new born infant

 and soup

Brothers and sisters

Bruises, remedies for

Bullying a child

Burns and scalds

Butter, wholesome

CADBURY'S Cocoa Essence

Calomel, the danger of a mother prescribing

 the ill effects of

Camphor makes teeth brittle

Caning a boy

Caps, flannel

Care in preparation of food

Carpets in nurseries

Carriage exercise

Carron oil in burns

Castor oil to heal the bowels

Cat, bites and scratches of a

"Chafings" of infants, the treatment of

Chairs, straight backed

Change of air

 linen in sickness

Chapped hands, legs, &c

 lips

Chest, keeping warm the upper part of the

"Chicken breasted" and narrow breasted children

 pox

Chilblains

Child should dine with parents

"Child-crowing"

 the treatment of a paroxysm of

Children's hour

 parties

Chimneys, on the stopping of

Chiropodists (_note_)

Chloralum as a disinfectant

Chlorosis and green sickness

 not in rural districts

Choking, what to be done in a case of

_Cholera infantum_

Cisterns, best kind of

Clothes, on airing an infant's

 the ill effects of tight

Clothing of children

 of infants

 during winter

 of youths

Coffee as an aperient

 and tea

Coin, on the swallowing of a

Cold bed-room healthy

Cold, a feverish

 on child always catching

 feet, method to warm

Concluding remarks on infancy

Conclusion

Constipation, prevention and cure of

Consumption attacks the _upper_ part of the lungs

 the age at which it usually appears

 causes of

 death rate

 importance of early consulting a medical man in

 spitting of blood in

 symptoms of

Consumptive patient, the treatment of a

Convulsions of children

 cause insensibility

 from hooping-cough

 no pain in

Cooked fruit for child

Corns

Corn plaster, an excellent

Coroners inquests on infants

Corporal punishment at schools

Costiveness of infants, the means to prevent

 remedies for

 the reason why so prevalent

 in weak children

Cough, the danger of stopping a

Cow, the importance of having the milk from one

 pox lymph direct from heifer

 from healthy child

Cream and egg, 200

 and water for babe

Crinoline and burning of ladles

Crib, covering head of

Croquet for girls

Crossness in a sick child

Croup

 the treatment of

Cry of infant

Cure, artificial and natural

"Curious phenomenon" in scarlet fever

Cut finger, the application for

DANCING, and skipping

Danger of constantly giving physic

Delicate child, plan to strengthen a

Dentition

 lancing of gums

 second

 painful

Diarrhoea of infants

 treatment of

Diet of a child who has cut his teeth

 of children

 of a dry nursed child

 of infants

 on a mother being particular in attending to

 variety of for child

 of youth

Dietary in infants

Dieting a child

Dinner for a child

 youth

Diphtheria symptoms, causes, and treatment of

Dirty child

Diseased nature and strange eruptions

Diseases of children

 girls

 infants

 obscure

 the prevention of

 produced by tight lacing

 symptoms of _serious_

Disinfectants in scarlet fever

Doctor on early calling in

Dog the bide of a

Doleful child

Don't

Dowle on _The Foot and its Covering_

Drainage

Dress, female

 of a child while asleep

 of a babe, child, and youth

Dresses, high for delicate child

Dressing babe for sleep

Dribbling bibs

Drinking fountains

Dropping child, danger of

Dry nursed children, the best food for

"Dusting powder" for infants

Dysentery, symptoms and treatment of

EAR, discharges from

 removal of a pea or bead from

Ear-ache, treatment of

 wig in ear

Early rising

Education of children

 infant schools

 home, the best for girls

Education, modern

 for youth

Eggs for children

Electuary of figs

Emetic tarter dangerous for child

Eneme apparatus (_note_)

 of warm water

Engravings in nurseries

Eruptions about the mouth

Excorations applications for

 best remedy for

Exercise

 best composing medicine

 during teething

 for children

 in wet weather

 on violently tossing infants

 horse and pony

 an infant himself taking

 in very cold weather

 in wet weather

 for youth

Eve, substances in

FAECAL matter in pump-water

Fainting

 from constipation

 from debility

 from disordered stomach

Falling-off of hair

Falls on the head

Farinaceous food give _babes_ wind

Fash on dangerous effects of strictly attending to

 the present, of dressing children

Fashionable _desiderata_ for complexion

Favouritism

Feeding bottles

 infants, proper times for at breast

 new born babe with gruel

Feet smelling

 sweating

 tender

Female dress

Fire, on a child playing with

 danger of back to

 in night nursery

 the manner of extinguishing, if clothes be on

 guards

Fire-proof, making dresses

Flannel cap for babe

 night-gowns

 shifts for a delicate child

 waistcoats

 to wash child with

Flatulence, remedies for

Fleas, to drive away

Flute, bugle and other wind-instruments

Fly pole

Fog, on sending a child out in

Folly, of giving physic after vaccination

Food, artificial, during snacking

 care in preparing infant's

 for dry-nursed infants

 for infants who are sucking

Formula, for milk, water, salt, and sugar

Friction after ablation

Frightening a child

Fruit as an aperient

 during teething

GARTERS impede circulation

Gently speak to child

Gin or pepperment in infant's food

Giving joy to a child

Glass, a child swallowing broken

Gluttony

Glycerine

Goats' milk

_Godfrey's Cordial_

 poisoning by treatment

Grazed skin

Green dresses poisonous

 paper hangings for nurseries

 peas as a vegetable

"Gripings" for infants

Groin rupture

"Gross superstition, "

"Grub-pimple"

Gums, the lancing of the

Gum-bod, cause and treatment

Gum-sticks, the best

Gymnasium, value of

HAIR, the best application for

 falling off

 making tidy

 management of

Half-washed and half starved child

Hand-swing

Happiness to a child

Happy child

Hard's Farinaceous Food

Hardening of children's constitutions

 of infants

Hartehorn, on swallowing

Hats for a child, the best kind

Hawthorn, Nathaniel, on American ladies

Head, fall upon

Heat, external application of

Hectic flush, description of

Hiccups of infants

Hints conducive to the well-doing of a child

Home of childhood--the nursery

Hooping-cough

 obstinate

 treatment of

Horse exercise for boys or girls

 and pony exercise

Hot-water bag or bottle

Household work for girls

Hurdle on early rising

Hydrophobia

_Hysterica passio_

Hysterics

ICE, on the value of

Illness, recovery from

Importance of our subject

India-rubber hot-water bottle

Ingoldsby Legend on thumb-sucking

Infants should be encouraged to use exertion

Infant schools

Ipecacuantis wine, preservation of

JOYFUL to bed, on sending child

LADIES "affecting the saddle"

Laudanum, poisoning by

Laugh of a child

Law, physic, and divinity

Leaden cisterns

Learning without health

Leech bites, the way to restrain bleeding from

Lessons for child

Lice in head after illness

Light, best artificial, for nursery

 the importance of, to health

Lightly clad child

Lime in the eye

 to harden the bones

Lime-water and milk

"Looseness of the the bowels" the treatment

Love of children

Lucifer-matches the poisonous effects of

Luncheon for a child

Lungs, inflammation of

 precautions to

 symptoms of

 treatment of

Lying lips of a child

MAD DOG, the bite of

 description of

Magnesia to cool a child

Management of child's mother's question

Massacre of innocents

Mattresses, horse-hair, best for child

May, the month of

Meals, a child's

Measles

 and scarlet fever

 treatment of

Meat, daily, on giving

 raw in long-standing diarrhoea

 in exhaustive diseases

 when a child should commence taking

Meddlesome treatment

Medical man, a mother's treatment towards

Medicine, the best way of administering

 on giving new-born infants

 on making palatable (_note_)

Menstruating female during suckling

Mercury, on the danger of parents giving

Milk, on the importance of having it from ONE cow

 bad, very nasty

 for babe indispensable

 in every form

 or meat, or both

 a plan to make a child take

 sugar of, and water

 the value of, for children

 unboiled

 a way to prevent, turning sour

 -crust

Mismanaged baby

Modified small-pox and chicken-pox

Mother fretting, injurious to infant

 a foolish

 of many diseases

Mother's and cow's milk, on mixing

 health during suckling

 influence

Motions, healthy, of babe

Mumps

NAAMAN, the Syrian

Napkins, when to dispense with

Nature's physic

Navel, management of the

 rupture of

 sore

 -string separation of

Neaves' Farinaceous Food

Nervous and unhappy young ladies

Nettle-rash

New-born infants and aperients

 when feeble

Night-commode

Night-terrors

Nose, removal of foreign substances from

 bleeding from, means to restrain

Nurse, on the choice of a

 a lazy

 strong and active

 young, not desirable

 for the sick

Nursery-basin

 of a sick child

 a child's own domain

 selection, warming, ventilation, arrangements of

 on the light of a

 must be airy

 observations, further

 windows to be often opened

Nursing-bottles, the best

OPIUM, a case of poisoning by

 the danger of administering to infants

 the treatment of poisoning by

Over-education

Over-lying a child

PAIN, convulsions, and death

Paint-boxes dangerous as toys

Parental baby-slaughter

Parritch, the halesome

Peevishness of a child, the plan to allay

Perambulators

Physicking a child, on the frequent

Pies and Puddings

Pimples on the face, treatment of

Pin, on a child swallowing

Pins, in dressing of babe

Play, a course of education in

Play-grounds for children

 and play

Pleasant words to a child

Poisoning, accidental

 by the breath

Poppy-syrup

Pork an improper meat for children

Position of a sleeping child

Potatoes for children

Poultice, a white-bread

Powder, "dusting"

_Precocity of intellect_

Precocious youths, the health of

Prescriptions for a child

Princess of Wales and her baby (note)

Professions and trades

Proper person to wash an Infant

Prunes, the best way of stewing

Profession or trade, choice of, for delicate youth

 delicate youth should be brought up to

Puddings for children

Pals of child

Pye Chavasse's Fresh Air Treatment of scarlet fever

 Milk Food

QUACK MEDICINES

Quacking an infant

Quick lime in eye

RAIN WATER

Recapitulation of ablution

Red gum

Respiration, products of poisonous

Rest, the best time for a child to retire to

Re-vaccination, Importance of

 every seven years

 recommended by Jenner

Revalenta Arabica

Rheumatic fever, flannel vest and drawers

Ribs, bulging out of

Rice, prepared as an infant's food

Rich children

_Richardson, Dr, ether spray_

Rickets

 various degrees of

Roberton on child-crowing

Rocking-chairs, and rockers to cradle, Rocking infants to sleep

Rooms ill effects, of dark

Round shoulders

Round worm

Running scall

Rupture

Rusks

SALLOWNESS, cause of in young girls

Salt water and fresh water

 should be added to an infants food

 bag of hot

 necessary to human life

Salt-and water ablations for a delicate child

 for teeth and gums

 meats for children

Scalds and burns

 of mouth

Scarlatina

Scarlet-fever

 and diphtheria

 the contagion of

 the danger of giving aperients in

 the dropsy of

 Fresh Air Treatment of

 hybrid

 management of child after

 and measles, the importance of distinguishing between

 the principal danger of

 purification of house after

 treatment of

 utter prostration in

Schools, female boarding

 public

Screaming in sleep

Scrofula

 prevention of

Scurfy head

Sea-bathing and fresh-water bathing

 for a young child

Secrets, talking, before child

Senna as an aperient

Shivering fit, importance of attending to a

 treatment of

Shoes, _plan to waterproof_

 preferable to boots

 sound and whole

 and stockings for children and youths

 the ill effects of tight

"Shortening" an infant

Shoulder-blades "growing out"

Sick child, the nursing of a

 not to be staffed with food

Sick-room, management of, Sickness of infants

Singing and reading aloud

 beneficial to a child

Single-stick

Sitting with back to fire

Sitz-bath for protrusion of bowels

Skating for boys and girls

Skin, grazed

Sleep of children

Sleep, infant's

 in middle of day beneficial

 much, necessary for infants

 temperature of an infant's bedroom during

 right time of putting a child to

 putting infants to

 of youth

 -walker

Sleeping on lap

 -rooms, importance of well-ventilating

Sleepless child

Slippers, the best for sick-room (_note_)

Small-pox

 a pest and disgrace

 modified

 when in neighborhood, to prevent pitting of

Smoking, on a boy

Smothering of infants, the cause

Socks and Stockings for a child

Soda, ill effects of washing clothes with

Sounds, joyful

Soups and broths

Speak gently to a child

Spencer, a knitted worsted

Spines, distorted

Spine, injury to

 curvature of

 twisted

Spirits, deadly effects of, to the young

Spitting of blood

 precautions

Spurious croup

Stammering, cause of

 cure of

Stays, the ill effects of

Stillness of sick-room

Sting of bee or wasp

Stir-about and milk

Stockings and shoes

Stooping in a girl

Stopping of chimneys

Stoves in nursery

Strawberry-tongue

Stuffing a sick child with food

 a babe

"Stuffing of the nose" of infants

Stunning of a child

"Stye, " treatment of

Substitute for mother's milk

Sucking of thumb

Suckling, the proper times of

Suet pudding

Sugar for infants

 confectionery

 -of-milk

 _raw_, as an aperient

Sun-stroke

Sunday

Supper for a child and for a youth

Surfeit water and saffron tea

Sweet things and sour digestion

Sweetmeats and cakes

Swimming, on boys and girls

Symptoms of serious diseases

TAPE-WORM

Taste for things refined

Tea, on giving a child

 green, the ill effects of

Teeth, attention to, importance of

 child should not have meat till he have cut several

 the diet of a child who has cut all his

 and gums

 right way of brushing

 appearance and number of _first_ set of

 _second_ set of

 second crop of

Teething

 causing convulsions

 eruptions from

 frequent cause of sickness

 fruitful source of disease

 purging during

 restlessness from

 second

 symptoms and treatment of painful

 in town or country

Temperature and ventilation of a nursery

 of a warm-bath

Thread-worm

Throats, sore, precautions to prevent

Thrush, cause, symptoms, prevention and cure of

Thumb best gum-stick

Tight bands, belts, and hats

Tight-lacing, the ill effects of

Times for suckling an infant

Tobacco-smoking for boys

 cases illustrating the danger of

Toe-nails, the right way of cutting, Tongue-tied, an infant

"Tooth-cough, "

Tooth-powder, an excellent

Top-crust of bread as infant's food

Tossing an infant

Tous-les-mois

Toys, children's

 painted with arsenic

Trade or profession for delicate youth, Treatment of a delicate child

 of some urgent serious diseases

Troubles of child

Truth, the love of

Tub, commencement of washing infantin

Tubbing a child

Tumbling and rolling of a child

VACCINATION

 appearance of scab

 arm after

 giving medicine after, making babe poorly

Veal for a child

Vegetables for a child

Ventilation, and stopping of chimneys

 and sleep

 of a nursery

Violet-powder

WALKING, on the early, of infants

 exercise, value

 in his sleep, a child

Warm-bathe for children

 external applications

Warts

Washing of boys and girls

Washing a child

 an infant

 a new-born infant's head with brandy

Washing a nursery floor

Wasp, the sting of a

Water, on the importance of good, on the brain

 closet, on going regularly to, cold and warm for ablution, hard for drinking

 -fright

 pure, essential to health

 to whole of skin

Weaned child, the diet of a

Weaning, proper time and manner of

Weather, on a child almost living in the air in flue

 on the sending a child out in wet

Weight of new-born infants (_note_)

Wet flannel application

Wet-nurse

 diet of

 for feeble babe

 management of

"Wetting the bed" during sleep

Wheezing of a new-born infant

White lily leaf for bruises

"Wind, " babe suffering from

Windows of a nursery

Wind pipe, foreign substance in

Wine and youth

Wine for children and youths

Winter clothing

Woolen garments

Worms

 quick medicines for