It is injudicious to take an infant out during the hottest part of the day in summer; such a proceeding tends to enervate and depress, rather than to strengthen him. Whenever he goes out his head should be protected from the direct rays of the sun by means of a large brimmed hat made of cotton or straw and an umbrella. The neglect of these precautions frequently gives rise to the disordered stomach,
sickness, and diarrhœa, so prevalent during very hot weather. During other periods of the day, the weather being favorable and the locality healthy, an infant cannot be too much out of doors, especially during teething.
Infants of three or four months’ old may, under certain precautions, be sent out into the open air during the winter. They must be well wrapped up; they should be carried in the nurse’s arms, and not consigned to a perambulator; they should never go out in foggy nor wet weather; if the wind be neither in the east nor the north-east there will be no objection to their being sent out on a clear frosty day. Spring is a trying period for infants and children, because of the prevalence of east winds; hence the necessity of seeing that they are well and warmly clad when sent out during this season. There is much less danger of a child taking cold during the autumn than the spring, as in autumn the winds frequently blow from the south, or warm quarter.
In childhood the exercise should be regulated according to constitution and age; avoiding inactivity, on the one hand, and excessive exercise on the other. The out-door plays and pastimes of BOYS will generally be found sufficient, and in some cases will even require to be curbed, to prevent fatigue and the overtasking of the young frame. With girls it is frequently difficult to find sufficient exercise without trespassing on the prejudices of the ignorant, or the routine of their daily education. With them walking, and some healthy amusement, as skipping, hooping, or the like, should be indulged in for some hours daily. When this is impossible or inconvenient, they may be habituated to the practice of the more simply and cleanly portion of the domestic duties. In the performance of the latter, the health will be promoted, whilst the care and attention which is always due by a female to herself and others, at all periods of her life, will become an easy acquisition, and assist the cultivation of the best feelings of her nature.
In youth exercise matures and promotes the development of the frame; and in manhood it is equally necessary, as already noticed, to keep it in healthy action. In age it will be found to assist the vital functions, and put off decay. In fact, to all—young, old, rich, and poor, physical exercise is essential to the permanent enjoyment of health.
In a medical point of view, “exercise, employed moderately, has a tonic and stimulating influence on the system, and is calculated to prove beneficial in a great variety of complaints. Used immoderately, it exhausts both the mental and bodily powers, and produces great debility.” (Pereira.) Well-directed exercise favours the preservation of the general health, by calling into direct action the majority of the organs of the body; and it also acts powerfully on the skin, by stimulating its functions, increasing its temperature, awakening its tone, and subjecting it to a current of atmosphere favorable to its respiratory offices. But to be beneficial in the highest degree, exercise must be accompanied by feelings of present interest and enjoyment. The mind must direct and go with it; to ensure its full benefits, the “soul must be present.”
“During convalescence, properly regulated exertion is highly serviceable; but it should never be carried so far as to produce exhaustion, and should be pursued for some time in doors, before it be attempted in the open air; the latter, at first, should always take place in a carriage, that can be opened or closed at will; the patient may then attempt short walks in the open air; but, in all cases, it is of importance that he is not unduly fatigued, as, otherwise, injury instead of benefit will be the result. One of the most serious errors, committed with regard to exertion, is that of permitting a convalescent to sit up too frequently, or for too long a time, under the mistaken notion of giving him strength. A patient should never be allowed to sit up longer than is agreeable to his feelings, and never so long as to produce a sense of fatigue.” (Dr R. E. Griffith.)
The physiological effects of exercise have been studied by numerous scientific observers. The carefully conducted experiments of Dr Edward Smith have satisfactorily demonstrated that during bodily exertion the circulation of the blood through the lungs is much increased in velocity, that these latter inspire air and eliminate carbonic anhydride in quantities proportionate to the exercise taken, and that these quantities show an enormous increase over the amounts of these gases inhaled and exhaled during a state of rest.
Adopting the recumbent position as unity, Dr Edward Smith has given the following table, illustrating the quantities of air inhaled during various forms of exercise:
| Lying position | 1· |
| Sitting | 1·18 |
| Standing | 1·33 |
| Singing | 1·26 |
| Walking 1 mile per hour | 1·90 |
| Walking 2 miles per hour | 2·76 |
| Walking 3 miles per hour | 3·22 |
| Walking and carrying 34 lbs. | 3·50 |
| Walking and carrying 62 lbs. | 3·84 |
| Walking and carrying 118 lbs. | 4·75 |
| Walking at 4 miles per hour | 5· |
| Walking at 6 miles per hour | 7· |
| Riding and trotting | 4·05 |
| Swimming | 4·33 |
| Treadmill | 5·50 |