If an infant from his birth be properly managed,—if he have an abundance of fresh air for his lungs,—if he have plenty of exercise for his muscles (by allowing him to kick and sprawl on the floor),—if he have a good swilling and sousing of water for his skin,—if, during the early months of his life, he have nothing but the mother's milk for his stomach,—he will require very little medicine—the less the better! He does not want his stomach to be made into a doctor's shop! The grand thing is not to take every opportunity of administering physic, but of using every means of with-holding it! And if physic be necessary, not to doctor him yourself, unless it be in extreme and urgent cases (which in preceding and succeeding Conversations I either have or will indicate), but to employ an experienced medical man. A babe who is always, without rhyme or reason, being physicked, is sure to be puny, delicate, and unhealthy, and is ready at any moment to drop into an untimely grave!
I will maintain that a healthy child never requires drugging with opening physic, and that costiveness is brought on by bad management. Aperient medicines to a healthy child are so much poison! Let me impress the above remarks on every mother's mind; for it is a subject of vital importance. Never, then, give a purgative to a healthy child; for, if he be properly managed, he will never require one. If you once begin to give aperients, you will find a difficulty discontinuing 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 to remark: there are four things essentially necessary to a babe's well-doing, namely, (1) plenty of water for his skin; (2) plenty of fresh genuine milk mixed with water for his stomach (of course, giving him ONLY his mother's milk during the first six, eight, or nine months of his existence); (3) plenty of pure air for his lungs; (4) plenty of sleep for his brain: these are the four grand essentials for an infant; without an abundance of one and all of them, perfect health is utterly impossible! Perfect health! the greatest earthly blessing, and more to be coveted than ought else beside! There is not a more charming sight in the universe than the beaming face of a perfectly healthy 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 PUT IN HIS TUB to be washed?