The Physical Training of Children

by Pye Henry Chavasse

Perhaps no part of the work is more important than the instruction given in regard to the raising of children by hand (as it is called); for here the life of the infant may be said to depend, to a very great extent, upon the treatment it receives from those who have it in charge, and it is for this reason that the author has been very explicit in his instructions. He has, in fact, left nothing to be wished for; he gives the minutest directions as to the kind of food, the mode of preparation, the time for feeding, and the general management of the infant who is so unfortunate as to be deprived of the sustenance nature intended for its support. The wet-nurse comes in, also, for her share of attention, and we are told how to select one, and rules are laid down for her diet, exercise, etc. And it is not a matter of indifference whether these rules are attended to or not; for, on the condition of the health of the nurse will depend the character of her milk, and of course we cannot expect a child to be healthy that receives impure milk from its nurse.

Very important instruction is given for our guidance in the management of the child when sick. Everything relating to the sick-room is fully discussed, and the most minute directions given for the assistance of the mother at this critical period of the child’s existence.

Considerable space is taken with prescriptions and the administration of medicine, which is of much value to those not within the reach of the family physician. But if the child is sick the physician should always be notified at once, if it be possible, for much depends upon the early treatment of the disease; and in no case should the limited knowledge of the mother be substituted for that of the experienced physician. It must be remembered that this book is not intended exclusively for those who are always within the reach of a physician, but it is also for the guidance and assistance of whose who are far from, or unable to obtain, medical advice, and to those located on the frontier, and at the missionary stations, this part of the work has proved to be of the greatest advantage.

Sound advice is given in regard to dosing children with many quack cordials, carminatives, and syrups, that fill the shops, all of which are advertised to contain no opium, and yet the busy practitioner hardly passes a month without being called to attend a child dangerously narcotized by some one of these preparations.

It is to induce sleep that these preparations are given, the mother not being aware that if an anodyne be used to-day, a larger dose will be required to-morrow to produce the same effect, and also that by its interference with digestion the habitual use of narcotics always injures the health of the child. For these reasons laudanum, paregoric, or any preparations containing opium in any form, should never be given to the infant, unless under the control of a physician.

The management of the nursery is not overlooked, and very judicious rules for selecting, warming, and ventilating the apartment are given. As the child advances, the teeth begin to make their appearance, and this is always a source of more or less irritation; but, by a little care at this time, the child passes through it with little discomfort, and serious consequences are avoided. The importance of proper regulation of the diet, and the soothing effect of fresh air upon the irritated nervous system at this time, cannot be over-estimated.

The modes of exercising the child are explained, and as the development of the muscular system depends to so great an extent on judicious exercise, no mother should fail to become acquainted with the instruction given on this subject.

The infant man, like the adult one, is a creature of habit, and, with a little systematic training, it is very easy to form good habits, provided you begin early; but, if you delay until bad habits have been formed, it then becomes an entirely different matter. In the simple operation of getting the child to sleep, the difficulty experienced is generally the result of not beginning with it until bad habits have been formed. It is just as easy for the infant to go to sleep at a regular time every day by being placed quietly in the bed, as it is for it to go to sleep after being patted, trotted, and walked about the room for an hour or two; but, if it is walked to-day, of course it will expect it to-morrow. The ill effects of this kind of treatment, together with the way in which it is to be avoided, the author has plainly given us.

Bathing, if properly conducted, is always agreeable, and of advantage to the child, and mothers often ask how often they should bathe their children, and whether in warm or cold water, and, as even the bathing of the child may be done improperly, directions are given which should always be followed. The child may be bathed too often, or not often enough, or in an improper manner. For instance, it may be seated in a bath-tub with the water half way up the body, and then water splashed up over the shoulders, leaving the chest subjected to the chilling effects of evaporation, and material harm may thereby result.

The amusement of the child very properly comes in for a share of the author’s attention. All parents should realize the importance of making the child’s home cheerful, and should not forget that the happiness of the child has much to do with its health and the development of its mental nature. It is astonishing at how small an expense, with a little contrivance, the gloomy, quiet nursery may be converted into a cheerful, happy one, and a small plot of ground into a full-sized farm in the mind of the infant farmer.