Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-11-29

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in opinion, that nearly one half oC the death
occurring during the first two years Of ex
istencc, are ascribable to mismanagcmen
and to errors in diet. At birth, the stOm
ach is feeble, and as yet unaccustomed It
food. It's cravings arc consequently easily
satisfied, and frequently renewed. a heal
thy infant seeks the breast with avidity, bu
sucks 4 little at time. 1t leaves an inter
val for thoroughly digcsting the little which
it has swallowed: after which its appetite
revives, and fresh supply is demanded ir
language which 10 mother can msinter
pref. During the first months, appetite
ought to be the mothers guide in offering
the breast; and if she know how to read the
expression Of her infant Alright, she will want
no oher. At that carly age, there ought
to be no fixed time for giving nourishment.
The stomach cannot be thus satisfied. In
one child digestion may be slow, and the
interval be consequently too short: in an.
Ieothereit may be quick, and-the interval TOO
long. But the active call of the infant is a
sign which needs never be mistaken, and
none else ought to be listened to.
Many mothers consider every expression
of uneasiness as an indication Of appetite,
and whenever child cries they offer it the
breast again, although ten minutes may no:
have elapsed since lis preceding repast.-
Nothing can be more injurious than this
custom. 1t ovcrloads and oppresses the
stomach,--cxcitcs gripping and bowel-com-
plants, res:lessncss and fevcr,-and not un-
frequently leads to fatal diseases in the
brain. 1t does harm also, by Withdrawing
the mothers notice from the real source
Of uneaslncss.
1t is astonishing, indeed, with what cx-
clusiveness Of understanding eating is re-
garded, even by intelligent parents, as the
grand solatium or panacea for all the pains
and troubles which afflict the young. If a
child falls over stone and bruises its leg,
its cries are Immediately arrested by su-
gar-biscut stuffed into its open mouth
If its temper is discomposed by the loss Of a
toy, it is forthwith soothed by an offer Of
sweetmeatS, the ultimate effect Of which is
to excite colicky pains in its bowels, which
are worse than the original evil, and for
which, in their turn, it is presented with
"mcc peppermint drops" or some other
equally pleasant antidote. Because the
mouth is open when the child is crying, and
the mouth leads to the stomach, parents
Jump to the conclusion that it is open for
the purpose Of being filled, and proceed to
cram it accordingly; forgetting all the while
that the mouth leads also TO the wind pipe,
and may be open for the admission of air
to the lungs, as well as Of food to the So
mach, and that if they stuff it with cake or
pudding when it is open only for The recep-
tion of air, they run the risk Of suflocatlng
the little innocent, when their only wish is
to soothc him. Every body must have
seen fits Of convulsivc cough induced by
fragments Of food being drawn into the
windpipe in such circumstances.
TO confound crying and the expression Of
pain with the cravings Of hunger, is far
from being matter of indifference to the
child. Iffood be given when it wishes only
to be relieved from suffering, the offending
cause is left in activity, and its effects are
aggravated by the additional ill-timed disten-
ton of It's stomach. But tso far is this important
truth from being sufficiently impressed on
the minds of parents and nurses, that moth
inc is more common, when the infant retu-
ses to swallow more, but still continues
20 crv, than to toss it in the nurses arms,
us if on purpose to shake down its food,
and then resume the feeding. And in such
attempts it is too true that the perseverance,
ofthe nurse often gets the better ofthe child,
and forces it at last 10 receive the food at
which it really loathes.
"Let appetite, then, be the only rule, but
allow it to appear, and do not attempt TO
provoke it. The breast ought not to be
offered to the infant; it is for him 10 seek
it. He has little need ofsucking who takes
it with indifference, or as ifhe were confer
ring favour. He who is hungry acts
very differently; all his gestures express
clearly the want and the desire; his eye
follow his nurse, and tries to interpret her
every movement. Ifhcis crying, his cries
cease at her approach, and smiles replace
his tears. Ii he is offered the breast,
he seizes it with ardour, and the mother
Yields to a natural want" But it is far 9th.
crwisc when real oppctitc is wanting, and
lit then becomes an act of cruel perfidy to
tempt the infant by the offer of the breast.
How can it be expected to resist the tempta-
ton, when the adult, whose appetite is al
ready satisfied at the festive board, yields
to The solicitations of the host, aud gorges
himself with ailments which he cannot d.
gcst ?''*
The same intelligent author remarks,
that the lower animals nstinctvcy y avoid
this error, and, instead Of offering suck too
often, rather allow themselves to be strong
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