Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-06-26
AGRICULTURAL-SCI SCIENTIFIC.
CAUSES OF DISEASES OF CHILDREN

CAUSES OF DISEASES OF CHILDhENI
It appears from the annual register OF lne ueau' ma
about one-half the children born, die unoer tweiVe
wears of age. To many, indeed, this may appear !,
natural evil but on due examination, 1t Will oe iouo
70 he one of our creating. Were the deaths OF IN
fants natural evil other animals would be as iiaoie
TO die Young as man. but this, we find, IS by no
means the case. I'll.
II NAV seem strange that man, notwithstanding "'S
snneror reason should fall far short OF other an
imals in the management Of his young But our sur
nrise will soon cease if we consider that bruies guId-
ed by instinct, never err in this respect; whe man,
trusting solely to art, is seldom right Were cala-
loCue of those children who perish annually oy arr
alone exhibited 10 public view, it would astonish
most people. e..o .h;,aren
others must be employed for that purpose. ihese
Iii a1wavs endeayor TO recommend themselves oy
,ho onnearance of extraordinary skill and address,
D., ,h;s means. such number OF unnecessary anu
des,ruc,ive articles have been introduced into the d.
o. clothing, &C.. of infants, that 1t is no wonder 50
many of them perish. ,,Lo.
Nothing can be more preposterous than moner
who thinks it below her to take care oil her own
child or who is so ignorant as not 10 know wna'
nroner 10 be done for It, we search nature Ihro-
ont. we cannot find parallel TO this. Every o'ner
creature is the nurse ofts own young and 'hey 'hrVe
accordingly. Were the brues to bring up 'Gelr
young by proxy, they would share 'he same ia'e
with those of the human species.
II s indeed to be regretted, that more care is not
bestowed in teaching the proper management OIL ch'-
ron 10 those whom nature has designed for mothers.
This, instead of being made principle, is seldom
considered as any part of female education Is tany
wonder when females so educated come 10 be moth
ers that they should be quite ignorant oil The duties
bolono;no 10 that character? However strange 1t
nav snnear it IS certainly true, that many mothers,
and those Of fashion too are as ignorant when they
brnc child into the world, what TO do tor 1t, as The
infant itself, Indeed, the most ignorant OF the sex
are generally reckoned most knowing in the business
If nnrsino. Hence sensible people become dupes OF
ignorance and superslilion and the nursing OF chill
dpen. instead of being conducted by reason the re-
suit of whim and caprice.
Were the time that is generally spent by females
in the acquisition of trihing accomplishments, en-
ploved in learning how 10 bring up their children;
how to dress them as not TO hurt cramP, nor co"
fine their motions; how TO feed them win whoe-
some and nourishing food how to exercise their Ten
der bodies, so as hest 10 promote their grown anu
strength were these made the objects oil lenaie 'n-
s,ruc1ion mankind would derive the greatest advan-
mnlies little more than what relates to dress and pub
lie show, we have nothing TO expect from them but
Ignorance, even in the most important concerns.
Did mothers reflect on their own importance, ana
Law il 10 heart, they would embrace every opportl-
ntv of informing themselves OF the duties which they
owe to their infant offspring. their province, moi
onv to form the body, but also to give The mlnd us
most eary bias They have it very much IN the'.
mower 10 make men healthy or valetudlnary, useiui
in life, or pests of society.
Rut the mother is not The only person concerned
in the management of children. The father has an
eonal interest in their welfare, and ought to assist IN
every thing that respects either the Improvement oil
! the body or mind. 49,,
Il is a pity that men should pay so little regard 10
this matter Their negligence is one reason "ny
females know so little of it. Women WILL ever De
desirous to excel in such accomplishments as recon-
mend them to the other sex. But men generaiiy
keen at such distance from even the smalies' ac-
ouantance with the affairs of The nursery, that many
think il an affron were they supposed TO Know any
thing of them. Not so, however, with Inc hehhel OF
The stables a gentleman of the first rank IS not a.
shamed to give directions concerning the manage
ment of his dogs or horses, yet would blush were he
surprised in performing the same Office lor !hal ot
ing who derived its existence from hlmseii, VINO Is
the heir OF his fortunes, and the future nope ol Ills
country. ,
in general he paid to the preservation OF Infants
What labor and expense daily bestowed to prop
an old tot,ering carcass for few years, while thou
sands of those who might be useful in llle, perish
without being regarded! Mankind are too apt 10
value things according to their present, not to helr
future usefulness. Though this be Of all others The
most erroneous method of estimation, yet upon no
other principle is possible to account Tor the gen.
eraI indifference with respect 10 the death oil infants
! I-Selected,
New SCIENTIFIC DlscovERY.-The Parls cores
pondent of the London Times says:
aThe scientific world has been in a state OF com
motion during the whole week, in consequence o
the publication Of the discovery of the long-sough
for secret of the fusion and crysaliZaon OF carbon
The Sorbonne has been crowded for the last few days
10 behold the result Of this discovery in the shape o
toleraby-sized diamond of great lustre, which M
Despretz the happy discoverer. submits TO The ex-
animation of every chemist or sdUant who chooses
70 visit him. He declares that so long ago as last
au,umr. he had succeeded in producing the diamond
but IN such minute particles as to be visible only
tbrouoh The microscope, and, fearful OF raising irony
and suspicion, he had kept the secret, unl' oy u'h
of repeaed experiments and great LABOR, ne hau com
pleled the one he now offers to PUBIC view fou'
solar lens Of immense power, aided by the tremen
dous galyanic pile of the sorbonne, have been tn!
NEAR means Of producing the result before u.s. M
Desnre,z % holds himself ready to display the exper
iment whenever il may be required The diamon'
produced % is Of the quality known in the East as TIN
black black diamond, one sing specimen of which wa
SlI sold by Prince Rosio the late Duke Of York 70
the enormous sum of twelve thousand pounds!"
AcnrcULrURE IN CALIFoRNIA.--The .atta Can
forna last received, states that the surface OF tn
conntrv in the interior Of the State, for conslcera
ble distance, is covered with spontaneous and ar!lh
cial vegetation Immense fields ofclover knee h,g' m
are spread out, ard wild oats grow abundan'ly. IN
people were beginning to turn their attention 10 IN