The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-06-25
HOW TO MANAGE PRECoCIoUS
CHILDREN.

From Bellows philosophy Of Eating e
Many of the most prominent children
are sacrificed to desire to bring them
forward in advance of other clilGreA,
and This desire is stimulated by natural
instincts. Every living creature re-
ioices in the usa vi the faculties which
God has given it, ''as a strong man TO
run race" The boy whose muscles
are well developed will never keep still,
but is ready for anything, good or bad,
in which ho can stir himself TO such
n one study is punishment.
But the boy whose muscles are feeble,
and whose brain is largely developed, sits
still and reads, and the appetite, of coursc
conforms to the kind and amonnt OF cX-
crcisc. II he wastes his muscle in cNcr-
else, his appetite will demand the mus
Gle making nitratcs TO supply the waste.
II he wastes the phosphorous of the
brain by study, he will desire phos-
phatic food to restore it, While the fat
and stupid boy, who has neither muscle
or brain, will crave carbonaccous ar
ticlcs to feed his stupidity and indul-
gcnco in these appctitcs will of course
Increase the popularity.
| have seen the little king bird, after
an hour of extraordinary cXcrtions in
driving from the ncghborhood an in
truding hawk, devote the next hour to
catching bees and hornets, which abound
both in nitrate and phosphoratcs, as a
means Of restoring his muscular and vi
tai energy. The bird is safe in follow
ing his ncInations, living as it does
according to natural laws and having
no abnormal development Of faculties,
and no abnormal appctitcs, it can eat
what il desires and as much, with perfect
but the child changed in its condi-
ton, as it may be, by the Ignorance and
folly of its parents, even before its birth,
is abnormaIly developed, and of course,
has abnormal appctitcs. INDUCING
these appctitcs, in case of prccocity of
thc. brain, of course increases the ex-
element of tic brain, and.tho result is
inflammation and premature death.
A child with q prccocioua brain. or
who is very forward, TO use the common
expression, is of course moro liable to
dangerous diseases Of the brain than
other children; but if parents would
givo the subject thought, and use their
reason in this rs in other less impor-
tant matters, these diseases might Sencr-
ally be wardcd off.
If our eyes have been ovorworkcd, or
arc weak and liable to Inflammation, we
avoid ovorusing them, especially in the
strong light, and if SO ihhamcd that too
much light and all use of them gives
pain we shut out light altogether, and
give them rest till they recover. Both
light and seeing are pleasant to the eyes
in health, and absolutely necessary to
rive them health and strength, but
when diseased arc bo,h alike injurious,
and we avoid the influence of both till
they recover. And when only weak,
and not absolutely diseased, we are
careful to have tl,-1ight or use the eye
only moderately or carefully. So Of
any other organ or facnlty-that which
is necessary TO it in health must DO care
fully used in tendency to disease.
Apply this principle to n prccocious
brain. Tho brain is as dependent on
appropriate exercise and supply OF
phosphorous in health aa.is tho eye on
exercise and light; and as we withdraw
tho exercise and light in woalncss and
disease, so should wo allow the brain
rest from exercise and phosphate food
in case of disease and premature dcycl-
opmcnt.