The Shasta courier., 1869-01-30
SHASTA COURIER.
On Bread and Babies.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in late num-
Der of her paper, The Revolution, advances
the following sensible views:
We are constantly asked, if women vote,
what will become of the bread and babies !
In view of the heavy bread, and badly
cooked food we find on most tables, and
the shocking mortality among infants, we
contemplate with wonder and pity the
blind faith of man in the maternal and
culinary intelligence of " the weak mind
ed" who have no aspirations beyond Heck
er's -four, Mrs. Winslow's soothing syrup,
and Wheeler & Wilson's sewing machines.
Seeing that the women have devoted
themselves through the age of domestic
economy ard failed, as miserably as the
men have In the art of government, we
have, after mature thought come to the
conclusion that just as women's enlighten-
ed interest in political questions will in
prove the State, so mans skill and science
are necessary to redeem the home from its
present disorder, disease and death. IF
there are two things We thoroughly under
stand, they are babies and bread, and for
our knowledge of both these divine arts we
are indebted to philosophical, scientific
gentlemen.
The only valuable work we have ever
saw on Infancy was written by man,
Andrew Comb, of Scotland, close obser-
yer, sound thinker, and learned physi-
ologist. We shall never forget how tenn
pest tossed we were when we first found
ourself the happy possessor of man child,
without the slightest knowledge of what
to do for his comfort and protection. An
ignorant nurse fdgeted round the room
day and night, sang melancholy ditties,
and rocked vehemently, while the child
cried continually with loud voice, and we
wept, prayed and philosophical by turns.
Reasoning on general principles, we at last
came to the conclusion that inasmuch as
the child was large and vigorous, there
must be some mistake on the part of the
nurse that he was not quiet and comfort
able. Accordingly, we fortified ourself in
that opinion by a faithful reading of what
Mr.. Combe had to say on babies in gen
eral The result of this consideration of
his opinions was a prompt revolution in
the whole nursery department, and trans
fer of pain from the baby to the nurse, who
stood humbled and chagrined as she saw
her time -honored system summarily set
aside, the pins, paregoric, catnip, and cradle
driven out, while pure air, sunlight and
common-sense walked in. Oh! whatsighs,
what groans, what doubtful shakings of the
head, what suppressed laughter and whis-
perings in the hall, we heard during the
first few days after the Inauguration of that
dynasty of health, happiness and rest to
that newborn soul.
When the three hours cry began that
day, which ancient danes assured us was
a custom that had been faithfully kept up
by all the sons of Adam from time imme-
mortal, we ordered the little sufferer to be
promptly stripped to skin and put in a
warm bath That brought instant relief,
after which he was dressed in few light
garments hung on the shoulders, with no
swaddling bands, no pressure on lungs or
bowels, and laid down to sleep. He was
fed according to Combe) every two hours
by day, and but once during the night
After that we had peace, though eternal
vigilance on our part was its price. The
custom of pinning babies up as tight as a
drum is both cruel and absurd. We asked
the antiquarian who tortured our frst-born
in that way, why she did it? "The bones
of young babies are so soft and their flesh
SO tender" said she, "that they are in
constant danger of dissolution unless tight
ly pinioned together" We soothed he1
fears by pointing to the fact that colts and
calves, puppies and kittens, all lived and
fourished without bandages, and for the
benefit of the race we said we would make
. the experiment on one of the human family
If babies are regularly fed, bathed and
comfortably dressed, and in pure atmos
phere, they will be quiet and healthy
The ignorance of woman on these subject:
is truly lamentable. We have seen chill
dren year old that had never tasted water
when they should have it half dozen
times every day from the hour of theil
birth. We have found fathers who worked
hard all day complaining bitterly of being
disturbed at night by crying children
hence the common use of Mrs. Winslow's
soothing syrup, which only tends to in
crease the irritable condition of the ner
vous system, and permanently weaken the
brain.
Young mothers no doubt imagine that
this Mrs. Winslow is some experienced
humane old lady, who loves little children
knows just how to soothe them to sleer
and pilot them through all the pitfalls o.
infancy, when, in fact, this abominablt
syrupis compounded by some ignorant man
in whiskers, broadcloth and boots, whc
lives and fattens on his ill-gotten gains
while babies are sent by the hundreds tc
untimely graves or made idiots and lunatic.
for life.