, 1873-11-09
THE INFANT or. THE, PERIOD.
1a0yv We Treat IT.

Lot ua glanca Tor moment at tic clothing Of
'the infant Of the period" First In order In
thu dressing Of tho young infant eomos the m
made Of flannel, wrapped twice around tho body.
aud pinned 30 tightly that 1t ls absolutely i'm.
possible for the child to use properly tho ab-
doinal muscles 4 6rsahag FOR Il the or, nras
aro almost the only exercises It is able to indulge
in and eyery garment should be ,looae enough
to admit Of FREQ intercostal and abdominal
muscular action. But aa baby's clothes ara
worn, We hare quite tho rovcrso Of this. Tho
bandago abovo referred to 80 compreaaes tho $
walla Of tho abdomen as to prevent lateral OK
pnnsion and whenever tho baby cries, the In
frequently cnusfng, infantilo hernia for at this
early ago tho opening to the ingutna1 canal In
ofton only partially closed, aud it requires but
nttlc force to cause tho bowels to protfude:.
and more uncomfortable article could not we'll
bo Imagined. It Is generally made Of cotton
flannel. doubled tgioo, making four thioknessea
around tho pelyis. Add to the above q thu
rubber article now in our market, and which i9
used by some, and 500 what We have No won
dor 30 many children hayo proinpsea bowels and
Inflammation generally in that delicate region.
Only think Of It, mo:hors for. two long years
this boating process iB kept up day and night
without intermlssion Suppose you bound tho
ohild's hcad or lungs up In tho same WY and Tor
| consequence would bop You would probably
injure those organs for life, II. indoed the child
| survived tho treatment.
shir:," q little scrap Of very dno Hnon, which,
| considering itB orimp dimenaon8, ts for all onda
and purposes q oonBummhte nuisance. Then
como the flannel sk1rts. nicely plated or gath-
pinned round tho body, under the arms, so that
| overy time baby Is toeaed around tho skirt II
dragged down over his abdomen, thus adding an
other binder to tho already oVerbound parts. Last
with or without aleeves, according to tha
! fashion OF tho timos Or taste. OF the
mother, who very rarely knows anything about
physio!osy, and. It she did, would be Indifferent
like other peoples babies. We have, then, you
aee, ar1na and chest relatively bare while Just
below ia the pettlcoat baud aboYe referred to:
and Just below that come the thick hot plhts Of
ilannel over tue littlo pelvis. In this manner
t1o blood Ia drawn bY ogerheattpg the vital partB
aud kept there; while 1t is driven away from the
tiny hands aud arms, leaving theu blue and
' 9ysts eos e II ie s o adpGssS as ae hs as tn.
Of d grown person, should. in the first place, be
made loose enough to allow the free use Of all
the. muscles. Net only that. but every portion
should bo as many thioknesaos on the ar1na and
chests aa there are on any other: part. A
cd i piece e thhin soft Sa musn to be Ss,,
week or so, uniil tho umbilieua heals:
The under garments should be made Of
soft cotton material, instead OF flannel. ag
this is vory apt to irritate and chafe the tender
skin and Ii one great causo,; Of ."gum rash, -
which is annoying to both mother and child. a
little waist should be made with long slseves
and high mock, with deep hom round the bot
tom, and buttons for fastening the akirt to.
This latter should bo made Of tho same mato.
rial, gored perfectly plain, With, narrow band
button holes. In bot Weather, the above gar.
mont with gored dross, made with high neck
and long, sleoyes, is all that is required. In
cooler weather, a flannel suit should be worn ho-
i tween the two made the same as the outsida
. dress, and buttoned down the front. Children,
as general thing, are kept too warm. Aftef
dressing them, they arc often wrapped in thioh
shawl, and placed in tho warm bod beside tue
mother, face aud all under cover, with not eyea
. little hole 10 breathe through. Hero It re-
mains for hours, breathing over and oyer again
the air ladon With tho Civilizations from lta own
body and that OF tho mothor'a: It. 10 also vorJ
common to allow the Child to sleep in the same
clothes it wears in daytime. This is oil wrong
little folks, as we'll as big ones, should change
thoir clothes before going TO bod taking care to
: hang up for good airing tho ones they take OF