The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-23
The Baby-HOw to Take Care of Him
This Hot Weather.

In July and August the baby becomes
or ought to become point of public inter-
est. If grown men and women suffer from
bad ventilation. uncleanliness, or indiges
ton, they have themselves to blame. But
when the poor baby is the victim it is a
matter of deliberate cruelty. Summer af-
ter summer teething children fall in heca-
tombs, sacrificed to the ignorance or care
lessness of their parents. This year, how
ever, as last, instructions have been pub
lished by the boards of health in some
neighboring cities by which the most I'M
edit Gated mother may understand how to
protect her child from danger as far as is
possible during the season of heat and foul
air. The directions are based upon plain
| principles of common sense, which
we would suppose would be pa
| tent to everybody of ordinary in
| telligence, but which are unfortu-
nately the very facts soonest ignored
and neglected. Irish or German mothers,
! like Naaman Ofold, are usually willing to
try any cure which any prophet may recon-
mend, the more miraculous and difficult
the better; but rs for a steady washing
of themselves or their children in the wa
tiers of Jordan or CrOtOn to make them
whole, they are apt, like the Syrian, TO
|
| faithfully on their way through dirt to
death.
Washing, however, might be called the
basis of baby's salvation through teeth
ing; thorough sousing of the little body
in plenty of cold water every morning,
and when the weather is extremely hot, a
tepid sponge bath at night; washing, too,
constantly of all clothes and cloths used
by the infant, to afford it perfectly clean
garments at all times. Whatever milk be
given should be thoroughly sweet and
cool; infants under two years should be
restricted in their diet TO milk, oatmeal
mush, or Cruel carefully prepared, and
beef broth or minced raw beet in small
quantities. There is popular prejudice
among uneducated women against the
meanneSs OF refusing food to their chill
dren which they eat themselves" to
which is owing one-balf the deaths among
that class of infants. The swarms of sal
low. puny, wiZened-faced babies which
we see at the doors of tenement houses are
fed on morsels of pork, vegetables, I'M
raised bread, and occasional sips OF tea or
lager beer, which may fall to the mothers
lucky lot. 1t is not heat or malaria or
teething against which the doctors have to
contend so much as the obstinate ignO-
rance of the parents. Fresh air is OF
course tonic and cure superior to any
medicine; every hour passed by the child
under the trees in the squares or on the
rivers gives it new chance for life. No
anOdynes or soothing sirups should be
given except under medical direction.
So far the doctors. There are other
rules as practical in effect but which only
affection can suggest. One is the laying
aside for the brief hot season the rigOr OF
parental dicipline. Many well meaning
women feel it to be their duty to teach
their children implicit obedience at the
earliest age, and to punish any ill temper
or peeviShness. Now, an infant never
cries unless when hungry, hurt or sick
the cutting of the teeth frequently affects
the brain, and produces a nervous irrita-
bility, which relieves itself by peeviSh
complaints or crying. To whip child
for such conduct is sheer cruelty, and
simply increases what is an actual disease
Through these perilous two months the
helpless little creatures require not only
the skillful care of wise mOthe", but the
brooding love of the most tender one. If
they do fret and cry against the dis
comforts and pains of world into which
they came without choice, and which
shows them just now its toughest side
what wOnder-N. y. Tribune.