The Western advance., 1874-07-18
The Baby in Hot Weather,

In July and August the baby becomes,
or ought to become, a point of public in
terest: 1t grown men and women suffer
from bad ventilation, uncleanliness or
indigestion, they have themselves to
blame. But when the poor baby is the
victim it is matter of deliberate cruelty.
Summer after summer tecthing children
fall in hecatombs, sacrificed to the ig
| norance or carelcssness Of their parents.
This year, however, at last, instructions
have been published by the boards of
health in some ncighboring cities by
which the most uneducated mother may
understand how to protect her child
from danger as far as possible during the
season of heat and foul air. The direc-
tions are based upon plain principles of
common sense, which we would suppose
would be patent to anybody of ordinary
Intelligence, but which are unfortunately
the very facts soonest ignored and neg
lccted. Mothers, like Naaman of old,
are usually willing to try any cure which
any prophet may recommended more
miraculous and difficult the better; but
as for steady washing of themselves or
their children in the waters of Jordan or
Croton to make them whole, they are
apt, like the Syrian, to sniff contcmptu-
| ously at the idea and go faithfully on
their way through dirt to death.
Washing however, ght be called the
basis OF babys 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
he restricted in their diet to milk, oatmeal
mush, or cruel carefully prepared, and
beef broth or minced raw beef in small
quantities. There is popular prejudice
among uncducatcd women against the
meanncss Of refusing food to "their
children which they eat themselves" to
which is owing one-half the deaths among
that class of infants. The swarms of
sallow, puny, WiZened faced babies which
we see at the doors of tenemcnt-houscs
are fed on morscls of pork vegetables,
unrajSed bread, and occasionally sips of
tea and lager-beer which may fall to
their mothers lucky lot. 1t is not heat
or malaria or tecthing against which the
doctors have to contend so much as the
obstinate ignorance Of the parents. Fresh
air is Of course a 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 a new chance for
life. No anodynes or soothing syrups
should be given except under medical
direction.
So far the doctors. There arc 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 discipline Many we'll
meaning women feel it to he their duty
to teach their children implicit obedi-
cnce at the earliest age, and to punish
any ill-temper or pccyishness. Now, an
infant never cries except when hungry,
hurt or sick; the cutting of the teeth fire.
qucntly affects the brain and produces a
nervous irritabi]ity, which relieves itself
by pcevish complaints or crying. To
whip Il 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 awise
mother, but the brooding love of the
most tender one. If they do not fret and
cry against the discomforts and pain of
a world into which they come without
choice and which shows them just now
its toughest sidc-what wonder?-Neu
York 71ibunc.