The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-03-03
Mothers Killing Babies.

There's fearful responsibility resting up
on some must we say many mothers for the
practice of putting young children into the
murderous corsets, as detailed in the follow
ing from the Metropolitan:
Happening to visit a lady who was in
blissful possession of her first baby, she beg
ged me to tell her where she could find
corset for the infant, or even pattern to
make one. She remembered that her own
baby brothers and sisters were enclosed in
such an article, but she remembered its Pc
culiarties of form only in that vague way
which ladies born to idleness are likely 10
recollect.
'Did you wear a corset when you were
young" we inquired.
Certainly. Can't you see how slight
am ?"
We had observed it, Indeed, we had Of
ten perpleXed our brains about this lady's
figure. She was six feet and one inch in
height, and as slight and graceful as will
low, and Just about as frail.
The corset explained it. Doubtless there
was so much material to dispose ofsomehow
and it was forced to be oblong, as the corset
refused to give it room to spread itself
Now this idea may not be scientific, but
facts are facts, My friend who was re-
markably beautiful, very lovely in all wo-
manly ways and as accomplished and culti-
waited as the best masters and close and con-
tinuous corsets permitted, did not live to
see the birlh of her second baby. Her
chest was too narrow, and she died. as ma
ny other people do, speedily and almost
painlessly of decayed lungs. Could she
have found the infants corset pattern her
baby would have followed her very soon.
OF course a baby must wear a smooth,
unhemned tanuel bandage about its abdo-
men for month, but after that we should
| trust to its muscles. Dress it in soft white
flannel next to its person, keep it in warm,
loose clothing, but do not permit the room
to be over-heated, or the air to be unchang-
ed less that three times day, and vet new
er permit it to be exposed to a draft. New
er remove it from the nursery without lift
| ing the window so that pure oxygen may
| await its return. Clothe its feet and legs
with long warm stockings, but do not retain
the long dresses an hour after its feet be-
come active, and the child indicates its de-
sire for exercise. The misshapen legs that
are so often seen upon boys, and the un-
graceful carriage of many girls and women,
may be traced to that vanity of the mothers
which kept a long, unrumpled white dress
upon the baby until it was eight or ten
1
months old. OF course, all the life that an
infant possesses is manifested by motion
and appetite, and one is of as vital conse.
quence as the other.-Many mothers never
permit scream to issue from the baby's
mouth, when perhaps the noise only means
a cry for more air in its lungs but they pas
food into its stomach to invite cholera
which does not, as a general thing refuse
the invitation.
\ wise mother knows that babe cannot
generate warmth as rapidly as an older per
son, and she dresses it accordingly.
4 tender mother is likely to furnish TO,
much animal warmth by overmuch caressln
and if she be not healthy, she is likely l.
vitiate the atmosphere that it breathes. n
| ""O S"""'H s''Np WIN pAue' ll Is h'
wholesome for either party, and the r,,
r of the child, is broken by the nervous ri
e of the mother or else remains so quiet tia
! h. fails of proper rest, and the nourishmu
given 10 the babe IS not likely to agree wit
r its sensitive digestive organs. a lab
t should always sleep in crib by It's mother
side.