The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-07-30
HARDENING" CHILDREN.
Sensible Words on the Subject from
a Noted Physician.
Or B. ", Richardson in the Gentlenan's Mag

: Or. B. ". Richardson in the Gentleman's Mag
azine
/ was at n swimming bath, where som
: twenty boys, all under II years of age
were swimming or learning to swim
There was no comparison between theS
, lads IN the matter eff physical outline
: One, 4 shortlad, had = narrow and poin
: ted chest, a fragile form, and almos
transparentskin, a chilly surface Of bod
and blue lip; another, tall, broad
{ shouldered, broad-chested youth, had
full and ruddy complexion, a warm sur
face and n firm muscular build. The other
varied between these two standards
Such were the physical conditions of til,
swimmers, and so constructed phpsicall,
they commenced the If recreation. Swim
ming is a healthy recreation, when prop
erlv carried out, as well as useful anC
. necessary. But here was the mischie
from itln the case of the hays in question
there was nodiscriminatien IN the amount
of the recreation. The hoy with the pic.
con chest and blue lip had quite as mucl
Of it rs was safe for him at the end offive
minutes but. to keep him mp to the
same standard as the swimmer with the
broad chest, who had such buovant lungs
that he could hardly sink even if he
tried, the boy was encouraged and almost
driven to 90 on and keep on. until he
had passed through the same ordeal as
hlS more favored comradc. The result
Was that the weak boy came out Of the
water blue all over, an hour later was As
/ blue as 4 bllberry in the lips and cheeks.
and was cold, shivering. feeble and sleepy.
L could see those boys as plainly rs il |
had followed them going back to school
and ut the afternoon work. | could be
| rs sure as | could be Of any physiology
cal fact tiat it would require SIX hours
under the most favorable circum-
| stancas in relation to food, rest aud
| warmth 10 fully revitalize that feeble
| boy up to his own imperfect standard,
while re number of hours would ever
bring hi vitality UP to the standard Of
his more fortunate telloW-student.
Look now at the error, AT the long Sc
ries of errors, committed b. this mode
OF recreation on the feeble boy. His
animal Warmth had beenrobbed unduly,
| and he was therefore languid and unhap-
py. His blood was aerated less freely
than ii should be. and he was therefore
circulating blood more slowly than he
| ought, and breathing with excess of Ia
Dor. tie was more susceptible to every
depressing influence, and his nervous
system was dul1ed in the same manner
a it would be from sittingin a close and
badly-Ventilated room. He would be
drowsy, and perhaps the master of his
school would say idle on apathetic For
this he would he rated at his lessons.
lf,f,y n ,r+if a+I1. l.,
better, and if not punished corporally.
made irritable and anxious in mind,
which is another form in punishment
This nervous Lad, never over-strong.
would be again unduly taxed And now,
what else must follow as results? When
the nervous system is low and depressed,
the digestive power is cnfeebled, the nu-
triton of the body Is degraded in every
part. Then the vital organs, on which
life depends, and in which the activity
Of nutritive changes ought to be most
rapid and regular, are the first to suffer,
while even such passive parts rs those
which make up-the skeleton do not es-
cape scot free. See, then, what a mod
fication Of healthy life may be easily eff
focted by one apparently frifiing error
of recreation. Let that error be repeat
ed many times, and what is the almost
necessary result? The almost necessary
result is the institution Of that feeble
body, III active form, of the phenomena
of disease toward which it had procliv-
ity, on which the feebleness depended
1t will possibly be urged by some that
the process of making these feeble boys
compete with stronger boys is intended
to invigorate the feeble. For similar
reason these same naturally enfeebled |
children are sent out of doors in cold |
weather g to harden Them" The ignor- |
ance Is beyond pardon. As you cannot |
gather grapes Of thorns nor figs Of this
ties, SO you cannot, out of weak ami |
mai frame, extract strength except by |
taking it out Of the bank Of life, to the |
premature shortening of the inherited |
store Of life
Mothers know Of these facts better
than fathers, and mothers are often |
laughed at because their own knowledge |
is the knowledge of love, and passion, |
and anxiety, rather than Of cold. calcu- |
lating, reasonable had almost said
commercial-expectation. But the moth |
ers are none the less right, and indeed, |
men know better when they arc dealing
with lives that have to be bought and
sold. The great breeders Of f0cks and
herds do not try to harden or overtax
the young lower animal they want TO
perfect. They use a wise discretion, and
they succeed in what they do. At the
same time they are often indiseriminate
about their own children. A country
surgeon, whom | much esteemed for his
quick insight, once brought me for
Consultation a feeble boy with q
consumptive tendency, in order to settle
the question whether the mothers fos-
tering or the fathers hardening system
should prevail The father" said my
friend, . is a clever qan he is most
successful in the management Of cattle,
and If he would be only half as clever in
the rearing of his children all would be
well. But he is very hastyon this point,
and the other day-a bitter cold one
he did two of the most inconsistent things
ever knew man to do. He quarrel
ed like fury with his poor wife for send
ing Charlie to skate with his legs IN
warm stockings, and FIVE minutes later
dismissed his groom for taking a.colt out
to exercise without clothing it in horse
cloth.