The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-09
Manners and Customs Of In
fantS.

Manners and customs OF In
fantS.
The American Social Science as
ISOLATION has entered upon an in
vestigation of infants. The secretary
of the infant department has sent q
circular to every mother in the
United STATE, in which are pro-
pounded series Of questions which
the mother is expecte1 to answer.
When sufficient quantity of infant
lie facts are thus sscertsiped, it is
expected that the Social Science as
soclation will hold a meeting to dis.
cuss them and will afterWard frame
a theory Of infants. which in origin
atty and Importance will at least
equal Mr.. Plckwick's celebrated
Theory of Tittlebats. The following
is the most important paragraph in
the secretary's cIrcular:
"At what age did the baby exhibit
consciousness, and ia what manner?
Smile? Recognize its mother? Notice
its hand? Follow a light with iss
eyes? Hold up its head? Sit alone on
tbs floor? Creep? Stand by a chair?
Stand alone2 Walk alone? Hold a
p!aything when put in Its hand?
Reach out and take a plaything?
Appear to be right or left handed?
Notice pain, as the prick Of pin?
Show like or dislike in taste?' APP.
pear sensible to sound? Notice the
light Of window or turn toward it?
Fear the heat from the stove or
CRATE? Speak, and what did it saY?"
Any parent Of the smallest amount
of experience will realize that these
questions were drawn up by q social
science person densely ignorant of
infants There is not an intelligent
and cultivated mother who will fail
20 characterize them as fiddle.
sticks" Their absurdity can be
easily shown, and a careful invest
igator who has recently made a
personal study of all the leading
babies OF this city has found that
only very small proportion OF the
questions admit .oi an intelligent
answer.
Baoies Exhibit consciousness" 90
soon as they are born. Their
consciousness of hunger is
contemporary with their appearance
in world flowing with milk and
bottles, and a Consciousness of their
ability to howl is simultaneously
developed. 1t is just possible that the
fret question of the series is mis-
printed, and the So cisl Science az
ISOLATION wishes 70 know a! what age
babies exhibit concientiousness. We
may confidently answer sat no age
whatever" for there is no created
being go utterly devoid of conscience
as the human baby.
Next, the American mother ia re-
quested to tell at what age her infant
recognized its mother. Obviously at
the first moment of hunger-tbat ia
to say promptly after its birth. Who
ever knew recent and hungry in
lant to recognize its father or It's
maiden aunt or any other unsatls-
factory person? It's mother, however
it recognizes instantly and instinct
lively. Does the secretary OF the
Social Science association imagine
that new infant must be formally
introduced to its mother and place
her on it's list of visiting acquaint'
Rnces before it will feel at liberty tc
recognize her?
When does an infant recognize
its hand?" Well, as rule, not anti
it is old enough to play caEds. The
average western infant, who at Eve
years OF age plays strong game o.
draw" of course notices and studio:
its hand, but the New England inlan
in most cases never holds a hans
until it is out Of infancy. When doei
az infant "sit alone on the hoOfP
This depends on variety of things
In families where th3re is a pct ca
the infant is usually occupied, when
sitting on the floor, in mauling thc
unhappy cat. II there is no cat ii
the family, there is generally dog
snd If there is no dog, then the nurs'
sits on the floor with the infant.
i In fact, no infant that is fairly en-
titled to the name aver sits on th'
floor alone, and in ssking the cues
ton the secretary once more chow
an uniamilisrity with the manner
ant customs of infants which Is gut
characteristic of the social scienc
, reformer.
{ We nov CONS to the question. "a
what &c does an infant hold play
thing whsn putin Its hand? Ii ueve
J holds a plaything in its hsnd. To
: pIaything, whether /. be a ball,