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

1dnLS.
The American Social Science as
ISOLATION has entered upon an in.
vestigation of infants. The secretary
OF the infant department has sent a
circular to every mother 10 the
United STATE, in which are pro-
DO lnded series of questions which
the mother is expecte1 to answer.
When sufficient qusntity of infant
lie facts are thus sscertained, 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 Tittebsts. The following
is the most important paragraph in
the secIetsry's circular:
"a. what age did the baby exhibit
consciousness, and ia what manner?
Smile? Recognize its mother? Notice
its handP Follow q light with It's
eyes? Hold up its head2 Sit alone on
tbs floor? Creep? Stand by chair?
Stand alone? Walk alone? Hold a
play thing when put in It's 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? Ap.
pear sensible to sound? Notice the
light Of a 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 a social
science person densely ignorant of
infants. There is not an intelligent
and cultivated mother who will fail
70 characterize them as fiddle.
sticks" Their absurdity can be
easily shown, and careful invest
igator who has recently made q
personal study of all the leading
babies OF this city has found that
only a very small proportion OF the
questions admit .of an intelligent
answer.
Baoies "exhibit consciousness" ss
soon as they are born. Their
consciousness OF hunger il
contemporary with their appearance
in q world flowing with milk and
bottles, and a Consciousness of their
ability to howl is simultaneously
developed. 1t is just possible that the
first question of the series is mis-
printed, and the So cisl Science az
ISOLATION wishes 70 know at what age
babies exhibit concientiousnes We
. may confidently answer sat no age
whatever" for there is no created
: being so utterly devoid OF conscieac'
as the human baby.
Next, the American mother ia re-
r quested to tell at what age her imam
: recognized its mother. Obviously q
I the first moment of hunger-that
: to say promptly after Its birth. VIII
> ever knew 8 recent and hungry In
] lant to recognize its father or 1t
T maiden aunt or any other unsatis
l factory person? It's mother, however
it recognizes instantly and instinct
9 lively. Does the secretary OF To
t Social Science association imsgin
! that new infant must be formal
% introduced to its mother and plaC
|, her on its list of visiting acqusinl
q Rnces before it will feel at liberty
10 recognize her?
II When does an infant "recogniz
d its hand?" Well, as q rule, not unit
J it is old enough to play cazds. II
= average western infant, who at h'
le years Of age plays strong game
,e draw" of course notices end ssndit
4 its hand, but the New England inial
Dr. in most cases never holds a han
] until it is out of infancy. When do'
10 an infant ''sit alone on the floor?
10 This depends on q variety of thing
v. In families where thore is a Pct O
ly the infant is usually occupied, vine
N sitting on the floor, in mauling &
OF unhappy cat. II there is no cat
IL the family, there is generally a DO
= and il there is no dog, then the nur
re site on the floor with the infant.
De In fact, no infant that is fairly 81
Iis titled to the name aver sits on 4
ut floor alone, and in ssking the qut
IN ton the secretary once more sho
id an untamilisrlty with the msnne
pr and customs of infants which Is Qui
ng characteristic of ths social scien
re reformer.
OF We now CONS TO the question. ="
what age does an infant bold d pli
re-. thing whsn put in its hand? II ne'
IS holds a plaything in its hand. I
.ly plRything. whether i. be a ball,