The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-16
How She Nearly Killed the Baby.

arrangements in certain localities, has
suggested to me the idea that our city
mothers are responsible for imperfect
sewage in another sense. | mean that
directly connected with those tiny tab
ernacles which have been intrusted by
Providence to their keeping.
Not that the mysterious labyrinth Of
minute drain pipes is defective. Nature
has seen to it that these are perfectly
adapted for their work.
But the delicate clay of which they are
nodded cannot bear the overwork which
Ignorant mothers and nurses force upon
athem by overlooking their babies. Still,
Nature tries, in spite of all, to keep up
the drainage, until the delicate tissues
become diseased and finally worn out and
the cradle is empty.
Why is it that the human mother was
considered complete without that in
stinct which should guide her unerringly
in the management of at least the tenn
poral interests of her infant?
Pussy, who but two years ago was as
blind and helpless as the four mewing
things by which yesterday our house
hold was increased, apparently under
stands as thoroughly how to carry each
kitten by the back of its neck, and, after
depOsiting one after the other in the most
comfortable spot she has been able to
select after several weeks previous
searching, cuddles down beside them
and administers to their wants as if for
years she had been accustomed to the
business, or at least had graduated from
the school of trained nurses under the
direction of some ancient DR.. Tom or
Tabby. The pullet marches with as
much dignity and self-reiance at the
head of her first brood of downy balls as
her own stately Brahmin mother did
last summer when she headed her sew
enth procession. There were no con-
situations necessary, no calling in old
Mrs. Hennypenny, Drs. Cockalorum or
Quack. The young mother knows how
to feed her chicks.
Alas for us poor representatives Of the
human maternal sisterhood. Notwith-
standing we have the benefit of centu-
ries of physiological, medical and scen-
titic discovery, we are, so far as the
death rate can prove the fact, as igno-
rant, and possibly more So than was
Mother Eve when she handled her
naughty little Cain.
Just here short chapter from my own
experience may not be inapropos. Last
year fed my baby, as was recommend
ed by my physician, who is considered
one of our best, upon condensed milk
and oatmea! grnel.
All went we'll until July, wner she
was three months old. At that time
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symptoms of summer complaint soon
manifested themselves. The Stereotyped
advice from doctors, sisters, cousins and
aunts was: " Keep up with his usual
food-that is, the milk, drop the oat-
meal, give her medicine, and take her to
the country" | was told that when
calves were allowed to have all the milk
they would take they become sleek and
| fat and that the correct inference must
be that the poor little baby, now any
thing but "sleek and fat" must to be-
come so, have milk every time she cried,
every time she went to sleep, every time
she awakened, every time she was
| thirsty; in short, at all times, day and
night. My energies were all bent in one
| drectiOn-viZ. toward stimulating and
coaxing the already unnatural appetite
for milk and oatmeal, which / have no
doubt was simply caused by thirst. l took
| her to the country, and during the five
weeks we remained there | did not
know what it was to have an hours rest,
day or night-crying, moaning, vomit-
| ing, and all the rest of it, poor baby,
whose fault it was not; poor mamma,
whose fault it was | continued to gorge
the child in this way to the extent of an
entire can every twenty-four hours. No
hardened wretch ever more zealously
stuffed the unfortunate goose, destined
for pate de foie gras. | brought her
home from the country, took her to
Coney Island, but sea air could do moth
ing for the poor innocent, who still, not
outstanding weakness and emaciation,
continued to ply the bottle as constantly
as ever! Autumn weather came to our
rescue, and she did not get to Heaven
after all.
The proverbially much-to- be- dreaded
second summer, with its array of woes
in the shape of back teeth, eve teeth and
stomach teeth, was dawning upon us.
Meanwhile mamma had, for the sec
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and concluded to experiment in the use
of the limited amount of reason with
which her Maker had endowed her. |
saw that all had succeeded in doing
last year had been to nearly kill the baby,
and altered my entire course the very
moment the first symptoms of summer
complaint appeared, which was in June.
Every morning l boiled three table
spoOnfuls OF fine oatmeal in quart of
slightly sailed water one hour. After
straining and thinning it somewhat with
cold water, added a heaping teaspoon
full of condensed milk and tablespoon
full of sugar, | placed it in the refrig-
orator, and gave it only when l knew
the child was really hungry. At other
times | gave her cold water (not ced)
as much and as frequently rs she wished
it. Once during the night and in the
morning before the cruel was ready
gave two teaspoonfuls of milk in bottle
Of cold water. This course has been
thoroughly successful, and l gave the
baby no other food excepting a little
bread and butter occasionally. If she is
thirsty in the night | fill the bottle with
fresh water, put it by her in her crib,
and she satisfies her thirst and falls
asleep over it. Furthermore, she has