Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-10-01
Gales aud Sketthes.
"That Baby"
In ITS EARLIEST AND TENDEREsT YEARS.

have been, tor some little time. a close
but appreciative reader of Good House
keeping. taking it all in," as the saying
is. / have often wished to add my mite to
help on an enterprise, the noblest ever
undertaken of helping people to
make their homes better and happier. and.
if I'm not intrudiDg. would like to say a
few words about THAT Baby"
..Whose baby?" Why. the good house
keepers. of course. Who ever heard of
a home without baby? 1t would seem
that, after all these years of bringing up
children, some plan might have been in
vented bv which they could be brought up
by rule; but, so far. every baby is bran
new one, with wants of peculiarities OF its
own, and when first one. often great
care and trial, for. until there is well
patronlzed school for the training of
women on the point, the ignorance OF
many Young mothers will make them
helpless for time. 1t is for that class
these few words are designed, so the older
danes need waste no time in reading
farther Next to the question of who it
looks like comes the one of lis is well?'
lance. but | notice that the question OF
looks takes precedence with the first baby
At this time of the year. and especially if
baby is teething. the question of health
and proper food becomes one of great i'm
portance. tor slight ailments often lead to
grave results and simple attacks of indi-
gestion to cholera infantum, that most
dreaded foe of babyhood.
MANY times attention to little matters
will prevent disaster. and should my adj
vice seem ''too nice" remember the chord
that binds the life to the body may be on
ly thread to break with the slightest
jostle. A few things are absolutely essen
tial to health.-preper food. pure air, and
cleanliness. | will not now dwell on the
two last mentioned. but speak only of the
food. No question is more often asked.
none harder to answer, at times, than
What shall baby eat?"
In former times it was, evidently, not
so hard question, but civilization and
education in other directions does not
seem to make this matter any better. We
find the question asked quite often, when
the baby is fortunate enough to have
mothers milk, for sometimes, owing
"
the baby, the little stomach quarrels with
its food and, after sundry cramps and
COLES, bounces it as an intruder, or, re-
tusing to digest it, the milk resolves itself
into little bullets too heavy to hold. Then
it becomes our duty to note carefully
whether the mother is overwOrking, or is
mentally depressed. Is she battling with
weak stomach, which cannot perform its
work has she been piecing out scant
supply of milk by making a canal of her.
self, thinking if she can, by any means,
increase the quantity, it is all that is neces-
sary? If so, beg of you to stop; it is
quality, rather than quantity you want,
and this can be gotten best by eating nu-
tritous food and drinking chocolate, cocoa
or milk. Avoid coffee and eschew larger.
If no fault can be found with the milk,
examine baby; give him, or her, a little
pepsin, after eating, for few days, and
if the matter cannot be righted, wean and
change to bottle. A bottle baby isn't
sure to die, by any means, and the chances
are in its favor.
80 dear" says some one, 81 never can
bring up baby on the bottle. Never is a
long word, my friend Let us see if
can help you. First, we must have our
bottles. Two will do. Gone old doctor
used to say "Seven bottles on seven pegs
on the south side of the house but with
care and method, | think we may get
along nicely with two. They should be
perfectly smooth inside, no lettering to
catch particles of milk; the size and
shape is not material; the black rubber
tubes and nipples are considered the best
These with the brushes for tube and bottle
and we are ready to begin. Only one
bottle should be in use at a time; the
other to be clean and exposed to the sun
meanwhile. Many like the plan of using
one bottle from - NJ to l. +. NJ, thus
giving both bottles chance to scald in
the sun.
To wash the bottles use hot water. in
which dissolve little baking soda; little
soap is needed, rinse thoroughly. The
rubber tubing should not be scalded as
hot water sottens the rubber, but wash in
warm water containing little soda; rinse
thoroughly with clear water; be sure TO
take the tubing all apart, even to that lit
tie piece which protects the end of the
glass tube, and leave them apart until dry
Much of this work can be avoided by
using only nipple. This necessitates
holding the baby while it nurses. which
plan, although better for baby, is seldom
followed. After the child has nursed, the
milk which it left, if any. should be poured
out and the bottle and tube rinsed and left
open until wanted. Do not set it one side
corked up tightly, to warm over again.
You can have no idea how it will taste
and smell, il you do, unless you try it, and
you will never try it a second time. So
much for the bottle; now what shall be
put in it? Goats milk is nearest like hui
man. and in cities vies with condensed
milk in Importance. In other places,
however. cows milk, in varying proper
ton to suit eases. is the staple article
but the varying proportions to suit
cases. that is where the rub comes. The
milk should be obtained from one COW.
and should correspond somewhere near in
age. In warm weather it should be
brought twice day, the milk allowed to
stand and the top being used. As to pro-
portion. it is usually safe to begin with
one-fourth milk to three-fourths water; if
it is found that the infant can bear more,
increase slowly up to one-third milk at
three months and one-half milk at six
months. There are many patent
foods before the public, all having
more or less value. Mellln's food seems
to stand the highest on examination, but
does not always agree as well as some
ofharS II Nuliip'S food is usat II !. col