Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-01-19
CARE OF INEAN1s-
How to Keep Baby Warm, Comfortable
and in Good Health


One OF the most successful masters
81 an English boys school was asked
how he man aged matters so that his
pupils conduct was universally re-
spected for good-breeding and honor
able action, he replied: Il always
keep them warm. Every boy is a
moral coward when he is cold' Every
grown person knows the truth of this
pregnant remark. Nothing is more
miserably depressing in every sense
than chilliness arising from want OF
proper circulation.
Babies suffer more from this cause
than almost any other. Sleeplessness.
collie, fretfulness. are all SO many
warnings of want of proper circula.
ton and deficient warmth.
Mothers often have very curious
Ideas on this subject; they cover an
infant over in its cradle with heavy
blankets and eomfortables. and feel
that all is right if when they lift it out
after sleep it is moist with perspiration.
They look upon this artifcially pro-
duced heat as healthful, and it delights
them. In truth. it is not desirable at
all Ninety-eight 10 one hundred de.
grees is the normal temperature of
healthy child, and any excess of this
is harmful.
Even careful nurses and experienced
mothers misunderstood this question
of temperature altogether They load
the infants body with clothes. and
never reflect that unless its hands and
feet are equally warm they are actually
making it suffer with every added gar
ment What is wanted is equalized
circulation throughout the body. How
is this best attained? BY means of two
very simple agents: the bath and the
dress.
First. the bath. Every baby, OF
course, needs to be washed all over
in warm water once a day; but this
dlurnal bath is positively hurtful I'M
less it is accompanied by good hon.
est rubbing. Now rubbing is thing
very few persons understand, al.
though it is such an indispensable
part of the daily toilet. To rub an in
FAINT properly requires great tender
ness and care. - All such rubbing
should be with circular movement
of the palm of the hand, and should
be rapid. but with very little pressure.
Above all. the soles of the feet should
be thoroughly rubbed in this way,
gently and quickly, for at least two
minutes. This promotes circulation,
and sends the blood flowing through
the tiny heart. In like manner the
little hands should not be chafed up
and down or squeezed, but the palms
should be treated in the same circular
way.
Mothers. as rule. pay great deal
more attention to an infants feet than
to its hands. They would not think of
leaving it without socks, even with its
feet fastened up in a blanket; but with
the thermometer below zero they will
let it flourish two little red fists in the
cold morning air. Yet how wretched
it is to have cold hands every one
knows! Little children, in cold
weather. should not only have their
hands rubbed frequently, but they
ought to sleep in knitted mittens as
soon as it becomes difficult to keep
their hands under the coverlid, and
that is as soon as they are restless.
Dress for infants has been written
H oCOuu thste ShOAO
is nothing to add; and yet the most
important point in regard to it is rarely
alluded to. Its whole object should be
comfort. secured by equalization of
temperature, and no pressure any
where. The fewer clothes a
child wears the better. so
they are sensible ones. Baby's
outfit should be limited to close-iit-
ting. soft knitted under-shirt made
high in the neck, with long sleeves,
and coming down we'll over the
stomach lover the usual flannel band);
n wrapper made of the finest Saxony
flannel with yoke, fastening in front
and tapping well over; and dress of
cambria with long sleeves, and also
made with yoke.
There should be no strings to tie at
all! All the clothes, even the frock.
should be fastened in front with tiny
buttons. for the reason that to an in
FAINT even the pressure of buttons is OF
moment, and the baby lying on its
back is often distressed by strings or
buttons between it and the pillow. No
infant should veal napkins without
flannel outside, because, however
careful the mother may be. they can
not be always dry, and the flannel pre-
vents dampness from affecting the
dress.
In dressing an infant to 60 out 1t
often seems as if the little body must
be cru shed under the wraps which are
thought necessary. The use OF numer-
Gus or heavy wraps is a mistake. 1t
is only needful to have a close. soft,
warm knitted sack to come below the
fee, with long sleeves. and then over
that a light cashmere cloak. not wad-
ded. but simply lined.
Weight should be avoided. in every
possible way. in dressing an infant
Warmth, equally distributed. is the
main consideration, and this is best
secured by soft. light knitted Saxony
wool SACKS. jackets and under-shirts.
They are warmer than flannel gar
ments, and cling more closely; and
where such are worn many outside
petticoats can be dispensed with. -
Janet E. Rantz- ReeS. in DemoreSes
Monthly.
To Remove Common Warts.