Sharp County record., 1888-08-30
CRADLES AND ROCKING.
WAYS Of Quieting Babies That Are Prona-
bly, Older Than History.

WlYS OF l1ulHTlng lBlDleS lndL EATb EDUA-
bly, Older Than History.
The practice Of rocking seems 70 be al
most as universal rs the use Of cradles,
though modern intelligence seems to be IN
Cined to abandon &. TIL the past few
years no English mother would ever lavs
thought of adopting a cradle without rock
ers, and pretty much the same may be said
Of mothers all over the world. Almost all
forms Of the thing are designed either for
swinging from a point Or suspension Or
OsciIlatng on rockers. Swedish cradles
are often designed TO give a double motion.
They are suspended from the end of a deXi-
Bile pole projecting from the wall II The
room. or thew hang from 4 strong spiral
spring Thus the infant may be swung 10
and fro or Jog up and down. Probably baby
Sweds Ike it, but there are a good many
adults in whom either motion continued for
five minute would eIgender d hOrrlD Dle sem
satiOn as Of sea-sICkness The Russians
hang their cradles from fixed hooks, ana
a IoOD beneath the sleeping infant permits
Of the rocking being done by the mothers
foot. ArchdeaCon Gray, in his work On
China, speaks Of cradles there being sus-
pended from the ceiling This. ne says, 8
TO protect the children from the attacks Of
rats, which are extremely numerous n
most Chinese houses. Possibly hat may
afford a clue 10 the origin Of the practice
of rocking The hanging Up Of a chiIds
cot to the ceiling Of room or the branch
of q tree would safeguard { from many
insects and animals. and when thus sus-
pended it would be apt 10 swing 10 and trs
when touched or blown by the wind. Prob
ably this motion would DO found to have a
somewhat dazing, soothing influence
on the brain Of the child, and hence
NAV have originated the idea OF luIling
the child to sleep by motion. Cradles sus-
pended from the OOughs Of trees would Of
course be likely TO have the double nova-
ment provided for IN the Swedish cradles.
and it seems not altogether improbable
that we have in this form Of the thing the
suggestion Of aboriginal tines when
European cradles swung under forest
DOughs Just rs 10 this day they swing n
the Dreezes sweeping through the .eafY
glades Of the far West Of America. Among
the Turkish peasanJry may be met With
two forms Of the cradle which seem TO sug-
pendent bed swinging from a single point
Of suspension 70 the cradle upon rockers.
We nave here ! horizontal form OF the
hanging cradle-s kind Of hammock-and
then the cradle on tia ground designed %
give as nearly as may be the same motion.
However rocking NAV have originated, It
is probably much older than history, and
in medieval England the official rocker IN
the arIstOCratiC nursery was rs well estab-
lished q funCJionary as a turnspit in the
kitchen. Royal nurseries had their STATS
Of rockers. who were deemed Indispensable
TO the dignity and weII-0eing Of budding
royalty The infant son Of James II. had
not been born four and twenty hours De
fore four rockers we're appointed TO his
service, and the household of her Majesty
Queen Victoria used formerly 20 comprise
a similar staff, II It does ACT to this day
London Standard.