Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-31
From the Baltimore Sur
HOW To CARE FOR BABY.
SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MOTHERS
Recommendations of a Physician.

BAD AIR-CATCHING CoLD-INDIGEsTIBLE
FooD-PoIsoNoUs FooD AND DRINK-
LIFE.
Following is tho first Of series of arti-
cles, which the Sun has had prepared by a
well.known physician, on the ailments of
babies in hot weather. These articles will
be found of practical value, and are pub
lshed with hope of saving the lives Of in
fants whose mothers are ignorant of the
causes which often lead to cholera infant
UNI. The series will also include sugges,
tions that may be of use to thoughtless
grown persons. The first article is as fol
lows:
In order to guard against the summer
complaint Of infants the mother should
know the causes of the disease. There are
four sources from which it arises, which we
may describe in order, one after the other:
FIRsT.-ETFEcT OF BAD AIR.
The difference in the healthfu.ness of city
and country depends largely on the fact
that in the country the air is pure and free,
while in the city the air is full of disease
matter, which rises from cesspools or closets
or sewers or from filthy back yards and
alleys. Such poisonous air is not likely to
produce indigestion directly, but it weakens
the body so that it is not able to resist any
disease which attacks it. This source of
summer complaint cannot always be avoid
ed, for the city authorities neither keep the
streets clean nor force the citizens to cleanse
their premises. Much, however, can be
done by the parents of the infant By clean
ing and disinfecting their eesspools and
cutters and drains, and by keeping all rub
bish and decaying vegetables out Of the
house and cellar.
sECoND.-CATCHING COLD.
Every one knows that if a hot and per-
spring infant is put into a cold draught of
air 1t is likely to ''catch cold" If it has
not proper clothing on its stomach and bel
ly, it will very likely get diarrhea. The
way to prevent this is to clothe the infant
SO as to suit the weather aud to keep it out
of cold and damp currents of air. The
child should wear flannel or merino or some
other non-condueting cloth next its skin,
and when this cannot be borne bit of such
cloth should be pinned over it's stomach and
belly, leaving the back and sides cool. If
the weather changes two or three times q
week the baby's clothing ought to be chang
ed to suit. There is nothing more absurd
than the old idea that the clothing should
be changed for the season at such and such
day of the month.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FOOD.
The only fit food for baby before it be
gins to cut teeth is milk, with enough water
to satisfy thirst between the musings. &
great deal of summer complaint is cansed
by giving the baby meats and vegetables
and drinks which it cannot digest. There
are very many mothers and fathers who
bring up their little infants On ''anything
that they have on the table," beer. gin,
cabbage, pork, unrlpe fruits, melons, sc.
There are other parents who cannot refuse
the little darling anything it cries for. To
these classes it is useless to give iDstcuc-
ton. They remind one Of the opinion OF
tie old negro concerning the education OF
certain young colored persons in the South
"Boss, kin put more larrin into one OF
them niggers with barrel etave than you
kin with all the public schools in the
State" There is 10 use instructing such
parents, l say; they can only be taught by
seeing their children die or grow up deli.
cate. Even milk may at times disagree,
but of this and tho way to prepare milk I
will spea X in another article. It is the duty
of every mother, if she can, to nurse her
baby at the breast. If she cannot do this,
cows milk is the best aud cheapest substi.
tute. There is nothing that cheers the true
PHYSICIANS heart like having for the moth
er of his little patients woman who gives
to her little ones simple food which suits
their tender years and nothing else aUhdterea
to eat, and who will treat as an enemy any
kind hearted neighbor or acquaintance who
stuffs candies and indigestible foods into
her baby's stomach.
FOURTH POISONOUS FOOD AND DRINK.
This is the chief cause of summer com
plants. 1t is fact that much of the watel
used throughout this country is poisonous
1t contains the germs or seeds of disease
Modern science teaches that great many
diseases are caused by little germs so small
that million or so may be contained in
drop of water. If they are taken into th,
body in sufficient quantity for a Ions
enough time they produce disease, each &C
cording to its nature. If the discharges O
o person suffering with typhoid fever, fo
example, are thrown into stream, or OF
the ground where they can be washed into
stream, they may cause typhoid fever il
nearly every one who drinks frem thu
stream, bet ause the TYPHOID germs in thu
discharges are carried by the water into ths
stomachs of the persons who drink it. VIZ
all know that if any one eats raw pork con
tanning trichip8 he will suffer, perhaps dit
of disease which the little trichip;e produce
Our city hydrant water is generally whole
some, except when IL has become stagnan
in the i'll constructed water pines. but very