San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-08
ghe Daily Eight.
TUESDAY. JANUARY. s, 1889.

The baby's eyes should for long time be
carefully shielded from the light. Some
nurses say that babies are blind at birth, as
are kittens and puppies Even were this the
case, the glare of sunshine or gas upon the
translucent covering that shields the sight
should be avoided. Monthly nurses require
a good deal of watching in this respect One
of them, who could not herself sleep except
in darkened room, alleging that the least
ray of light upon her eyelids was enough to
waken her, would lay the slumberinS baby
she had in charge with his face turned
toward the unshuttercd window or the I'M
screened gas. To e1postulations she returned
always the same answer: "Why, the child is
asleep. his eyes are shut!" and seemed to con-
slider that a sufficient reason why the little
ones eyes should be unshaded
Loud noises often cause young babies acute
suffering Before they are old enough to
distinguish between the voices Of those about
them they will cry out as in pain when there is
loud talking near them, and start and CULVER
from head to foot at the slamming Of door
or window or the falling of piece of furni-
ture. The whole delicately balanced system
seems to feel the jar. Well authenticated
cases are recorded where the death of a ner-
vous baby has resulted from sudden loud
noise, such as the firing of a gun or pistol in
the vicinity, or any like violent and sudden
report. These are extreme instances, but the
fact of their occurrence should put parents
and nurses on their guard to spare young
babies the shocks that would have been moth
ing to those of less easily unstrung nerves.
In the endeavor to secure quiet for mother
and child, visits must be tabooed. No callers
ba cic;o bo irr,rD al iot
members Of the family should be admitted to
the sick room until at least a week after the
little ones arrival. 1t will do the baby no
good to be exhibited to a succession of adj
miring friends and relatives. Its chief bust
ness for the first few weeks Of its existence
is to cat and sleep. These duties are Sc
riously interfered with if he is to be con-
stantly on dress parade. Another consider
alton which should carry weight with every
mother is that baby is never less beautiful
than when it is under fortnight old. TO
the unprejudiced observer its charms will be
more potent as it advances in age than they
sre while its features are an indistinguish-
sble magenta knot.
The food for the baby, and how it is to be
administered, will be treated at length in
succeeding chapter. 1t may not be aTiss,
however, to offer protest here against over
.eedin; the child at the outset. Many physi-
clans advise and practice giving the baby
nothing for the first tvcnty-four hours ez-
cept few teaspoonful. OF cool-not cold
water. Others follow tho old fashioned
method of putting tho infant to the breast as
soon rs the child has bean washed and dressed.
The milk does not come in full force until the
third day or after, but nature has provided a
sufficient nourishment in the coIostrum, or
first milk This "physics" the babe, as tac
old nurses say, and sustains its strength until
the arrived OF the full supply in the breast
Christine Terhune HeTricE il Harper's 3aZzr