The record-union., 1894-02-24
Rnynl Bnkttto 71n1pHFr.
WATCH HOW THE BABY GROWS
For the Sake of His Future and the
Euture of Future Babies.

WATCH HOW THE BABY GROWS.
For the Sake of His Future and the
Future of Future Babies.
The modern mother has had to give up
good many illusions and deluslons
about her children, some Of them difficult
to part with and only relinquished when
the powerful and penetrating light OF
science brings out their iallacy aud 1alslty.
But it is pretty hard that the dear little
down-headed baby, smuggling close to its
mothers heart and believed by her TO be
the sweetest thing on earth," and really
the ''only lovely baby in the world"
should be pointed at by the inexorable
finger Of law and nature as merely one OF
an innumerable species doing just what
the HOttentOt or Esqulmau baby does.
How can man, even man Of science,
know, as he asserts, that When this pre-
cious mite nestllng in her arms looks up
into her face and begins his "goo-goo,"
that he is not telling the dearest baby
story that ever was listened TO just for his
own mammals ears, but is merely follow
ing The instinct Of his kind making an at
tempt at articulate sounds. or that mann
ma" the most precious OF titles, as 1t Ialls
from the ROSY lips Of the little darling, IS
only the developed and accepted form OF
the invariable mum, mum" with which
all the babies from long ago to now begin
speech.
This sort of thing was bad enough, but
here comes another man, DR.. Stanley Hall
OF Clark University, whols demorallzlng
more pretty notions. The "Baby Book"
for example, with it's smooth, delicately-
tinted and daintily-ornamente pages.
wherein the fond mother proudly records
the many interesting events OF the
"baby's" life, his weight at birth, at one
month, at two months, the first tooth, the
days he first stretched out his hands to
her, and more thrilling chronicles
these are to be kept indeed, carefully, DR..
Hall says, not for doting thumbing, how
ever, but i'll the interests of the baby's
future career in particular and of the
species generally. 1t really does seem
too hard that science and research
and investigation and deduction over
which the world has gone mad these
days, says the indignant mother, can't
leave me even my own precious baby!
Before the Boston branch of the Asso-
citation of Collegiate Alumni. which is
making psychological study OF children,
DR.. Hall recently gave most interesting
talk. He attaches much importance to
the data obtained from a systematic and
accurate observation of the child from it's
birth. Nearly all incidents in the life of
child, he says, are of scientific value,
and there is not One he thinks. but what
future.
The hight and growth Of a baby's head
should be taken monthly, and for at least
year after it is month old it should be
photographed monthly. Put series of
baby photographs together" he says,
land see the child grow. its face expand,
its indistinct characteristics and the an
cestral traits come out. Some people even
photograph the hands and feet of their
f.bll a
body"
Another method for the study of chill
dren which DR.. Hall commends, accord
ing to the report of his lecture in the
Boston Herdld, is by taking averages. a
precocious child is generally tall and of
heavy frame, while those stupid are
mostly small and of little growth.
Children are demorali2ed or made weak
by too careful or too much attention. The
effect of good rough handling and fire.
uuent cold water baths in many cases
tend to make the child manly and better
9ble to cope with the future problems of
life.
The large number of children that are
color blind, who are blind to music and
unable to distinguish it from noise, who
are more or less deprived of the sense of
seeing, hearing, tasting, etc., are so be-
cause certain functions have been unduly
exerted or overstrained.
The needless strain on many parts Of
the body affects the growth and dwarfs
the body, as does underleeding and such
hardships as are seen in our poorer dis
tricts.
The brain center for seeing, for hear
ing, and for feeling are situated in differ
ent parts of the head, and these centers
must be so trained, so knitted together
as to act in unison with each other
People who are always being behind,
who are not ready to see or to catch hold
OF an idea quickly, are so because these
brain centers have been improperly
trained, or because they are not in work
ing with one another.
The physical growth is very rapid the
first year. and no child grows evenly or
in all directions alike. The growth is by
single sections, and may be apparent on
one side more than on another. Most or
gaEs are more or less perfect at the birth,
but the brain is most decidedly imperfect.
The brain cells, like the breeze against
the sails of snip, must be strained and
kept active. 1t grows two and half its
own size in the first year of life, almost
stops at II, and absolutely ceases at II. 1t
is the last organ, or one of the latest or
gans after it gets its size, to fully develop
its functions.
1t is between the ages of IA and 25 that
the actions or habits of a person will
affect him in after life, and during this
time, especially, should deficiency of
nutriment and vicious habits be avoided.