The record-union., 1897-03-19
TO STILL BABIES CRIES.
Scientists Suggest Gently Shutting
Off Their Breath.

SSiChlfSlo O1SSCca oSnNty
Off Their Breath.
An infallible method for Quieting a
crying baby probably will never be dis
covered The human race has been ex-
! perimentng since remote antiquity to
solve this fascinating problem with
out up to the present time, meeting
with more than Indifferent success 1t
! is safe to say that there are many thou
sands of methods which may be applied,
/ but success always remains purely a
matter of chance.
| Some entirely new methods have re-
Gently been introduced in some of the
New York baby hospitals which prove
successful in larger percentage of
cases than the old-faShioned ways. The
modern trained nurse has, of course,
unusual advantages for carrying out
these experiments She is less influenced
by emotions of sympathy, distress or of
anger than the relatives of the ordinary
may, therefore, be done in a purely dis
| interested spirit of scientific investiga-
| ton.
The commonest plan for checking
! these recitals is to discover first the
cause, real or fancied, which animates
the baby, and to attempt to sooth or re-
move this source of irritation. Thus, for
| example, if a hasty diagnosis seems to
| indicate that a pain of some sort is at
| the bottom of the trouble, paregoric is
administered. In cases where the cries
seem to be due to fear, it is usual to
| try to comfort the baby.
! There is, of course an immense differ
ence of opinion as to how baby should
be comforted. The plan of grasping the
| child firmly and moving 1t rapidly up
and down after the manner of a milk
churner is probably the most familiar
method The same effect may some
| times be produced by slapping the
baby's back or by ''chucking' it energet-
| ically under the chin. A more or less
effective plan also is to try to attract
| and hold the baby's attention and SO
make it forget it's troubles. This plan,
of course, admits of an infinite num-
| Der of variations.
The innumerable forms Of baby rattles
are all designed for this purpose.
| bright colored picture will also very
often prove immensely diverting. A
baby is ordinarily very much interested
| in bright colors or a sound or in any
rapid motion, and any combination of
these important factors.
Time-honored monkey on stick
| has, for example, amused many mill
| ions of babies, and will continue to do
so. The same effect may often be pro-
duced by swapping the fingers close to
the babys face. When all these simple
home remedies fail there is always
strong probability that slipper APP
piled theoretically will produce the de-
sired quietude.
The new scientific method for quiet
! ing crying babies proceeds, however,
upon an entirely new principle. 1t dis
regards the cause or course Of irritation,
| but on the other hand tries to train the
baby to practice self-control.
| The scientific method is based upon
the theory that the average baby is
strong enough to control itself in all
| but cases of very severe illness. 1t is,
| incidentally, very much more digniled
and entails far less effort than the at
tempts most people make to quiet their
l children. The old plan of trying to
catch the baby's attention by standing
on ones head and by similar violent
methods are quite discarded.
! Instead, as soon as the child cries the
nurse catches it up, and, holding it
gently, places her hand over its mouth
and nose so that it cannot breathe. The
crying will obviously soon come to A
stop. The hand need not be held very
tightly over the face, since the object is
merely to produce a slight smothering.
AS soon as the crying ceases the hand
| is removed. If the crying recon-
mences, as it is very likely to do, the
same operation is instantly repeated.
This is continued until the baby i'm
AGNES that the more or less painful
stoppages of the breath are caused by
! its own efforts to scream. AS soon as
it grasps this idea it is careful to keep
quiet. 1t is claimed that the plan
works like charm, and that wonderful
! self-control is exhibited by infants
treated in this way, even when less
than three months old.-New York
/ World.