The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-15
FOR FEMININE READERS
A PHYSICIAN MAKES SOME COMMON.
SENSE REMARKS TO MOTHERS.
A Display Of OId-Fashioned Needle
Work-A Librarian PuxxIed-Sus-
g~estions to Nervous Women.

"Advice to Mothers has become such a
frequent thing in print and out that an i'm
preston might naturally go abroad that
mothers are of a different order of beings
from other human creatures. The mothers
Of the New York City Mothers Clu en-
countered a man the other day. however,
who had ideas TO the contrary. The club
had assembled to discuss Physical Culture
for Mothers" One physician called on
evaded the subject by talking about physi-
cal conditions of the child from one to ff-
teen years, which he called the good-for-
nothing age. He said. according to the
| Tribune, that between one and seven years
of age was the period of nerve growth,
when the brain becomes nearly as large as
it ever will be. The child in it's growth
was frequently most injured by poor nutri-
ton and both external and internal irrita-
ton. 1t being the period of nervous activ-
iy it was the time when the child needed
the greatest care and attention.
"As self is the dominant characteristic
of the child's life." said the speaker, ait
is looking for constant change and amuse-
ment, and the first seven years has fire.
quently been designated the savage age.
"The boy often becomes an egoist and
gets to be unbearable. but after the age
of fourteen years he begins to look from
within to the outer world and gradually
forgets himself.
1.-THE next is the period of bone growth,
and the acceleration is so excessive as to
often rob other vital processes. and fire.
quently there is such a lack of balance in
mental processes that parents begin to
doubt whether the boy will ever be good
for anything
Gymnastics and athletics bring mental
development through development of motor
nerves, whether in work or play. The
brain being a dominating organ must have
an adequate food supply. We must have a
higher regard for health, for health brings
success, and I have never yet seen a red
checked criminal Life is incomplete along
classical lines; we must keep close to ma
lures heart"
DR.. Seaver was followed by DR.. George
Winterburn, who caused much surprise to
the audience by many statements which
totally upset generally accepted theories.
He said he was rather puzzled when
asked to talk upon the subject of physical
culture for mothers, as he did not know
of any that was equally suited to spinsters,
wives. daughters and brothers. He de-
clared further, in direct opposition to DR..
Seaver, that 1T was a mistake to declare
that criminality was the result of physical
decline. as he had seen a number of red
checked criminals.
Il i1NN OtVh q AiONhth as a oo obs AAh1A
might" said DR.. Winterburn. having had
twenty-five years of experience. 1 have
washed, dressed and fed many a baby.
The term physical culture is generally
m~isapplied, and usually the gymnasium
work means energy expended, not energy
stored up. The first requisite for life is
air, the second water inside and outside.
The drinking of pure water is a great re-
juvenator. Added to this let every one
breathe properly and stand and walk cor
rectly and he will need no gymnastics.
A natural use of muscles Is sufficient.
At the conclusion of DR.. W~interburn's
talk, DR.. Seaver responded to several ques-
tions, the first as to his opinion of boiled
water as a restorative.
Boiled water is dead water" he replied,
and l would throw it all into the river.
1t will kill you as surely as too much boiled
milk" Then a woman asked:
"Wel1, doctor, if you lived i'm Philadelphia
would you drink the ~Schuylkill water with
cut boiling?"
Yes" he replied, "for 1t can't be any
worse than our Croton. But If you must
boil 1t, let it stand open until 1t becomes
thoroughly aerated. Pure spring water is
the best to drink"