The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-12-05
;rsrr Dame 4, Paris displays.

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In the eighteenth century a Corsi-
can baby and as we'll child OF Van
! cluse were Bound up neatly from the
armpits to the feet. having the hands
free-a point which in itself was all
evidence OF progress. On the other
hand, the Bretons. Parisians, and the
I inhabitants OF Luxembourg, whether
Door or rich, had the baby's arms con-
scientiously rolled up in all kinds OF
covers: and if the swaddling in this
case was less tight the imprisonment
was not less complete, for the un-
happy child was reduced TO immoblll-
ty-
Under these circumstances it is not
at all astonishing to see the cons1d-
erabie deformities from which chill
dren have suffered up to Our century.
Today the swaddling clothes, thanks
to the doctors, who, more often than
formerly, are interested in the dress
ing Of the newly born, cover and pro-
| tect infants without torturlng them.
One must also thank J. J. Rosseau,
who preached strongly against the
fashion of tight swaddling clothes.
To most people bands many yards
long, which were adorned with EN-
broideries among the rich and with
coarse stuff among the poor and which
surrounded and Sustained the bodies
of infants, are things OF the past.
| Yet from time to time in the back
ward provinces one still finds a kind
of corset used, with or without whale
bones, laced up the back and drawn
tight to keep the baby's body straight
But it's use is becoming less and less
/ frequent, and we may hope that with
the progress of education this pTac-
tice will disappear completely. 9th
erwise the swaddling clothes are made
much the same the world over at the
lpresent day. The child's head is COW
j.ered with three piece bonnet, made
large enough not to squeeze it and
fastened by two ties under the chin.
1t is especially upon the baby's head
that the slightest compress on is dan
gerous. After the child's birth the
bones are still soft, and the slightest
pressure is likely to cause deformlty,
which may result in idiocy- The Car
ibes. who observe the unfortunate
custom of shaping the heads of their
children, are swarming with idots. In
1884 Achilles Foville, a specialist in
insanity, had his attention led into
this direction by noticing how many
idiots had circular depression about
the head. The depression was caus-
ed by bandage which it was GUS
tomary at the time to bind about the
heads of infants. At Toulouse, at this
same epoch, Delehaye verified this
discovery.
In Europe today the child is still
swaddled, but in place. OF the old fash
ioned bands which kept the garments
on safety pins are used Usually the
arms are free, and the legs while Cow
cred, still enjoy certain amount OF
! freedom. The baby Of Lorraine has
additional comfort, for little cushion
is fastened on its back, SO that when
it is put down by its nurse it always
has a little bed to lie on.
! There are various notifications O.;
the present European fashion. The
Swiss baby, for example, does not
have it's arms free, and the baby OF
lower Charante is so wrapped that
only its right arm is free, in order
that it may not become LETT handed. In
La Creuse short strap is bound about
the upper and the lower part of the
body. findering thus every move
ment of the arms and legs. In the
lower Pyrenees, where mothers have
to cross fields and mountains with
their babies, to the clothing OF the
nursing is added kind of sack, fur
nished with thongs which fasten to the
woman's shoulders, so that she will
not be hindered in her movements by
the child which she carries.