Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18

nave discovered. wherefore
parents are respectfully reminded to think be-
fore they talk in front of even very young
infants, and to count 10 or 10 before indulg-
ing in a family tiff while the baby looks on.
It Is a mistake to assume that the young
child does not think or feel, merely because
he does not speak.
"Bliss1ul as a babe" may nOs he 50 hlissfaAa
Is commonly supposed, some Of the rlodern
evidence shows. II the babe in mind hap
pens to be less than a month old, the chances
are especially against his being a really con-
tented creature for the moment, Prof. Charlotte
Buhler concludes from her studies of children
In the clinic Of the University Of Vienna.
From a detailed study of all the baby's
actions, day and night, she has become con-
WINGED that the predominating feelings dur
ing the first month of life are discomfort or
fear. She based her conclusions on the things
the baby turned toward as If to reach and
the things it turned away from as If to avoid.
Food appeared to be the only solace Of the
very young child, whereas he found a variety
Of things strange and frightening.
That child of less than year may even
have troubles which he tries to hide was In
dicated by another experiment The infant
apparently represses his emotion so as not TO
be "cry baby" Evidence to this effect was
obtained by Dr. Harold Ellis Jones in the In
stitute of Child Welfare at the University Of
California by means of delicate instrument.
the DArSonval galvanometer. Experiments
with adults have shown that the electrical
conductivity of the skin changes during the
stress of emotion, even when the face betrays
no sign and nervous movements of the body
controlled. BY recording these changes In
the skin, the D'Arsonyal galvanometer detects
outwardly controlled emotion.
A s tie child develops, the world becomes
less strange place and consequently more
pleasant This difference is illustrated by
Prof Buhler by a comparison of the behavior
Of g. S and 8 month old babies IL q
light towel Is dropped ON the face. The young
est child puts all his force into the effort Of
moving the towel, bat TO avail, even though
his toes wfggle and all his body struggles in
the attempt. The child of months Is less
chaotic in his struggles He grasps In the
direction Of the towel and may even succeed
with great pain and trouble In removing IL
When the child has reached the age Of
months, however, the task has become an easy
one and he may even laugh and play while
removing the towel.
Pleasure derived from the mastery of new
life adjustment was strikingly illustrated BY
the antics of child learning 30 stand. THIS
child in the Vienna laboratory was 50 happy
In his newly learned accomplishment that he
would not lie down TO go to sleep and actually
went to sleep standing. When the child was
awakened by the nurses attempt to lay him
down on the bed, he showed signs Of anger
and insisted on struggling to his proud up
right position again.
Adults and older children may speak for
themselves, but the baby peFfoFce keeps his
own counsel save what Is told by the language
Of movement, laughter and tears. Hence the
need to observe every action and expression.
II clue to baby thoughts Is to be found.
The custom of ancient times was either to
overlook the baby's thoughts entirely and con-
ceive of his mind being as blank as his stare
or to imagine the mature thoughts and judg-
ment of a sage masked behind those unbltnk-
ing eyes. and that wise silence.
COME Of the pictures Of the early masters
~ reveal this habit Of thinking of babies as
little men and women How strangely old and
sometimes world-weary the painted infants Of
centuries gone by appearl And when the
dimensions Of these antique baby pictures are
measured, they are often discovered to be
painted like little midgetS. with the mature and
elongated proportions Of adnlthood instead of
the chubby shortened contours of babyhDod.
The artists have simply overlooked the fact
that babies, even baby saints and emperors.
differ from grown-upe In other respects than
size.
Modern methods Of fact-seeking and seeing
recognize important differences between child
and adult. New measurements and records are
continually being compiled with a view to estab-
hshing the exact nature Of these differences
and. If possible, to determine normal standard
Of development from month to month through
early infancy.
Very elaborate equipment and technique have
been developed in the conduct Of these expert-
mentS. In q recent study Of the first year Of
life IN Vienna, for instance. relays Of trained
observers under the direction Of Prof. Char
lotte BUTLER watches babies Of to II months