of sustaining its own weight in anything approaching to an erect or sitting posture; and to hold the child up by the hand, not only occasions a degree of pressure almost painful to it, but might cause injury to its delicate structure. The bath used in Germany is the best that can be employed for this purpose: it is made of wood, oval in shape, with a raised portion at one end for the head, and deep enough to contain a quantity of water just sufficient to cover or float the child. It secures effectual protection from cold, a position best suited to the feebleness of the infant form, and it admits of the head and face being washed without risk of the impure water of the bath running into its eyes. And this leads me to remark that the same water which is used for the rest of the body must not be employed for the face, lest the impurities which were washed off from the skin should get into the eyes, and produce a dangerous inflammation of those organs -a disease which is of frequent occurrence, and sometimes fatal to vision. Neither must spirits of wine, brandy, or anything of the kind, be put into the water with which the head of the child is washed. This is done, I believe, under the impression that it prevents the taking of cold. It however answers no good purpose, and, if it have any effect, is rather pernicious than otherwise.

1

Upon the child being taken out of the bath, it should be laid upon a pillow previously covered with warm napkins, on the nurse's lap, for the purpose of being dried. This plan is far preferable to the one usually adopted, of keeping the infant tumbling about on the nurse's knees in every conceivable change of position.

1 See p. 197.

Putting up the Navel-string, and Dressing.The surface of the child's body having been thoroughly dried with soft and warm towels, the next thing is to put up the remains of the navel-string. Having been examined by the medical man previous to his leaving the chamber, it is presumed that its vessels are properly secured; and it is now to be protected from injury, until it separates from the body of the child-an occurrence which usually takes place somewhere between the fifth and fifteenth day from delivery. The mode is as follows:-A piece of soft old linen rag doubled, and about four or five inches in diameter, is to be prepared, and a circular hole cut in its centre, through which the cord is to be drawn. The cord, being carefully folded up in this envelope, is to be laid on the abdomen of the child, and secured by what is called the belly-band, viz. a band of thin flannel, five or six inches broad, and long enough to go twice round the body. Care must be taken that this is not drawn too tightly, as it would interfere with the breathing and digestion, and tend to promote rupture. The finger should be easily passed under it. It is right to continue the application of this bandage for at least five or six months; and even then it should by no means be left off if there is any disposition to laxity or weakness of parts about the navel. This must always be most carefully looked to. Most of the cases of rupture at this part arise from a careless application from day to day of this belt, and from its being too early left off. It should be fastened by the needle and thread, pins being always objectionable in any part of an infant's dress.

The Child is now to be dressed.-About this it is unnecessary to say more here (for it will be

fully dwelt upon in Chapter X.) than that the dress should be sufficiently warm, light, and loose, and not calculated to place the slightest restriction upon the movement of the child's limbs. I do not advise the use of a cap, except in very rare cases; such as in cases of premature birth or for very feeble children, or if the weather should be unusually cold.

It will sometimes happen that the child is exceedingly feeble at birth, or may be prematurely born; in either case it will require the greatest care and watchfulness on the part of the attendants. Such children are constantly uttering a low, plaintive, moaning cry, caused, I believe, from a want of sufficient warmth. They are unusually susceptible to impressions of cold, and at the same time unable to maintain sufficient animal heat; and if this is not supplied by artificial means, they are lost. They should always, after the washing is completed, be clothed in flannel from head to foot, the face only exposed, the little hands requiring the covering quite as much as any other part of the body; and when dressed, should be placed in the mother's bosom, and kept there as much as possible. It is even very advisable for a mother under these circumstances, particularly if it be the winter season, to remain in bed for a longer period than she otherwise would, for the sake of her little one, as the animal heat is much better preserved in this way than in any other. I lately attended a lady, prematurely confined at the seventh month, who was delivered of twins, one of whom was born alive. As may be supposed, the child was exceedingly diminutive in size (the more so from being a twin), and of very feeble power, but, contrary to the expectation of all the friends, was successfully reared, and I believe owing to the careful observance of

the above suggestions. Warmth, and good, wholesome, nourishing breast-milk, are the two grand requisites in these cases.

Medicine, and putting the Infant to the Breast. -As soon as the infant is dressed, many nurses are in the habit of dosing it with castor-oil, or honey of roses and almond-oil. This is objectionable on many accounts; it is quite uncalled for so early, and it may be altogether unnecessary if only a little time is given. The infant should at once be put quietly to sleep in a cot or bed, so situated that it shall not be exposed to draughts of cold air, and that its eyes shall be protected from a strong light, which as yet they are unable to bear. It should then be allowed to repose for some hours, when, the mother having also obtained some sleep, it is proper to place the child to the breast, provided the patient has at some former time performed the office of a nurse. This should always be done within the first four-and-twenty hours, for the reasons before stated; viz. partly to draw out and form the nipple before any hardness of the breast occurs and renders that difficult, and partly to encourage the flow of milk; for the very effort made by the infant to obtain it will in this case excite its secretion.

It has been supposed by some that the milk first secreted is improper for the child-that it teases its bowels. The fact is, that it differs in an important quality from that which is soon after secreted; but then it is a difference which nature has ordained and designed for a wise purpose. The bowels of the infant when born are loaded with a dark black secretion called meconium, of which it is essentially necessary that they should be relieved, or it proves a source of great irritation. The means for its removal are found in the

aperient qualities of the first milk; so that, instead of being injurious, it is highly necessary the child should take it. It is therefore only in those cases where the first milk of the parent's breast is not obtained, owing to the child being put to a wet-nurse, or from the first milk failing to be sufficiently purgative, that the administration of a gentle aperient is justifiable. Half a tea-spoonful of castor-oil, repeated or not as may be necessary, is the best that can be given.

It is unnecessary for the child to take any nourishment until six or eight hours after birth. Usually, at this time, the mother will be able to supply it with its natural nutriment: should not this, however, be the case, as will always happen with first labours, the child must be fed every two or three hours, or oftener, with a small quantity of ass's milk and boiling water, equal parts-or of fresh cow's milk one-third, and boiling water two-thirds, slightly sweetening the latter mixture with loaf-sugar. A few spoonfuls of one or other of these (and the ass's milk is to be preferred) are to be given through the sucking-bottle. This is to be continued till lactation is fully established, after which the infant must obtain its nourishment from the breast alone.1

Sect. 2.-Directions for certain Accidents and Diseases which may occur to the Infant.

Still-born. The child may be born long before the arrival of the medical man, and the question then arises what is to be done? Nothing, if he is near at

1 For further directions see Rules for Nursing the Infant,' p. 226.