A treatise on the physiological and moral management of infancy

Front matter

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Edith Agnes Salter

Chapter I. Introductory Explanation

Objects of the present publication — to exhibit the principles of Infant Management. — Treatment ought to be adapted to the nature and laws of the infant constitution — this admitted in the abstract, but neglected In practice — exemplified in the race-liorse and greyhound — application to Man, 1-6

Chapter II. Extent Of Mortality In Infancy

Infant mortality great among civilized as well as savage nations — its precise amount shewn by statistical returns. — This mortality arises from secondary causes, over which we have control — not from necessity. — Chief causes, ignorance and mismanagement — proofs of tliis— examples of great morta-

XU CONTENTS.

lity, and its dififerent causes — proofs of diminished mortality from improved treatment. — Foundling and Orphan children. — Many causes of bad health existing even in the higher classes. — Necessity of a knowledge of the infant constitution forming a part of the education of females — social position and duties of the parents compared, — Evils of present system, and advantages from supplying the above omission in female education, 7-37

Chapter III. Sources Of Disease In Infancy

Importance of attention to laws of health. — Disease arises from their infringement — examples, — Utility of this knowledge in discovering and obviating the causes of disease — success in this greatly dependent on a knowledge of the healthy functions. — Disease results from fixed laws, not from chance or miraculous agency. — Objections answered, and operation of Divine Providence explained and shewn to be consistent. — Sources of bad health in infancy — hereditary — direct. — Every facility to be given by parents for their discovery, 38-57

Chapter IV. Delicacy Of Constitution In Infancy

Causes of dehcacy in infancy. — Hereditary qualities have much influence. — Conditions in the parents which affect the health of the offspring — original constitution of the child very important — effects of intermarriage with predisposed relations — advantages of being aware of these effects — age of parents influences infant health — early marriages produce infirm offspring — disparity of years in the parents has u similar effect — influence of the state of the parents, . . 58-73

CONTENTS.

Chapter V. Conditions In The Mother Affecting The Health Of The Child

Influence of the mother on her offspring — examples of this influence — effects of longings. — Timidity of Hobbes and James I. arose from agitation in the mothers. — Singular illustrations from siege of Landau. — Mothers ought to be doubly careful of health during the time of pregnancy — apparent exceptions to their influence explained.— Diet during pregnancy. — Causes and treatment of longings. — Dress and its defects. — Evils to the infant from errors of dress in the mother. — Exercise and general mode of life, . . 74-100

Chapter VI. Of The Constitution Of The Infant At Birth

Infant organization strictly adapted to its wants both before and after birth — changes which occur at birth.— The nervous system first called into action. — Respiration next. — Changes in the circulation — peculiarities of circulation and respiration in infancy. — Animal heat small in infancy — its sources. — Appetite comes next into play — food and digestive organs. — Functions of excretion — the bowels, kidneys, lungs, and skin. — Animal functions as distinguished from organic — are dependent on the nervous system and organs of voluntary motion. — Animal functions include those for which hfe is given, and organic those by which life is carried on. — Beautiful adaptation to each other and to the wants of the infant 101-142

CONTENTS.

Chapter VII. The Nursery, And Conditions Required In It

External conditions of health in infancy — local and personal. — The local now to be treated of. — Most of them included under nursery — locality suited for the residence of children — ought to be dry, airy, light, and cheerful. — Situation and conditions required in nursery — sunk and ground floors improper — must be large, easily warmed, and ventilated — purity of air indispensable — proofs and illustrations — disease from had air — cooking, &e. in nurseries to be forbidden — close curtains injurious — impede ventilation — bad consequences of this — ventilation and heating — cautions to be observed, 143-173

Chapter VIII

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE INFANT IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH WASHING AND DRESSING.

Reception of the Infant. — Precautions against cold. — Washing of the Infant — best mode of washing — precautions regarding the eyes, skin, and temperature, &c. — Drying. — Dress of the child — qualities required in infant clothing.^Common defect in dress in leaving the shoulders, neck, and arms, too much exposed — consequences of this defect in causing disease. — The head to be kept cool. — Night-dress and coverings — necessity of attention to these, , . . 174-189

CONTENTS.

Chapter IX. Food Of The Infant At Birth

Appetite consequent on activity — appears after the first sleep — to be satisfied by the mother's milk as its natural object. — The quality of the first milk peculiarly adapted to the new-born infant — and consequent impropriety of laxatives and other kinds of food. — Intervals between suckling— crying not always a sign of appetite — often of pain. — At first frequent suckling is required, but regularity ought to be introduced. — True appetite a safe guide. — The mother the best nurse — exceptions are rare — but the mother must be attentive to her own health. — Best regimen for nurses and mothers during suckling, 190-218

Chapter X. On The Choice, Properties, And Regimen Of A Nurse

Principle on which the selection of a nurse ought to rest. — Nurse should resemble the mother in constitution, age, and time of delivery — exceptions. — Changes which the milk undergoes — qualities of good milk. — Properties required in a nurse — importance of moral qualities — striking example of this. — Physical characters of a good nurse. — Defects to bo guarded against — intemperance the worst — mischievous tendency to administer medicine on all occasions — poisoning and disease thence arising. — Management of the breast and nipples — means of protecting them, . . . 219-236

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CHAPTER XL

ARTIFICIAL NURSING AND WEANING,

When ai-tificial nursing ought to be resorted to. — Kind of nourishment to be given — its temperature — mode of giving it. — Sucking-bottle — artificial nipple. — Great cleanliness indispensable. — Intervals of feeding. — Period at which a change of food is required. — Best kinds of food — treatment after feeding. — Weaning — time and manner of weaning — precautions required — food after weaning — mischief from giving medicines, . ...... 237-253

Chapter XII. Cleanliness, Exercise, And Sleep, In Early Infancy

Cleanliness of great importance. — Skin delicate and easily irritated.— Perspiration renders ablution indispensable. — Bathing — beat mode of using the bath, and treatment after it. — • Soiled dress to be instantly changed. — Exercise in infancy — passive at first — parents do harm by exciting to activity too soon. — Exercise in carrying on respiration. — Exercise in the open air — precautions against glare of light and cold air — open air highly beneficial — but cold hurtful. — -Position during exercise — precautions in holding infants — and in dandling or swinging. — Active exercise after third month — extremely useful and safe — child naturally cautious — ^walking exercise — self- regulated action to be promoted — advantages to mind and body from attending to this — infant caution exemplified. — Sleep — management of sleep in infancy .^sleep almost constant after birth — principles to be attended to — bed, bed-clothes, curtains, and cradles — regularity desirable, ...... 254-288

CONTENTS, XVIl

Chapter XIII. Management Of The Infant During Teething

Growth of the jaw in early infancy — is a preparation for teething. — Teeth appear when solid food is required — unnecessary sooner — Number and kind of teeth adapted to the wants of the individual — the milk-teeth appear first — and are succeeded by the permanent set. — Names and positions of the teeth. — Order of their development. — Symptoms attendant on teething. — Teething a natural and not a morbid process. — Management required before and during teething. — Pure air of greatest consequence — precautions required. — Simplicity of diet also essential — illustrations. — Tepid bath highly useful — friction. — Local treatment. — Excitement to be soothed. — Scarifying the gums. — General reraai-ks, 289-306

Chapter XIV

MANAGEMENT FROM THE TIME OF WEANING TO THE END OF THE SECOND YEAR.

Infancy may be divided into two periods corresponding to first and second years. — The first already discussed — some remarks applicable to the second still required. — Mortality very great in second year also. — Causes peculiar to that period — teething and its proper management — errors in diet — abuse of wine and stimulants — principles to be followed in regulating diet — example. — Cleanliness, ablution, and bathing. — Dress, and errors in dress. — Imprudent exposure to damp, cold, and draughts. — Ample exercise and pure air indispensable. — Mismanagement during illness a cause of mortality — abuse of medicines — concealment — crowding of Bick-voora, &c. — Precautions to be observed, 306-333

CONTENTS.

Chapter XV. On The Moral Management Of Infancy

The rudiments of the mind the same in infancy as in maturity. —Gradual development of the five senses — depending on that of the organization, and promoted by exercise. — The senses deserving of care and cultivation. — State of the powers of emotion and thought at birtli — their gradiial development resembles that of the senses — and is promoted in the same way. — Intellectual and moral powers independent of each other, though working in harmony. — Each to be exercised on its own objects. — The different faculties start instinctively into activity when stimulated by the presence of their objects — importance of this in infant education. — Rules deducible from it in moral training. — Infant schools — their abuses and uses. — Importance of society to children — effects of seclusion — example of influence of bad training. — Exercise to be in due proportion, and not in excess or deficiency. — Hints for the exercise of the infant faculties. — Value of spontaneous and self-regulated activity — rules and cautions. — Conclusion, ... . 336-360

Preface To The First Edition

Many excellent treatises on the management of infancy already exist ; yet few of them are calculated to supply parents with the kind of information which, in their circumstances, is especially needed. Most of those hitherto published, touch briefly upon the general management of early childhood merely as preliminary to an exposition of its diseases ; and their perusal by non-professional persons not unfrequently leads to dangerous tampering with the lives of the young. On this account, I cannot but consider them as improper guides for any except medical readers. Those again which, as intended for the use of mothers, are free from this objection,^even when abounding, as many of them do, in good sense and excellent practical advice, — lose much of their value and usefulness from presenting their rules and admonitions as so many abstract and individual opinions, and omitting to connect them

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with the physiological laws or principles on which they are based, and according to which their effects are produced.

Sensible of these imperfections as detracting from the usefulness, as guides for the non-professional reader, of many works in other respects of great merit, I had almost resolved several years ago to enter upon the preparation of a treatise on a more comprehensive plan, and which should, on the one hand, avoid all descriptions of disease, and, on the other, fuund its precepts, at every possible point, on well ascertained physiological principles. Under the apprehension, however, of being unable so to simplify the subject as to render it easily intelligible to the general reader, I refrained from putting together the materials which had accumulated on my hands ; till at length, encouraged by the very favourable reception of my other works on subjects somewhat analogous, and by the numerous testimonies I received of their practical utility, I set seriously to work, and completed the volume now submitted to the public. But how far I have been successful in fulfilling the purposes in view I must leave to others to determine.

Bacon has not less profoundly than felicitously remarked, that " Man is but the servant and interpreter of Nature, and is limited in act and understanding by the extent to which he has observed the order of Nature : beyond this, neither his knowledge

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nor his power can extend." In accordance with the spirit of this aphorism, it has been my constant endeavour, in the present, as in all my former writings, to allow as little as possible to rest on mere human opinion, but to shew a foundation for every rule, precept, and injunction, in the laws of the human constitution — and consequently in the will of the Creator. The obvious advantage of this mode of

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proceeding is, that, when we once succeed in the discovery or elucidation of a truth, that truth will ever afterwards be regarded as an emanation of the Divine will, and the practical conclusions dednciblo from it claim our obedience with an authority wliich we cannot dispute. Whereas, if we pass on from subject to subject, and precept to precept, disregarding the relations of facts to each other and to the laws of the constitution, we may add, it is true, much information to our store, but we shall often be led to form a very erroneous estimate of its value, and be beset with difficulties in applying it with promptness and decision to its proper uses, where, rightly directed, it would conduce to the happiest results.

To illustrate this proposition, we may compare a person who undertakes the management of the human constitution, whether in infancy or in maturity, without any reference to the principles under wliich it acts, to a traveller who, without a map or a guide, wanders over a new country in search of some par-