| During infancy cleanliness is essential to the infant's | | | | A child of a vigorous constitution and robust health, as |
| health. The principal points to which especial attention | | | | he rises from his bed refreshed and active by his |
| must be paid by the parent for this purpose are the | | | | night's repose, should be put into the shower-bath, or, if |
| following: | | | | this excites and alarms him too much, must be |
| At first the infant should be washed daily with warm | | | | sponged from head to foot with salt water. If the |
| water; and a bath every night, for the purpose of | | | | weather be very cold, the water may be made slightly |
| thoroughly cleaning the body, is highly necessary. To | | | | tepid, but if his constitution will bear it, the water should |
| bathe a delicate infant of a few days or even weeks | | | | be cold throughout the year. Then the body should be |
| old in cold water with a view "to harden" the | | | | speedily dried, and hastily but well rubbed with a |
| constitution (as it is called), is the most effectual way to | | | | somewhat coarse towel, and the clothes put on |
| undermine its health and entail future disease. By | | | | without any unnecessary delay. This should be done |
| degrees, however, the water with which it is sponged | | | | every morning of the child's life. |
| in the morning should be made tepid, the evening bath | | | | If such a child is at the sea-side, advantage should be |
| being continued warm enough to be grateful to the | | | | taken of this circumstance, and seabathing should be |
| feelings. | | | | substituted. The best time is two or three hours after |
| A few months having passed by, the temperature of | | | | breakfast; but he must not be fatigued beforehand, for |
| the water may be gradually lowered until cold is | | | | if so, the cold bath cannot be used without danger. |
| employed, with which it may be either sponged or | | | | Care must be taken that he does not remain in too |
| even plunged into it, every morning during summer. If | | | | long, as the animal heat will be lowered below the |
| plunged into cold water, however, it must be kept in but | | | | proper degree, which would be most injurious. In boys |
| a minute; for at this period, especially, the impression of | | | | of a feeble constitution, great mischief is often |
| cold continued for any considerable time depresses | | | | produced in this way. It is a matter also of great |
| the vital energies, and prevents that healthy glow on | | | | consequence in bathing children that they should not be |
| the surface which usually follows the momentary and | | | | terrified by the immersion, and every precaution should |
| brief action of cold, and upon which its usefulness | | | | be taken to prevent this. The healthy and robust boy, |
| depends. With some children, indeed, there is such | | | | too, should early be taught to swim, whenever this is |
| extreme delicacy and deficient reaction as to render | | | | practicable, for it is attended with the most beneficial |
| the cold bath hazardous; no warm glow over the | | | | effects; it is a most invigorating exercise, and the cold |
| surface takes place when its use inevitably does harm: | | | | bath thus becomes doubly serviceable. |
| its effects, therefore, must be carefully watched. | | | | If a child is of a delicate and strumous constitution, the |
| The surface of the skin should always be carefully | | | | cold bath during the summer is one of the best tonics |
| and thoroughly rubbed dry with flannel, indeed, more | | | | that can be employed; and if living on the coast, |
| than dry, for the skin should be warmed and stimulated | | | | sea-bathing will be found of singular benefit. The |
| by the assiduous gentle friction made use of. For this | | | | effects, however, of sea-bathing upon such a |
| process of washing and drying must not be done | | | | constitution must be particularly watched, for unless it is |
| languidly, but briskly and expeditiously; and will then be | | | | succeeded by a glow, a feeling of increased strength, |
| found to be one of the most effectual means of | | | | and a keen appetite, it will do no good, and ought at |
| strengthening the infant. It is especially necessary | | | | once to be abandoned for the warm or tepid bath. |
| carefully to dry the arm-pits, groins, and nates; and if | | | | The opinion that warm baths generally relax and |
| the child is very fat, it will be well to dust over these | | | | weaken, is erroneous; for in this case, as in all cases |
| parts with hair-powder or starch: this prevents | | | | when properly employed, they would give tone and |
| excoriations and sores, which are frequently very | | | | vigour to the whole system; in fact, the tepid bath is to |
| troublesome. Soap is only required to those parts of | | | | this child what the cold bath is to the more robust. |
| the body which are exposed to the reception of dirt. | | | | In conclusion: if the bath in any shape cannot from |
| When this period arrives, or shortly after, bathing is but | | | | circumstances be obtained, then cold saltwater |
| too frequently left off; the hands and face of the child | | | | sponging must be used daily, and all the year round, so |
| are kept clean, and with this the nurse is satisfied; the | | | | long as the proper reaction or glow follows its use; but |
| daily ablution of the whole body, however, is still | | | | when this is not the case, and this will generally occur, if |
| necessary, not only for the preservation of cleanliness, | | | | the child is delicate and the weather cold, tepid vinegar |
| but because it promotes in a high degree the health of | | | | and water, or tepid salt water, must be substituted. |
| the child. | | | | |