Roxey Ann Caplin

“ We do not profess to perform impossibilities, but do confidently assert that in the course of a short time the method which we advocate, if fairly carried out, will do more for the promotion of health, elegance of figure, and prevention of disease, than all the medicine which may be administered for the pur­pose. ”

“ The next ordeal through which our little friend has to pass, is the being constantly held in one position. Nearly all nurses carry the child on the left arm, rarely, if ever, changing to the right; and with the affectionate feeling inherent in every woman's breast, the nurse hugs the baby closely to her, thus keeping its right arm close to its chest, which is by this means pressed inward, thus diminishing its capacity, and at the same time throwing its body out of the centre of gravity. ”

“ From what we have advanced here, it will naturally occur to the reader that what is required in infantile clothing is warmth, freedom, and where support is required, elasticity. To meet all such necessities, we have constructed an Umbilical Band, which affords sufficient umbilical pressure and allows all the great organs of life to perform their natural functions. The construction is simple, and the elasticity so great that the tender organs are never oppressed: thus, whilst we afford all needful sup­port to the abdomen, the heart, lungs, liver, and stomach are left perfectly free. ”

“ The bandage is also often made so broad as to press considerably on the ribs, and therefore, even at this early period, to contract the chest; the nurse rarely considering that the sole object of this investment is the prevention of um­bilical protrusion, and that therefore pressure on that particular region is all that is necessary. The newly-born child does not at first respire so much by means of the muscles of the chest, as by the action of the diaphragm, and any undue tightness of a bandage round the abdomen must therefore be extremely injurious. ”

“ Add to this, that the child's head naturally sinks on the left shoulder, the muscles of the right side of the neck are elongated, those of the left side contracted, and an incipient distortion is the result. Mothers frequently, though unconsciously, aid this mischief by the habit of suckling exclusively on the left side—a practice which is not only injurious to themselves, but a remote cause of deformity to their little ones. Due caution should be observed also in washing and dressing the infant, and the head be so supported by the hand, as to obviate the danger of dislocation of the vertebræ. ”

“ To illustrate our peculiar views on this important subject, we shall commence with the period when the infant is first ushered into this "breathing world," and trace its progress through the various stages of infancy, childhood, adolescence, woman­hood, and old age; describing in our progress the evils arising from improper dressing and treatment, together with the means which have been found most efficacious in their prevention or remedy. It must be remembered that in all our teaching our object has not been so much the cure of malformation, as the prevention of its occurrence. ”

“ It is uni­versally acknowledged that a good figure may be made a bad one by an injudicious mode of dressing; and if such be the case—if the human body will yield to injurious pressure, thereby producing de­formity, an opposite course must produce opposite effects, and by a certain adaptation of means, an imperfect or declining figure be brought, if not into a state of absolute perfection, at least into one very closely approximating to it. ”

“ The clothing of new-born children should be light and warm, and so constructed as to admit of easy removal, as its frequent change is essential to health. Flannel, being a bad conductor of heat, is one of the best materials of which the clothing can be com­posed, if it does not produce too much irritation of the skin, in which case the interposition of a little soft calico will be necessary. ”

“ All the clothes provided for the advent of the little stranger are made entirely on a false principle, and calculated to produce a baleful influence on its future development. In the first place the nurse is particularly anxious that its little fat and mot­tled neck and shoulders should be exposed to the admiration of visitors, and she therefore pushes all the dressings of the child down on the arm, instead of allowing them to remain on the shoulder, which is their proper place ”

“ In a few minutes the old witch who presides over his infirmest days falls to tormenting him afresh, and winds him up again in his destined confinement. When he comes to be dressed like a man he has ligatures applied to his arms, legs, and middle ”

“ The principal point to be attended to at this period, with regard to dress, is to leave the clothing so loose that the infant may have the fullest use of all its joints, and room for the development of its organs. The head should be covered only with a very thin cap, or better still, not covered at all, and the pillow on which it rests should not be so soft as to allow the head to sink in it, and thus promote per­spiration. ”

“ There are certain physiological reasons why the face should always be un­covered, not only because there should be no obstruction to the ingress and egress of air from the lungs, but there is a stimulus imparted to the breathing and to the whole vital apparatus by the action of light and air upon the face ”

“ Taking the perfection of female beauty as our standard, our struggle is for preserving it in that condition where it exists; or should any deviation from that stan­dard have taken place, our endeavours are directed to the restoration to the normal form. ”

“ Long-clothes may be useful in the first instance, as conducive to the warmth of the lower extremities, but they should be discontinued as soon as the child evinces sufficient vigour to keep warm without them. ”

“ We purposely abstain from any observations on the food or general treat­ment of infants, as that must always depend on the constitution, and on a variety of circumstances which fall more properly within the regulation of the medical attendant, who alone is a competent judge, and whose decisions should always be im­plicitly obeyed. ”

“ We may incidentally mention, with regard to the sleeping of infants, that we consider the best position for repose to be lying on the back; for if the child lies on either side, the ribs will be forced inward by the pressure of the arm above ”

“ The legs also come in for their share of punishment,—a thick napkin being put on, totally preventing the kicking in which children so much delight, and which is so necessary for the strengthening of the muscles ”