Syrup of buckthorn and jalap are also frequently given, but they are griping medicines for a baby, and ought to be banished from the nursery. The frequent repetition of opening medicines, then, in any shape or form, very much interferes with digestion, they must, therefore, be given as seldom as possible. Let me, at the risk of wearying you, again urge the importance of your avoiding, as much as possible, giving a babe purgative medicines. They irritate beyond measure the tender bowels of an infant, and only make him more costive afterwards, they interfere with his digestion, and are liable to give him cold. A mother who is always, of her own accord, quacking her child with opening physic, is laying up for her unfortunate offspring a debilitated constitution--a miserable existence. For further information on this important subject see the 3d edition of _Counsel to a Mother (being the companion volume of Advice to a Mother)_, on the great importance of desisting from irritating, from injuring, and from making still more costive, the obstinate bowels of a costive child,--by the administration of opening medicine,--however gentle and well-selected the aperients might be. Oh, that the above advice could be heard, and be acted upon, through the length and the breadth of the land, how much misery and mischief would then be averted! 96. _Are there any means of preventing the Costiveness of an infant_? If greater care were paid to the rules of health, such as attention to diet, exercise in the open air, thorough ablution of the _whole_ body--more especially when he is being washed--causing the water, from a large and well-filled sponge, to stream over the lower part of his bowels; the regular habit of causing him, at stated periods, to be held out, whether he want or not, that he may solicit a stool. If all these rules were observed, costiveness would not so frequently prevail, and one of the miseries of the nursery would be done away with. Some mothers are frequently dosing their poor unfortunate babes either with magnesia to cool them, or with castor oil to heal their bowels! Oh, the folly of such practices! The frequent repetition of magnesia, instead of cooling an infant, makes him feverish and irritable. The constant administration of castor oil, instead of healing the bowels, wounds them beyond measure. No! it would be a blessed thing if a babe could be brought up without giving ham a particle of opening medicine; his bowels would then act naturally and well: but then, as I have just now remarked, a mother, must be particular in attending to Nature's medicines--to fresh air, to exercise, to diet, to thorough ablution, &c. Until that time comes, poor unfortunate babies must be, occasionally, dosed with an aperient. 97. _What are the causes of, and remedies for, Flatulence_?