A more frequent accident is _Asphyxia_, or want of breathing, in which case the surface of the body is cold and pale, and no breath whatever is drawn, though the heart beats quite naturally. Very weak children, or those born before their time, are most likely to become asphyxiated, or those delivered by instruments. The first thing to be done is to carry the child to the open window, if it be not exceedingly cold, and expose its head and chest to the air, while the rest of the body is wrapped up warm. This will often make it gasp, but if it does not a little cold water may be dashed on its face and chest, and the throat may be tickled with a feather. The breech may also be smartly slapped, and the chest well rubbed with the cold hand. When it begins to breathe a little it may be put into a warm bath up to the middle, and a warm injection may be given to it. In most cases these means will speedily bring it round, but if they do not the attendant should place his mouth close over that of the child and breathe into it, so as to fill the lungs, and then press down the chest to empty them again, repeating the process several times. This may be called artificial breathing, and if it succeed once only there is a probability of its effecting the desired object. The breath however, must not be blown in too hard, or it may injure the child's lungs, nor too rapidly. Sometimes a tube is used, which is passed down into the throat; but it is troublesome, and not much better than the mouth, if any at all. These efforts may be repeated twenty or thirty times if necessary, or even more. In some cases it is requisite to continue using some, or all of these means, for an hour or two without intermission, before the child begins to breathe freely. I knew an instance even, where the nurse continued to do so for _five hours_, and at last fully recovered the child, though all present, including the doctor, had given it up. She said she did not despair while it continued _warm_, though it was doubtful whether the heart beat or not. This may show that the attempt should not be abandoned too soon. In cases of asphyxia no blood should be lost at all, but on the contrary the cord should be carefully examined to see if it is tied fast; the bleeding from it frequently aggravating the evil. _Congenital weakness._--Some children are born extremely weak, and remain constantly debilitated and cold. This is very apt to be the case when they are born before the full term, or when the mother is diseased. They should be carefully wrapped in cotton, or very soft flannel, and kept warm by bottles of warm water. Many instances are on record of these weak children becoming afterwards extremely robust, so that they need not be regarded with unmixed apprehension, nor neglected from a supposition that they must die.