The Physical Life of Woman: Advice to the Maiden, Wife and MotherNapheys, George H. (George Henry)
Science
The Physical Life of Woman: Advice to the Maiden, Wife and Mother
Napheys, George H. (George Henry)
Women -- Health and hygiene
doubted that the nervous system in the middle and upper ranks is always
in a much more sensitive state than with their poorer brethren. It is
worth noting, that even in healthy persons sleep will often be absent or
of a broken kind, from the cause of which we are now speaking. It is
very common to hear people saying they can never sleep in a strange bed.
Although many causes may conspire to this, Dr. Kennedy cannot doubt that
amongst these ought to be placed the one to which we are now drawing
attention.
THE CLOTHING OF INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN.
A fertile cause of disease and death is to be found in the negligence or
ignorance displayed in regard to the dress of children. And it is not
the poorly attired, but nearly always the fashionably robed child, which
suffers the most. To parental vanity can be traced many a catarrh on the
chest or the inflammation of the bowels which has resulted in death.
Most mothers appear to be ignorant of the fact that children are
exceedingly susceptible to the influence of cold. The returns of the
Registrar-General of England show that a very cold week always greatly
increases the mortality of the very young. While adults carefully
protect themselves against every change of the weather, and against
currents of air, children, who most need such protection, are too often
neglected.
The warmth of the infant's body is best secured by that of the nurse,
and by warm clothing. It is more effectually and healthfully provided
for in this manner than by confining the child to a warm atmosphere.
Young children should never be dressed _décolleté_--in low necks and
short sleeves. That fashion is a dangerous one which leaves the neck,
shoulders, and arms uncovered. To this irrational custom may be traced a
vast amount of the suffering and many of the deaths of early life;
doubtless, also, in many cases it lays the foundation of consumption,
which manifests itself a little later. But, it is said, the child will
be 'hardened' by having its chest and limbs thus exposed. The surest and
safest way to harden the child is to so care for it that it shall pass
through its first months and years of life without any ailment. Every
mother should see to it, that her charge is so clothed that every part
of the body is effectually protected from dampness and cold. She can
then best secure for it a hardened constitution by carrying it daily
into the sunlight of the open air.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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