If an infant from his birth be properly managed,—if he has an abundance of fresh air for his lungs,—if he has plenty of exercise for his muscles (by allowing him to kick and sprawl on the floor),—if he has a good swilling and sousing of water for his skin,—if, during the _early_ months of his life, he has nothing but the mother’s milk for his stomach,—he will require very little medicine—the less the better! He does not want his stomach to be made into a doctor’s shop! The grand thing is not to take every opportunity of administering physic, but of using every means of withholding it! And if physic be necessary, not to doctor him yourself, unless it be in extreme and urgent cases (which in preceding and succeeding Conversations I either have or will indicate), but to employ an experienced medical man. A babe who is always, without rhyme or reason, being physicked, is sure to be puny, delicate, and unhealthy, and is ready, at any moment, to drop into an untimely grave! CONCLUDING REMARKS ON INFANCY. 115. In concluding the first part of our subject—Infancy—I beg to remark. There are four things essentially necessary to an infant’s well-doing, namely, (1) plenty of water for the skin; (2) plenty of milk for the stomach; (3) plenty of fresh air for the lungs; (4) plenty of sleep for the brain: these are the four grand essentials for a babe; without an abundance of each and all of them, perfect health is utterly impossible! CHILDHOOD. _Household treasures! household treasures! Are they jewels rich and rare; Or gems of rarest workmanship; Or gold and silver ware? Ask the mother as she gazes On her little ones at play: Household treasures! household treasures! Happy children—ye are they._ J. E. CARPENTER. ABLUTION. 116. _At twelve months old, do you still recommend a child to be_ PUT IN HIS TUB _to be washed_?