sician should be summoned at once.
Total blindness may result if treatment is delayed even a few hours.

MOUTH.--The mouth should be rinsed after feeding by giving the baby a
teaspoonful of boiled water. Until the teeth come it does not require
other cleansing, and attempts to clean it may injure the delicate
membranes that line it. Indeed, except in an emergency, fingers should
not be inserted into a baby's mouth. The teeth when they appear should
be cleaned by means of a soft tooth-brush.

NOSTRILS.--The nostrils need no cleaning other than removal of mucus
that can easily be reached by means of a piece of cotton. If a little
vaseline is placed in the nostrils on a small piece of absorbent cotton
in the early morning, collections of mucus will usually be softened so
that they can be removed easily at bath time.

GENITAL ORGANS.--The genital organs of girl babies should be gently
washed twice a day, using absorbent cotton, and tepid water. Treatment
other than cleanliness is ordinarily unnecessary. Vaseline may be
applied if the genitals are slightly reddened; any discharge or abnormal
appearance should be reported to the doctor. In the case of boy babies
the foreskin should be gently drawn back twice a week after immersion in
the tub; after the parts have been gently washed with absorbent cotton,
it should be drawn forward again. No force should be employed in
retracting the foreskin; the physician should be consulted if it cannot
be retracted easily.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HABITS.--During his first few months crying is a
child's only means of expression, and he quickly learns to make
effective use of his limited opportunities. It is important for the
mother to distinguish between crying caused by pain, illness, or hunger,
and crying caused by temper. These cries are more or less distinctive,
but no one can be sure in every case just what a crying baby is
attempting to express.

A cry caused by hunger is fretful and often interrupted by sucking the
thumb; it ceases when the child is fed. A cry caused by indigestion is
similar; the child is relieved for a short time by feeding, but soon
begins to cry again. If he has acute pain, such as earache, the cry is
sharp, repeated at frequent intervals and accompanied by other symptoms
of distress, such as restlessness, contraction of the features, and
drawing up the legs. In serious illness the cry is usually feeble,
fairly constant except when the child is asleep, and exagg