he child be brought up by hand, the milk of a new-milch cow, mixed with
one third water, and sweetened a little with _white_ sugar, should be
the only food given, until the teeth come. This is more suitable, than
any preparations of flour or arrow-root, the nourishment of which is too
highly concentrated. Never give a child _bread_, _cake_, or _meat_,
before the teeth appear. If the food appear to distress the child, after
eating, first ascertain if the milk be really from a new-milch cow, as
it may otherwise be too old. Learn, also, whether the cow lives on
proper food. Cows that are fed on _still-slops_, as is often the case in
cities, furnish milk which is very unhealthful.

Be sure and keep a good supply of pure and fresh air, in the nursery. On
this point, Dr. Bell remarks, respecting rooms constructed without
fireplaces, and without doors or windows to let in pure air, from
without, "The sufferings of children of feeble constitutions, are
increased, beyond measure, by such lodgings as these. _An action,
brought by the Commonwealth_, ought to lie against those persons, who
build houses for sale or rent, in which rooms are so constructed as not
to allow of free ventilation; and _a writ of lunacy_ taken out against
those, who, with the common-sense experience which all have on this
head, should spend any portion of their time, still more, should sleep,
in rooms thus nearly air-tight."

After it is a month or two old, take an infant out to walk, or ride, in
a little wagon, every fair and warm day; but be very careful that its
feet, and every part of its body, are kept warm: and be sure that its
eyes are well protected from the light. Weak eyes, and sometimes
blindness, are caused by neglecting this precaution. Keep the head of an
infant cool, never allowing too warm bonnets, nor permitting it to sink
into soft pillows, when asleep. Keeping an infant's head too warm, very
much increases nervous irritability; and this is the reason why medical
men forbid the use of caps for infants. But the head of an infant
should, especially while sleeping, be protected from draughts of air,
and from getting cold.

Be very careful of the skin of an infant, as nothing tends so
effectually to prevent disease. For this end, it should be washed all
over, every morning, and then gentle friction should be applied, with
the hand, to the back, stomach, bowels, and limbs. The head should be
thoroughly washed, every day, and then brushed with