of gentle motion in the arms, immediately afterward. The
same gentle motion should be often repeated during the day; care being
taken to hold the child in such a position as will be easy to him, and
favorable to the free exercise of all his limbs and muscles.

There are many mothers and nurses, who not only rejoice that the infant
inclines to sleep a great deal, since it gives them more liberty, but
who take pains to prolong these hours beyond what nature requires, by
artificial means. I refer not only to the use of the cradle, but to
means still more artificial--the use of cordials and opiates, to which I
have already adverted. But whatever the means used may be, they defeat
the purposes of nature, and are in the highest degree reprehensible.
Nothing but the most chilling poverty should prevent the mother from
having the child--for a few weeks of its first existence at least--in
her own arms, nearly all the time which is not absolutely demanded for
repose. She should even invite it to wakefulness, rather than encourage
sleep.

Attention to exercise ought to be commenced before the child is more
than ten days old. For this purpose he should be placed on his back, on
a pillow, in order that the body may rest at as many points as possible.
In this position he has the opportunity to move his limbs with the most
perfect freedom, and to exercise his numerous muscles. There is nothing
more important to the infant--not even sleep itself--than the action of
all his muscles; and nothing contributes more to his rapid growth.

At first, the body should be kept, while on the arm, in nearly a
horizontal position, with the head perhaps a very little elevated; but
after a few weeks, it will be proper to change the position for a small
part of the time; placing the body so that it may form an angle of a few
degrees with the horizon. When this is done, however, it should always
be by placing the hand against the shoulders and head, in such a manner
as to support well the back; for it is extremely injurious to suffer the
feeble spine to sustain, at this early period, any considerable weight.

Still more erroneous is the practice of some careless nurses, of
carrying the child quite upright a part of the time, almost without any
support at all. There can be no doubt that the spinal column of many a
child is injured for life in this way. There can be no apology for such
things.

But it is not sufficient to denounce, merely, the custom