OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 3

OUR BABIES.

[By IlyoF.lA.] ["It is-wiser jto put up a. fence at i tjio top of, a-precipice than to maintain an ambulance at tho bottom."] • Last,iveo!c.we- concluded by /claiming, the Rights of the Body on .behalf of tho school-' girl/.but'as .thisisieqiially the first' necessity" • - for the.;'mother ..^herself;., we .. may .'give"' the 1 following', summary., of .physical essentials foil health - , RIGHTS OF THE BODY (1); Pur? Air and good,', simple Footl. ■ Puro. air-'mcans. a constant- supply, . from-the;open air-flowing through tho rooms' day and night; - < . (2) Regular Daily .Habits. ■ ' ■ -. : (3) Sufficient,'.DaUy. 'Esercise;" :;; , - : ..Including : .W'ork'.and Recreation.:: ; - (4). Protection of- overy ( <part .from Distortion or uiidue -Restriction. •> Protection from - . chilling'--by suitnbloclothing,etc..'.., (5) Stimulation?and';Hardening.', E.g., by Exposure. to open ?air-1 and ; sunshiiicj 'and. by. bathing,. etc". . ."' (6) Sufficient, periods.'.'of.' Rest, including - '.Slbep.t'.^,;V.'-;'v (7) Cleanliness ' INFLUENCE. OF MIND. AND : EMOTIONS. ■' ; ,On. the,material'.side ;these are tho essen-,' tials for 1 the ' maintenance -of' activo health, i and vitalityi; but . diio -isliouldv .not : . omit to ..; point - out also; that ' favourable .mental,' emo-;: tional,-, social, ar.d moral -conditions-, tend to exercise : a;imost'.potent ?influ'ejice.i.even'.' 011 ; the bodily;-health.:of .the nndividual.. -.-Thero' is no'.other- /phaso.< of': life nirwluch- these' • la.tter factors play,: so important':!a" f r6ld ;in relation to .bodilj' well-being'-as they do in States..',':'of. ■ mind and states of.- tho emotions. - ieact - afc. '; "nil 'for' \ ' instance,^in-^secretioiiji'digestion,: viiutntioii",, ' the -formation; of blood, ,etc.; -but: in :,the • caseof: the'.: mo'theri'^herp■. are" vtwo "'persons involved, and; both before, and after birth-' : . the ■ . infant'.-; is ; peculiarly ;: sensitive; to • tli'e' ' resulte'- pifisach':V.re^<^s;!°k:--lf,V'f^rban£]6. ■' •to normal activity .organs,•...thb\infant; . : shares -the' benefit;. if/uiifayourable ;it ;shafeG v .the';, injury.'i'and / tends ; fo- suffer - more , than, . . : tho mature being. ': W : e are.' ; inpst: .of_;j' ! 'tis i yf^iriiliar^\TififJi: : .; < srich-".. .. facts'.'as i ate'; iHustra'ted'; in: .'the'^contrasting; ■ ■ effects .'.of the-, emotions, of pleasure and pain on appatiteiaiidl digestion. ; . It.'needs^.'how-''. 1 ever,: tpljtnaf the "lining 'of ,an, .< - increascd-.''--sipj)lyj;ibf..7b)oo.d';and "poijrs' out; ■! more' gastric juice -uuder, -the stimulus -of 1 conversation, at table,- and. tends' i v to becomo pale and .to, cease to secrete under ''1 '.• deßireg§ing ; it is: rdi'.hnrd • for /any. of us to -picture 'what , actually takes 1 place' inside the stQinach ,in such ; orcum-i .-'■ , 'stances,;:'when;,it'e' : reflqct; on..theVsudden .out-, ; .pduring': of' tears -'under, the emotion /of ■ grief. ' 1 ; ',J?rofessor? : R6.teh, l has -proved "conclusively not- '.] only that: unduo. excitements or. petty ,wor- ;i .: Ties,- oi; ; 'pains. may';' cause the" .mother',s- milk' v (

to"' disagree!, with/1 her.,' child, V.butc'., also ■ $ that, Buch.' disagreement'' is" ; due ; !to' an' factual change .irij.th'e^,chemical;.cdmpositiori .of: the. milk. Further,'-'." ;-if..'tho; -to',. ; bec°o^e.&prMaWnd > :'^': ; be. res|bred;_;'but;,tto^ l^,;o^.indis^h^'the^^kvcpntinuesl'-af)-' prove * f vSimilar;-'bqnclitions 'are found tb:'appty, -toobservance ' of' 'the'; simple!-. primary. Bights of, the jßody- jlf: tlje.,mother.takes 'too .much or -too; rich fobd r an'd has insufficient exercise the milk, becomes abnormal, and can only be corrected, by--her cbnfprming-to'-'tho .requireinorits of.'health.'- 'tfh'e; extreme '.-practical. 'imr. portance' of.- such' i .,facts-!.;mustisurely; be obvious to - everyone, ' There", may'- bo adverse, circumstances""over- which''the mother, has no control;!but for 'the,:most"paTt-there.is'no-thing, iri; the coriditions"of life,in our midst which; renders '.the ; ideal ■ bf : healthy ; maternity Unattainable".,/.'-The 'disabilities Vof. mothers are. I .mainly;'duo* to. cause's' which "'could' easily; be : tlid - '''requisite laioMe^e;;r ; advice handed ,on.' through the 'ordinary \channels from one .woman rtovaiibther .'.is. often' most misleading. ';'-i'.v'!: '•"' 1 ; V' ;-!'.''' _ <}' ' r -'." itj ;,"• HARM OJ EXCESSiyiI EXERCISE.'.

, Therelcah be no shallower' error -than-; the oommon; idea-that a; state bf semi-invalidism ; and' passivity-combined with ,over-fecding is": . desirable" for ■ mothers:;, •Of all periods of life" this is . the / one in /which! a . ' woman- needs to;maintain : herself/ in a state of the most; perrect': vital 'fitness,', and: tliis ;' cannot ;be without ( i amount - of vdaily 'outdoor !exercise \Mmbirind with., the other Rights> of : the. Body; ■*•■ ■- Among 'the; ; lower ' animals allied 1 to- man . there is: a"- single .'instanceJiri. which fairly.'active- bodily:-exercise- .during"'.! this V . period is not found to be beneficial to both ': mother and offspring,' and: there., is 1 no instance in which : ox'cessive. "or workis not prejudicial to"bothiVCapable farmers, recognising; these', facts, pdy' .special. 1 attend :• tion to keeping their breeding stock.''well. . exercised. ■ On'.-:'-the./other- h%iid, : "no really hard work• is' allowed; 'especially/ during..the; i later months. : '' ' When-'one institutes ,; a'; between this careful 'treatment; of v animals and .. tho' excessive; work ' Which.' women, aro hot. , infrequently . allowed to d,o throughout '••• this, period,v the- conclusion - that is 'generally k'ar- '." rived "at . isthat aniinalsy are.; treated- the best.:V.vv :';':.' ! i ,.,-^-- , !; ; !!', ; ! ;/, : ; .V.v On some, of our dairy farms the contrast is not flattering to :our sense of humanity. ■ The; prejudicial effect of,;suolu.overwork on ' botli mother and child-has been sufficiently marked to special,-attention of the authorities' at'the : local St. Helens Ma-" • terity. Home), where a large proportion of' the patients-come from the country. "Wives aro often' only too - ready- to sacrifico them- , selves to ":the*'immediate-needs, of tho farm, .. but jf,'they/and their,,h'usb'ands realised how short-sighted:'it is :'tci-;iilibw, ,'an expectant mother_'-_to slave .early afkl late," morning and evening, milking a; dozijn' cows, besides do--ing the housework,';'! thgy;' would ' find some means of securing extra help to ■ tide over. ; tho emergency.'' !. ,;V !. ' --.! '■ Speaking i, recentlyv; before the ' National! Conference "on Infant Mortality, . Mr! Broad-, bent said that public'opinion ( had been! so, educated.,of. late in this, matter that "now - in Huddorsfield a mail felt disgraced if his wife had to go' out„to: work'to-maintain herself "and her .family, thus doing double duty. .: Hey ''regarded. ;that yas .a; healthy public opinion. It was an extraordinary development of civilisation-"; that - fwe. should •••; do with our wonien what, no farmer would think of -doing with!this. cattle i ;make them do not only --double but often treble duty—, bear childrenV go out to ; work, and attend' to the household. .was , an. .abomination which ought .put' an end to - at once by' the mere forcp'-of.strong and manly opinion in this: countis-''