Hints from a Mother’s Life.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1060, 23 June 1892, Page 16

Hints from a Mother’s Life.

BY MRS W. E. GLADSTONE. Value op Flesh Air for Infants. As so large a part of infant existence is necessarily spent within doors, we ought never to lose sight of the fact that every moment of our lives is influenced by the air we breathe. Again, we must remember that ‘The blood is the life’ ; its action affects every part of - the organization. How important, then, is the supply and the quality of the blood, and how necessary it is to know that pure air contributes to its health and nutritive power. To prove this, we have only to notice the wonderful revival of a poor little child when removed from some foul, vitiated atmosphere, and permitted to breathe sweet fresh air. On this point let me quote the words of one who speaks with all the authority of a great name, Miss Florence Nightingale. It will be seen that she has a word of warning for foolish extremes, while earnestly advocating pure air. It is all nonsense what some old nurses say, that you can’t give a baby fresh air without

giving it a chill; and, on the other hand, you may give a baby a chill which will kill it (by letting a draught blow upon it when it is being washed, for instance, and chilling its whole body., though only for a moment) without giving it fresh air at all. And depend upon this, the le3s fresh air you give to its lungs, and the less water you give to its skin, so much, the more liable it will be to colds and chills. Lat me here strongly protest against the foolish fashion of half smothering a sleeping baby, covering its head and mouth, at the risk of stifling it outright. This is the more senseless, as, by common consent, babies’ caps have gone out of use, presumably because the advantage of keeping the head cool has been recog nised. Cots and beds in the nursery should, be uncurtained, or nearly so. We might almost as well lay the child to sleep on the shelf of a press, or at the bottom of a packing box, as in a cot closely curtained round. An authentic story is told of a well-constituted child passing within a few minutes from a condition of spasmodic irritation, bordering on convulsions, into perfect health,, owing simply to the admission of fresh air into a close, ill-ventilated nursery. A thermometer should be kept in the rooms, and should not rise above 60 deg. F., overheating being as unwholesome as the reverse.

Nervous irritabilitj' ia a prominent characteristic of infancy, and pure air will be found to act as one of the most powerful nervous sedatives upon the tender system of a child. Whatever, therefore, affects the purity of the atmosphere should be quickly, removed ; prosper places provided for dirty linen, etc. flhe air of bedrooms should be perfectly fresh; especially should we beware of ‘ tired air creeping in from the day nursery, just before the children’s bedtime ; chimneys should be kept open, bedclothes turned back and exposed to the air as soon as the child is up.