8i4 Reading-Course for Farmers' Wives. 



colic to the baby. Constipation and the general bad condition result- 

 ing from a diet deficient in bulk and in the mineral salts provided in 

 fruits and vegetables is much more to be feared. If there is any tendency 

 toward constipation the diet should be a laxative one such as has been 

 previously suggested. 



Weaning. — The age at which a child should be weaned will have to 

 be determined by a number of things, such as the vigor of the child, the 

 richness and quality of the mother's milk, teething conditions, season of 

 the year. Normally the child should be weaned at least within the 

 year, for by this time the average milk has become insufficient to meet 

 all the needs of the growing organism. It is not wise to wean a child 

 just at the beginning of summer or during the hot weather. It should 

 be accomplished earlier or should be held over until fall. Prolonging 

 the period of breast-feeding beyond the normal time may be as bad for 

 the child as any other wrong method of feeding. Weaning should be 

 accomplished gradually unless the child refuses other food as long as 

 it is kept at the breast. Two or three months may be allowed for it, 

 beginning at first with only one modified milk meal a day and gradually 

 increasing the number. The last nursing to be dropped should be the 

 one at night. The change from the breast to cow's milk must be 

 made carefully to avoid any disturbance which may arise from the dif- 

 ference between the two foods. Cow's milk is rarely given at this time 

 without dilution and it must be more diluted than for a child of the 

 same age who has been artificially fed from birth. The milk mixture 

 to be substituted at this time will be considered in the second part of 

 this bulletin under the head of artificial feeding. 



