162 CONDITIONS OF HEALTH IN BONES. 



dom and the purest benevolence show themselves 

 in the beautiful adaptation of all the parts and func- 

 tions to each other and to one common end. 



Knowledge of the condition of the bones at dif- 

 ferent periods of life is not without its practical 

 uses particularly in regulating our treatment of 

 children. Some fond parents, disregarding the fact 

 that the bones are comparatively soft and pliable in 

 infancy, and in their haste to see the little objects 

 walk without support, are continually soliciting at- 

 tempts at standing or walking, long before the bones 

 have acquired sufficient power of resistance, and the 

 muscles sufficient power of contraction, to cope 

 with the laws of gravitation. The natural conse- 

 quence is a curvature of the bone, which yields just 

 like an elastic stick bending under a weight. The 

 two ends approach nearer to each other than they 

 ought to do ; and to accommodate themselves to the 

 change, the muscles become shorter on one side, 

 and perhaps longer on the other, each losing part of 

 its efficacy in the unnatural change which it un- 

 dergoes. 



From this view, it will be seen how hurtful lead- 

 ing-strings must be. In the first place, by their 

 mechanical force, they compress the chest and im- 

 pede respiration ; and, in the second, by preventing 

 the body from falling to the ground, or rather by 

 preserving an upright position, they cause the whole 

 weight to fall on the bones of the spine and lower 

 extremities, which are not fitted by nature to bear 

 the burden. From this noxious practice, flatness 

 of the chest, confined lungs, distorted spine, and de- 

 formed legs too often originate. 



The impropriety of an indiscriminate use of dumb- 

 bells, in early life, will also be easily understood. 

 If the weight of these be disproportioned to the 

 strength of the bones, it is obvious that we must pro- 

 duce the same kind of evil as by premature attempts 

 to walk, viz. yielding of the bones, and stretching 



