488 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



While living at Hayti a few years ago, as he was 

 driving one morning, he passed his washerwoman, 

 who with a huge basket of soiled clothes on her head, 

 was walking two or three miles into the country to a 

 little lake, which she used for a washtub in her laundry 

 operations. On returning in the evening over the same 

 route, he again passed the woman, returning with her 

 basket filled with spotless linen, carrying a new-born 

 babe in her arms. It was evident that she had not al- 

 lowed the small incident of a childbirth to interfere 

 with the regular business of the day. 



We would not attempt to maintain that all women 

 can bear children as easily as the Hayti washerwoman, 

 even if most careful attention is given to all the rules 

 of health. Among the most highly civilized nations, 

 especially the Caucasian race, the neglect of physical 

 culture has produced disproportionate development 

 between the head and other portions of the body, which 

 is unquestionably one cause of suffering at childbirth, 

 and cannot be wholly obviated by any attention to gen- 

 eral or special hygiene ; but that the sufferings of child- 

 birth are greatly mitigated, and in many cases almost 

 wholly prevented, we are positively assured by experi- 

 ence with scores of women who have faithfully carried 

 out the simple suggestions made in this and other works 

 in which we have presented this important subject. 



Ante-Natal Influences.— There can be no doubt 

 that many circumstances which are entirely within the 

 power of the parents to supply, exert a powerful influ- 

 ence in molding both the mental and the physical char- 

 acteristics of offspring. The stock-raiser, by carefully 

 availing himself of the controlling power given him 

 by a knowledge of this fact, is enabled to produce' 

 almost any required quality in his young animals. 



