778 PLAIN FACTS 



susceptible to injury than adults on account of their 

 weakness and little vitality. 



11. Many mothers have sacrificed their children by 

 attempting to rear them upon the various patented 

 baby foods sold in the stores. A majority of these foods 

 are starchy preparations which contain little or no 

 nourishment valuable for infants. Some of them, 

 particularly the various preparations made according 

 to the directions of the eminent German chemist, Pro- 

 fessor Liebig, are useful, but not more so than well 

 boiled oatmeal or graham gruel with the addition of 

 cow's milk.* 



12. Sexual excesses have a very damaging influ- 

 ence upon the nursing infant. 



13. A nursing mother should never give way to 

 fits of anger or depressing emotions of any sort, but 

 endeavor to improve and sustain her general health in 

 every possible way by proper diet, daily exercise in the 

 open air, abundance of sleep, avoidance of overwork. 



Weaning.— Under this head it is important to call 

 attention to the following points: 



1. The proper time for weaning a healthy infant 

 is at about one year of age. Very weakly children 

 sometimes require longer nursing. The custom prac- 

 ticed by some women of prolonging the nursing period 

 to two years or more is injurious to mother and child. 



2. The process of weaning should be conducted 

 gradually. At the age of eight or ten months the child 

 may be fed bread and milk, or oatmeal porridge once 



* Directions for feeding infants whose digestive organs are very 

 badly disordered are considered in the "Home Book of Modern Medi- 

 cine," from which, by permission of the author. Dr. J. H. Kellogg, the 

 publishers of "Plain Pacts" have borrowed this chapter on the "Care 

 of Infants?'' 



