investigations ; small feet carry their owner into every nook and corner of the home ; 

 and meanwhile the little tongue is never still, but persists in putting an endless series 

 of often unanswerable questions. 



THIS STAGE OF ACTIVITY 



is associated with remarkable facility for imitation, which gradually develops into 

 self-initiated "make-believe" games, wholly absorbing to the player, who will work 

 with perseverance and vigour to attain some desired result. What part do these 

 characteristics play in growth and development? What does each of them contribute 

 to the upbuilding of that most wonderful thing in the world a normal human being? 



THE PERIOD OF INFANCY 



is concerned with the unfolding of life; for, at birth, the baby is but a sketch of what 

 it will eventually become. Its very proportions testify to its incompleteness. Look 

 at the enormous head, one-fourth the length of its body (the head of a well-pro- 

 portioned adult is but one-eighth of his height). Look at the ridiculous little limbs; 

 the arms must become four times their length at birth, and the legs must elongate 

 fivefold before maturity is attained at twenty-live years of age. The shape and 

 proportions of the trunk must pass through many phases and stages before they 

 assume their permanent form. Each internal organ, each system and part of the 

 body, shares in these profound changes, which continue for a full quarter of a 

 century; in the case of the brain, indeed, there is no term set to its possibilities of 

 further development. In the case of the muscular system this usually ceases between 

 forty and fifty years of age. 



The healthy infant is a passive, placid creature, whose chief business is to grow 

 (a baby should nearly treble its weight at birth during the first year of postnatal 

 life). At the same time it is adapting itself to its new surroundings and gradually 

 exercising its unknown powers. The ceaseless activity and insatiable curiosity of 

 the little child during its waking hours are necessary to nutrition and growth, equally 

 of mind and body; if unwisely checked, normal development is impossible. 



THE CHIEF REQUIREMENTS OF INFANCY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD ARE: 



Prolonged periods of quiet sleep, undisturbed by noise, light, movement, or other 



interruptions : 



Food suited to the age, taken at right intervals, with machine-like regularity: 

 Scrupulous cleanliness of person, clothing, and surroundings: 

 Pure air, warmth", sunshine, and suited exercise; last, but not least, consistent 



training in good habits. 



To deal adequately with even a portion of these requirements would call for a 

 w r hole bulletin ; space permits of the most cursory details only. 



SLEEP 



is a state of healthy repose during which energy is recruited, all kinds of physical 

 growth promoted, and the results of fatigue removed. If exposed to noise, bright 

 light, or movement during sleep, the process of repair and the general refreshment of 

 the body are interrupted ; the sleeper awakes with feelings of weariness and nervous 

 exhaustion; while, in the case of children, growth is stunted and mental instability 

 is fostered. 



A glance at Fig. 3 will show the number of hours which should be absorbed by 

 sleep during early life; it also shows the average number of hours which were the 

 portion of several thousand girls and boys in England when I pursued my investiga- 

 tions seven or eight years ago. It is a matter for thankfulness that the attention 

 attracted by the publication of these results has been one factor in securing improved 

 conditions for many children. It is equally a matter for regret that in this new 

 country, free from many of the economic problems which make life hard on the 

 poorer part of the population in the Old World, the habit of prolonged quiet sleep is 



12 



