IOO THE CAUSATION OF DISEASE. 



been living in fear that the child would kill herself (how 

 many children, I would like to know, have thus killed 

 themselves?), and now, perhaps, she thinks it very "im- 

 proper." Happily, the parents of this young lady have 

 brains, and so they leave her alone. Unfettered by the con- 

 ventionalities of Society, they have allowed her to follow the 

 ways of Nature, and her limbs have grown in Nature's own 

 way. 



Wherefore let all children be brought up in the country r 

 let them be out of doors while it is light, and let them climb 

 trees, and indulge in all such pranks (except the mere 

 savage ones) as Nature dictates. Those instinctive habits of 

 which they will require to be cured are not the hygienically y 

 but the morally bad, for the morality of the young child is 

 very largely that of his savage ancestors, and ill-adapted to 

 the requirements of a civilized community, which demands a 

 morality of great complexity and refinement. Thus, the innate 

 tendency to cruelty should be stamped out, the habit of throw- 

 ing stones, of making grimaces, and so forth. Some of these- 

 habits are most interesting. To wit, the tendency of boys 

 (not girls !) to go about in tribes armed with sticks and stones 

 — Nature's own weapons — and to engage similar tribes of 

 other boys in battle. I quite recently saw this in a London 

 suburb. A tribe of small boys thus armed was at cne end 

 of a short street, engaged in animated talk about the enemy. 

 Presently, at the other end of the street, the latter appeared. 

 Then, with a distinct icar whoop, the battle commenced by a 

 throwing of stcnes. The enemy proved to be the weaker, for, 

 upon their antagonists attempting to engage them at close- 

 quarters, they rapidly fled ! I say, I do not counsel th& 

 education and development of the savage qualities here exem- 

 plified. We must civilize the young, and bring them up in a 

 beautiful morality, but let us beware lest at the same time we 

 annihilate all those instincts which show so distinctly what are- 

 the proper ways of youth. 



So much for fresh air and exercise. What about food ? 

 Nature has provided a food for the first year : therefore, let 

 the child have it, and nothing else. But when Nature's fount 

 begins to run dry, what then ? Again watch the ways of 



