56 Heredity and Child Culture 



weak alcohol solutions if necessary to toughen 

 the tender skin, we can do much to enable the 

 nipple to function well when the time comes. 



The influence the mind exerts on the body is 

 recogTiized by all physicians, and therefore it 

 is well that the future mother should keep as 

 cheerful and composed as possible. To this end, 

 she should be kept from undue cares and wor- 

 ries and have as bright surroundings as cir- 

 cumstances will allow. Strong mental excite- 

 ment and unrepressed emotions have a bad 

 effect at this time. It is right to add, however, 

 that the bugbear of ''maternal impressions" 

 producing some subtle and disastrous influence 

 on the unborn infant has no scientific basis. 



In a general way, the care of the future child 

 is taking place during the whole of the previous 

 life of the mother, but in a very special way is 

 such care obvious while she is carrying the baby. 

 The problem of the child begins with concep- 

 tion and ends with adolescence and of all these 

 periods that of pregnancy is one of the most 

 neglected. 



Modem asepsis has robbed child birth of 



