20-1 THE PHILOSOPHY 



favage. His wants are fewer ; but his gratifications are more 

 than proportionally diminiflied. 



Though the period of human infancy be proportionally 

 long, it is too often increafed by improper management. In 

 this, and many other countries of Europe, infants have no 

 fooner efcaped from the womb of their mothers, and have 

 enjoyed the liberty of ftretching their limbs, than they are 

 again condemned to a more cruel and unnatural bondage. 

 The head is fixed in one pofition j the legs are fettered ; the 

 arms - are bound down to the fides ; and the little innocents 

 are laced with bandages fo ftrait that they cannot move a An- 

 gle joint. The reflraint of fwaddling bands muft be pro- 

 ductive of pain. Their original intention was to prevent the 

 head and limbs from being diftorted by unnatural or hurtful 

 pofitions. But it was not confidered, that the efforts made 

 by infants to difentangle themfelves, have a greater tendency 

 to diflort their members than any poflures they could afTume^ 

 if they enjoyed a greater degree of liberty. But, if the ef- 

 forts for Hberty made by infants fettered in this cruel manner 

 be hurtful, the flatij of inactivity in which they are forced to 

 remain, is, perhaps, equally noxious. Infants, as well as all 

 Jroung animals, are extremely prone to motion. It promotes 

 the growth and expanfion of their organs. It likewiie invig- 

 orates all their members, a: i facilitates the circulation and 

 fecretion of their different fluids. But, when infants are de- 

 prived of exercife, or of the power of performing their nat- 

 ural movements, the oppofite effects are produced. The 

 want of exercife retards their growth and weakens their con- 

 flitution. Thofe children, therefore, who are allowed full 

 freedom of motion will always be the mofl healthy and the 

 mod vigorous. We are, however, happy to remark, that, 

 by the efforts of philofophers and phylicians, the practice of 

 employing tight bandages has of late become lefs general, 

 efpecially among intelligent midwives and mothers. But, tf 



