INFANCY. 



atone For several defects in nursing, and 

 is absolutely necessary for the health, 

 strength, and growth of children. 



The first exercise that children usually 

 receive, and which they ought to receive, 

 is that of being dandled in the arm, or 

 moved gently up and down, which tends 

 much to assist digestion. Rubbing them 

 with the hand is also highly useful at this 

 period of life, particularly along the back- 

 bone, which occasions the child to stretch 

 itself, and to exhibit different signs of 

 muscular exertion, expressive of the sa- 

 tisfaction it receives. 



As children increase in growth, their 

 exercise should be proportionally aug- 

 mented, and the nurse should endeavour 

 to give them as much motion with her 

 arm as possible. A proper nurse knows 

 the method of doing this, and requires 

 no specific directions. 



As soon as a child is able to be put on 

 its feet, it should be allowed to make use 

 of them. Every member acquires strength 

 in proportion as it is exercised ; and chil- 

 dren, by being accustomed to support 

 themselves, will soon acquire strength 

 for the purpose. Children also begin to 

 use their feet by degrees, and by this 

 gradual attempt, all the dangers hinted at 

 by writers, of their legs becoming crook- 

 ed, or unable to support the body, are 

 avoided. 



Among the poorer classes, it is very 

 common to allow children to sit or lie in 

 one posture for a length of time : this is 

 a practice much to be condemned. By 

 the want of exercise, the health of chil- 

 dren suffers, a relaxation of the system 

 ensues, and rickets and other diseases are 

 induced. The constitution of man evi- 

 dently shows him at all times designed 

 for exercise ; and the regular circulation 

 of the fluids cannot proceed without its 

 assistance. Arguments, indeed, may be 

 drawn from the structure of every part of 

 the animal economy of man ; and, where 

 exercise is neglected, none of the ani- 

 mal functions can be duly executed, and 

 the constitution, in general, therefore, 

 must soon be seriously affected. 



The early and rigorous confinement of 

 children at day-schools merits to be par- 

 ticularly reprobated. To prevent trou- 

 ble to the parent, the infant is often sent 

 to school, perhaps for seven or eight 

 hours on a stit-tch, at a period of life when 

 it can learn little or nothing, and when 

 its time would be more properly spent in 

 exercises or diversions. Nor does the 

 mind suffer less from this evil than the 

 body. The fixing it to one object so pre- 



maturely, provided it can really be made 

 to learn any thing at all, not only weakens 

 the faculties, but is apt to produce an 

 aversion, on the nart of the child, to study 

 at that time of 'Tife when study would be 

 useful. Even the immuring such a num- 

 ber of children in a confined room, as we 

 often meet with in little day-schools, by 

 vitiating the atmosphere, and corrupting 

 the air, must lay the seeds of disease, and 

 not unfrequently occasion infection. If 

 sent early to school, the time of learning 

 should never be long, and should be al- 

 ternated with proper diversions and exer- 

 cises suited to their period of life. 



The only argument in favour of an ear- 

 ly education is, the advantage of an early 

 entrance of children into the world, and 

 of their being able to provide for them- 

 selves. That this may be proper in one 

 respect, and in certain classes of society, 

 we shall readily admit ; but if the consti- 

 tution be to be ruined at an early period, 

 twice as much will be lost as gained by 

 this deceitful system. The truth of such 

 a remark is strongly confirmed by what 

 we every day observe in manufacturing 

 towns, where life is seldom protracted 

 beyond its middle age, and little enjoyed, 

 even if it should be, from the sickly con- 

 stitution entailed on its possessor by this 

 early industry. 



Even exercise within doors is not suffi- 

 cient to effect the good purposes derived 

 from it in the open air, particularly in a 

 country situation, where the various ex- 

 halations and fragrances of the surround- 

 ing scenery add usually to the salubrity 

 of the employment. Children, instead of 

 being checked in regard of wholesome 

 play, should be at all times encouraged 

 in it. This advice is particularly neces- 

 sary in respect to girls, who are, in ge- 

 neral, too much confined by their injudi- 

 cious mothers, and thus are not only weak 

 and debilitated in their general habit, but 

 acquire most of those diseases peculiar to 

 their sex. No injury can take place from 

 suffering them to run about, without un- 

 necessary restraint. Dancing, if not car- 

 ried to excess, is of excellent service t 

 young persons ; it cheers the spirits, pro- 

 motes perspiration, strengthens the limbs, 

 and at the same time gives a much better 

 grace to the person, than a constant em- 

 ployment at needle-work, or even an ac- 

 quisition of the general and various ac- 

 complishments that constitute modern fe- 

 male educations ; which, however, would 

 by no means be impeded by giving scope 

 to exercise. 

 A popular writer well observess, that 



