232 MORE POT-POURRI 



or look into the village perambulators, without being 

 shocked by the universal use of those terrible modern 

 inventions, sold by every chemist throughout the land, 

 called ' baby comforters or soothers.' I cannot imagine 

 any child's digestion not being weakened and injured by 

 them. The suction is exactly the same as with the real 

 bottle, and the waste of saliva must be excessive ; so great 

 that the flow must be much reduced when food is actually 

 taken, and this of itself must begin the non-assimilation of 

 food which modern children, especially those brought up 

 by hand, suffer from so much. My objection applies to 

 babies after they are three or four months old ; before that 

 these ' comforters ' do not do much harm. But, the habit 

 once acquired, few nurses or mothers have the courage to 

 break it. 



Every doctor I have asked has corroborated my view 

 on this subject. A thoroughly conscientious doctor ought, 

 I think, to refuse to attend the children of the rich where 

 such things are used. The mothers and nurses say : ' It is 

 such a comfort to the child, and prevents its crying, which 

 is so dangerous.' This is the modern receipt for every- 

 thing ! Momentary relief and palliatives at the cost of 

 eventual good ! What makes babies cry is not only dyspep- 

 sia and discomfort, but also spoiling; that is to say, respond- 

 ing to that natural appeal of crying for what they want. 

 Many a child that has been too much held in nurses' arms 

 from its birth cries when it is laid down. That does not 

 mean that it is bad for the child to lie down, for, if it is 

 quite loosely dressed, this does it only good. It cries, as a 

 dog whines, merely to express, in the only way that it can, 

 what it wants ; and if taken up directly it cries, this teaches 

 it, by the only way it can learn, to do it again next time. 



I saw some years ago a most intelligently managed 

 baby; it was half German, half French. I was also 

 much struck with the superior common-sense of many of 



