OF INFANCY. ^^s 



Before children are put into the cradle we 

 ought to be certain that they want nothing ; 

 and they fliould never be rocked with fuch vio- 

 lence as to confound or ftun them. If they 

 fleep not fufficiently, a gentle and equal motion 

 may be employed. Neither Ihould they be of- 

 ten rocked ; for, if they be once accuftomed to 

 this motion, they will not afterwands lleep with- 

 out it. Though children, when in health, fhould 

 fleep long without the affiftance of art ; yet their 

 conflltution may be injured by too much fleep. 

 In this cafe, they fliould be roufed by gentle 

 motion, by foft and agreeable founds, and by a- 

 mufing them with brilliant objeds. This is the 

 period when they receive the iirfl: impreflions 

 from the fenfcs, which are, perhaps of more im- 

 portance during life than is generally Imagined. 



Infants alu'ays dired; their eyes to the lighteft 

 part of a room ; and if, from the child's fitua- 

 tion, one eye only can fee the mofl; luminous 

 part, the other, for want of equal exercife, will 

 not acquire equal ftrength. To prevent this in- 

 convenience, the foot of the cradle, whether the 

 light proceeds from a window or a candle, fliould 

 be placed oppolite to the light: In this pofition 

 both eyes receive the light at the fame time, and 

 confequently acquire, by exercife, an equal de- 

 gree of ftrength: U one eyeacquires more ftrength 

 than the other, the child will fquint; for 1 have 

 elfcwhere proved, that an Incqualicy of ftrcngili 

 in the eyes is the caufe of fciuintlng ^. 



Vol. II. B b For 



* Sec Mem. dc I'acad. dcs fcienccs, anatic 1 743. 



