INFANCY. 
upon this restricted scale, to propose such 
hints as may have a tendency to remove a 
considerable part of the evils of which we 
complain. In doing this, we shall first no- 
tice what ought to be the treatment of in- 
fants in a state of health, and secondly in a 
state of disease. 
Treatment of Infants in Health. 
The two primary objects of attention on the 
birth of an infant are warmth and cleanli- 
ness. The last has lately been opposed, but 
certainly without due consideration. The 
limbs and body of an infant when first 
born are generally covered over with a 
mealy mucus matter, which appears to be a 
feculent deposit from the amnios, or fluid, 
in which he was immersed antecedently to 
his birth. “ This coating, or covering,” we 
are told, “ which the infant obtains in the 
womb, is surely not put there for nothing. 
Be assured, that nature has some wise and 
necessary design, or purpose, in the matter ; 
for it adheres, and it adheres most firmly, 
to his skin ; and, if left to itself, in a certain 
period after birth it dries, and forms a crust, 
and gradually scales off in the ceconomy of 
nature, and leaves the skin it covered heal 
and healthful, and capable to bear every 
common or necessary freedom.” 
The natural indolence of nurses will he 
much obliged to this writer, who has ac- 
quired, and for various reasons deservedly 
acquired, considerable popularity, for this 
novel and extraordinary advice ; an advice, 
than which nothing can be much more per- 
nicious, and which we feel ourselves, there- 
fore, compelled to combat by a few cursor y 
remarks. 
This coating, we are told, is not placed 
over the skin for nothing ; and we are de- 
sired to rest assured, that nature has some 
wise and necessary design or purpose in the 
matter. But what is this wise and neces- 
sary design ? If not put over the skin for 
notiiing, for what is it put there ? These 
are important questions ; hut there is not a 
single hint in the writer's entire book that 
may serve as an answer to them. We be- 
lieve, however, and have much reason to 
believe, that it is put there for nothing ; 
that the deposit of this mucous coating is a 
mere accident, resulting from a casual 
change in the state or proportion of the am- 
nios ; and not designed by nature to answer 
any necessary purpose whatever. If na- 
ture really designed any useful purpose by 
such a deposit, we should find her producing 
it uniformly in the same quantity and qua- 
lity. But while many infants are born with- 
out any such deposit whatever, the covei- 
ing that surrounds others differs materially, 
both in its nature and proportion, sometimes 
being diffused over the whole body, at 
others confined to particular parts of it; 
sometimes being a white, thick, pultaceous 
mass, derived alone from the amnios, and 
at others a pitchy tenacious fluid, chiefly 
derived from a discharge of meconium. Yet 
be it what it may, we are told that our 
nurses “ have nothing to do but to take the 
infants skin as nature gives it them : no- 
thing to do but to dry it in the most kind 
and gentle manner, with the receiver, or a 
piece of old soft spongy cloth, warmed at 
the fire, and then proceed to clothe him.’' 
Yet if they have notiiing to do hut to take 
the skin as nature gives it them, they ought 
not to dry it, for nature gives the skin to 
them moist ; they ought not to clothe it, 
for nature gives it to them without covering ; 
and the young of many other animals, though 
wholly unfurnished with ready-made dresses 
against their birth, are born just as naked 
and unfledged as the human infant. Above 
all, they ought not to clean it, either with 
the receiver, or a piece of old spongy cloth ; 
or this is to destroy the very foundation of 
the author’s new system, which consists in its 
not being cleaned by any means, not even 
by “ soap and water, or plain water, or any 
other substance whatever.” Now certainly, 
if the body of an infant may be rubbed with 
the receiver, which is usually flannel, or even 
with a piece of old cloth, there is no reason 
why he may not be rubbed with a little 
warm water, which has a far nearer approach 
to the nature of his prenascent element, 
than either of these substances, and is far 
less rough and uncomfortable to its tender 
and delicate skin. 
We shall only offer another remark. 
Though the author be not able to tell us 
what good purpose nature designs by dif- 
fusing over the body a coating of mealy or 
viscid mucus, we can easily point out to 
him what bad purpose nature herself would 
accomplish by our suffering it to remain 
there after birth : and we will do it in his 
own words. “ If left to itself, says he, 
at a certain period after birth it dries, and 
forms a crust and gradually scales off.” And 
it is for this very reason it ought to be re- 
moved : a dry crust and scurf covering the 
hard and thickened skin even of an adult 
must necessarily be productive of the 
double mischief of excoriating the cuticle, 
and obstructing the matter of perspiration: 
