INFANCY. 
writers, of their legs becoming crooked, or 
unable to support the body, are avoided. 
Among the poorer classes, it is very com- 
mon to allow children to sit or lie in one 
posture for a length of time : this is a prac- 
tice much to be condemned. By the want 
of exercise, the health of children suffers ; a 
relaxation of the system ensues, and rickets 
and other diseases are induced. The con- 
stitution of man evidently shows him at all 
times designed for- exercise , and the regu- 
lar 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 
animal 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 parti- 
cularly reprobated. To prevent trouble to 
the parent, the infant is often sent to 
school, perhaps for seven or eight hours on 
a stretch, 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 fix- 
ing it to one object so prematurely, pro- 
vided 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 
part of the child, to study at that time of 
life when study would be useful. Even the 
immuring such a number of children in a 
confined room, as we often meet with in lit- 
tle 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 alternated with proper diversions and 
exercises suited to their period of life. 
The only argument in favour of early 
education is the advantage of an early en- 
trance of children into the world ; and of 
their being able to provide for themselves. 
That this may be proper in one respect, 
and in certain classes of society, we shall 
readily admit ; but if the constitution be to 
be ruined at an early period, twice as much 
will be lost as gained by this deceitful sys- 
tem. The truth of such a remark is strongly 
confirmed by what we every day observe 
in manufacturing towns, where life is sel- 
dom protracted beyond its middle age, and 
little enjoyed, even if it should be, from the 
VOL. III. 
sickly constitution 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 exhala- 
tions and fragrances of the surrounding 
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 necessary in res- 
pect to girls, who are, in general, too much 
confined by their injudicious mothers, and 
thus are not only weak and debilitated in 
their general habit, but acquire most of 
those diseases peculiar to their sex. No in- 
jury can take place from suffering them to 
run about, without unnecessary restraint. 
Dancing, if not carried to excess, is of ex- 
cellent service to young persons ; it cheers 
the spirits, promotes perspiration, strength- 
ens the limbs, and at the same time gives a 
much better grace to the person, than a 
constant employment at needle-work, or 
even an acquisition of the general and various 
accomplishments that constitute modem 
female educations ; which, however, would 
by no means be impeded by giving scope 
to exercise. 
A popular writer well observes, that “ an 
effeminate education will infallibly spoil the 
best constitution, and if boys are brought 
up in a more delicate manner than even 
girls ought to be, they will never be men.” 
The same author, with great justice, ap- 
plauds the practice, of late introduced, of 
teaching boys the military exercise, as not 
only an admirable mean of strengthening 
their body and limbs, but of inspiring them 
with early ideas of courage, and educating 
them so that they may, at a future period, 
be ready and able to defend their country 
in case of emergency. 
To uniform exercise, add the use of the 
cold bath : it will prove an admirable aux- 
iliary, and may be even a substitute for ex- 
ercise where it cannot be duly obtained ; 
and if the salt-water bath can be had, it is 
certainly preferable. By general immer- 
sion, the body is braced and strengthened, 
the general circulation increased, and ail 
stagnation in the smaller vessels prevented. 
The commencement of this practice, early, 
will be the means of preventing the ap- 
pearance of many constitutional diseases. 
It cannot be too much inculcated, and has 
been in nse from time immemorial with 
Pp 
