terious effects of the heated and confined air of a large city upon the health of children, may, in a great measure, be counteracted by these means, in conjunction with frequent rides into the surrounding country, or excursions upon the water; the means for which latter, in most of our larger cities, is placed within the reach of all by the numerous steamboats that depart for short trips, at almost every hour of the day. 2. Cleanliness. Bathing. The important functions of the skin, and the intimate relations. which exist between it and every other part of the body, point out the necessity of guarding it from whatever is calculated to impede. its free and healthful action. More especially should the utmost attention be paid to preserve it, by frequent ablutions, from the influence of foreign impurities, as well as from an accumulation of its own excretions. Whenever this is neglected, disgusting, painful, and obstinate cutaneous eruptions are liable to be produced, or the foundation is laid for derangement of function or serious disease of one or other of the internal organs. At no period of life is injury more liable to be produced by a neglect of personal cleanliness, than during infancy-at no period, therefore, are repeated ablutions of the surface of more importance. Immediately after birth, the body of the infant requires to be carefully washed, and the same operation must afterwards be performed daily to insure its comfort, and to preserve it from disease. The skin of the new-born infant is more or less covered with a white unctuous matter, the vernix caseosa: whatever may be its office during foetal life, it is unnecessary, and even injurious, to allow it to remain for any length of time after birth. It may be very readily removed by washing the skin with warm water and a soft cloth or sponge. Dewees and others recommend, in order to facilitate the removal of the vernix caseosa, to "smear every part of the child with fine hog's lard," and then to wash with soap and water. Dr. Eberle recommends smearing the body with the yelk of eggs, when, he remarks, "simple warm water will be sufficient to cleanse the surface thoroughly." Notwithstanding the high authorities by which these practices are recommended, we doubt their necessity, and are far from being convinced of their propriety. When a sufficient amount of water, of a proper temperature, is employed, and sufficient care is taken in the process of washing, we have seldom seen any difficulty experienced in clearing the skin of its caseous coating. In washing a new-born infant, no degree of friction should be used, for fear of irritating or abrading the tender skin; and notwithstanding it is important to remove, as soon as possible, the caseous matter from the folds of the joints, where it is generally most abundant, yet if this cannot be readily done at first, it is of little importance, as every portion of what remains may, with ordinary care, be removed at the second washing. The washing being completed with as little delay as possible, the surface, particularly the folds of the joints, the neck, the groin, &c., should be carefully and thoroughly dried with a soft napkin, before the child is dressed. We have directed the infant to be washed in warm water. This is not a matter of indifference; to plunge the body of a new-born child in cold water, and keep it there until the process of washing is completed, is to subject it to unnecessary suffering-if not to endanger its life. When the same process is pursued, day after day, although the robust and vigorous may survive, and even acquire additional strength and vigor from the dangerous ordeal through which they are thus made to pass, the generality of infants will suffer serious discomfort, if not permanent injury; while the lives of the feeble and debilitated will be endangered, if they do not actually perish under it. The absurd notion so generally entertained, that the cold bath is adapted, in all cases, to augment the strength and invigorate the powers of life, and which has induced so many to esteem it an important agent in the physical education of infancy and childhood, has been fully exposed by the experiments of Dr. Edwards and others. By these it is shown that the direct effect of cold water, when applied to the surface, is invariably to depress the strength and vigor of the system; and that this depressing effect is always in a direct ratio with the feebleness or exhaustion of the individual subjected to its influence. Now, when by the same experiments it has been shown that the power of generating heat, and, consequently, the ability to support a diminution of external temperature, is at its minimum at birth, and goes on gradually augmenting as the child approaches maturity, we can readily understand the folly and danger of applying cold water to the skin of a young infant, and the absolute necessity of always washing it in water sufficiently warm to prevent the production of the least degree of chilliness. The temperature of the water may be gradually reduced, as the infant increases in age-watching, however, its effects the more closely, the nearer it is reduced to a state of coldness. If its application to the surface be immediately followed by a glow all over the body, and a sense of comfort in the child, it is not too cold; but should it occasion the slightest degree of chilliness, with pallor of the face, or evident languor and depression, it must be immediately exchanged for water of a higher temperature. As a general rule, however, during no period of childhood should the washing be performed in perfectly cold water. Tepid water is better adapted to remove impurities from the surface, and to preserve the skin in a healthy condition, while injury to health is less liable to result from its use. The entire surface of a child should be subjected to a daily ablution. Without this, personal cleanliness cannot be maintained, and we are in favor, even from the period of birth, of applying the water in which the child is washed in the form of a bath. It is much better to immerse the body of the new-born babe in a large basin of warm water, its head and shoulders being supported by the hand گھر " se vegenet ir 1 sagte lar." mates the time se solid admates continuance miantes is bevever, unnecessary, we set genes of childhood Children should Seats when in a state of profuse perspi bjen of cleanliness is a proper In any infancy, all that is necessary is to AX KAMMAR, WISh every other part of the surface of ta 9969, 10 dia yanath warm water. As the child increases nage and the hail vozila vo grow, a little soap may be occasionally added to the water with walen the head is washed, and the hair should be repeatedly but gently cleansed with a soft brush. This will prevent the greasy matter which exudes from the scalp accumulating and forming a dry black crust-disgusting in its appearance, and liable to occasion ulcerations of the skin beneath it of a most obstinate and painful character. Many parents are opposed to frequently washing the head of an infant, from a supposition that it will render it liable to take cold, and be otherwise prejudicial to health; no such fears, however, need be entertained-the child's health will be much more endangered by neglecting to keep its head scrupulously clean than by the frequent application to it of water of a proper temperature. A soft brush should always be used instead of a comb, for cleansing and smoothing the hair of young children, there being less danger of the brush scratching or unduly irritating the scalp. During the entire period of infancy and childhood the hair should be kept short. Nothing is more common than to see a luxuriant head of hair in children accompanied with paleness of complexion, weakness of the eyes, and frequent complaints of headache; independently of this, eruptions and ulcerations of the scalp are more apt to occur, than when the hair is kept short and thin. The degree of heat, also, which a profuse growth of hair produces in the head, invites to the brain an undue amount of blood, and augments its liability to those diseases to which at this period of life it is always more or less predisposed. The trouble of keeping long hair sufficiently clean, and the length of time necessary for that purpose, are often a cause of much ill humor, and many cross words between children and their attendants, which would better be avoided. Mothers, whose vanity may be alarmed, lest constantly cutting the hair, until the eighth or ninth year, should cause that of their daughters to become coarse, can be assured that they need have no cause for such apprehension, provided the hair be kept constantly brushed. "I have never," remarks a French authoress, "seen softer, better hair, than on girls, in whom it had been kept short, like that of schoolboys, until they were in their tenth year." 3.-Clothing. "The essentials in the clothing of children," remarks a sensible writer of the last century, "are lightness, simplicity, and looseness. By its being as light as is consistent with due warmth, it will neither encumber the child nor cause any waste of its powers: in consequence of its simplicity, it will be readily and easily put on, so as to prevent many cries and tears; while by its looseness it will leave full room for the growth and due and regular expansion of the entire frame; a matter of infinite importance for the securing of health and comfort in after life." (Willis.) The texture and amount of clothing, during infancy and childhood, should be such as to preserve every portion of the body of a comfortable and equable warmth-neither allowing it, on the one hand, to experience the slightest sensation of chilliness, nor, on the other, unnecessarily augmenting its heat. The younger the infant the warmer should it be clothed, and the more care should be taken to protect every part of its surface by appropriate covering. Older children, especially in the variable climate peculiar to our Northern, Middle, and Western States, require their clothing to be adapted in its material and amount to the average state of the weather. It should be neither too flimsy and light in summer, nor too warm and oppressive in winter; a medium covering being that ordinarily worn throughout the year, with appropriate additions, adapted to changes in the weather, to the prevailing temperature of the season, or to particular circumstances of exposure. For the under garments of children flannel is indispensable during the autumnal, winter, and spring months. Worn in contact with the skin, flannel preserves, better than any other material, a moderate and equable warmth of the body, and more effectually protects it from the influence of sudden alterations in the temperature of the atmosphere. During the summer season, however, the flannel may be changed for muslin or cotton; the softer species of which, that which is neither of a very fine texture nor highly dressed, should be selected. Even in winter, when from any unusual sensibility of the surface, the contact of the flannel excites an irritation of the skin, or produces profuse perspiration, thick muslin may be substituted, or a soft muslin dress may be worn next to the body, and over this a flannel garment. The fashion of a child's clothing is a matter of perfect indifference if the material of which it is composed be sufficiently warm, and it be made perfectly loose, and protect effectually every part of the body. To leave the neck, shoulders, and arms of a child nearly, or quite bare, however warmly the rest of the body may be clad, is a sure means of endangering its comfort and health; violent attacks of croup or bronchitis, or even inflammation of the lungs, are often induced by this irrational custom; and it is not improbable that the foundation of pulmonary consumption is often thus laid during childhood. It is an important precaution, therefore, to have the dress worn by children so constructed as to protect the neck, breast, and shoulders, and with sleeves long enough to reach to the wrists. When the garments are of sufficient length, the lower extremities of an infant may be kept perfectly warm, especially if in cool weather the feet are covered with soft woollen socks. When it becomes old enough to be carried abroad, or commences to walk, it legs and feet should be defended by soft woollen stockings reaching above the knees, but without garters, and by easy comfortable shoes, of some soft material, with leather soles. The latter are indispensable whenever the child is placed upon the floor, to protect ite feet from being injured by any sharp substance with which they may accidentally come in contact. The head, even from birth, may be fully protected, under every degree of exposure to which it is proper to subject an infant, without the necessity of enveloping it day and night with a cap. When on the lap of the mother or nurse, if the room be of a proper |