INFANCY, the first stage of life. In a medical and political view, extending from birth to about the seventh year. Like every other stage of life, it is subject to its peculiar diseases, even in the healthi est state of the constitution, and under the best and most natural control. But from a too generally inherent debility, produc ed by the common consequences of po lished and fashionable life, added either to maternal neglect, or a superabundance of maternal assiduity and anxiety, it is al. so exposed to diseases of great variety and violence, from which it would other wise be exempt.
The natural infirmity of infant life ex poses it at all times, and in all situations, to a mortality far exceeding that of any other stage : but from the powerful effect of such accessary causes, in conjunction with the impure air of crowded towns and cities, we are often called upon to con template this mortality, trebled or qua drupled beyond its appropriate ratio ; and to behold more than half the natives of a place die within the narrow term of the first three years of life, instead of the greater part of them reaching the age of twenty-five or thirty, and, of course, liv ing to become husbands and wives, and giving birth to generations, which are thus cut off along with themselves.
What then are the best means of dimi nishing this melancholy and sweeping mortality ? There cannot be a more im portant question, either in medicine or in politics. To offer all that is worthy of notice in the latter view, would be to en gage in a much longer and a more specu lative discussion than the limits ofthe pre sent article, or even of the present work, would allow. We shall confine ourselves, therefore, in what we shall have further to advance upon the subject, to the point of medical and domestic attention alone ; and shall beg leave, 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 do ing this, we shall first notice what ought to be the treatment of infants 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 cleanliness. The last has lately been op posed, but certainly without due con sideration. The limbs and body of an in. fant when first born are generally cover. ed over with a mealy mucous matter, which appears to be a feculent deposit from the amnion, 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 mat ter ; 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 soles off, in the economy of nature, and leaves the skin it covered heal and healthful, and capable to bear every common or neces sary freedom."
The natural indolence of nurses will be much obliged to this writer, who has ac quired, and for various reasons deserved ly acquired, considerable popularity, for this novel and extraordinary advice ; an advice, than which nothing can be much more pernicious, and which we feel our selves, therefore, compelled to combat by a few cursory remarks.
This coating, we are told, is not placed over the skin for nothing ; and we are desired to rest assured, that nature has some wise and necessary design or pur pose in the matter. But what is this wise and necessary design. ? If not put over the skin for nothing, for what is it put there ? These are important questions ; but there is not a single hint in the writer's entire book that may serve as an answerto them. We believe, 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 front a casual change in the state or proportion of the amnion ; and not designed by na ture to answer any necessary purpose whatever. If nature really designed any useful purpose by such a deposit, we should find her producing it uniformly in the same quantity and quality. But while many infants are born without any such deposit whatever, the covering that sur rounds 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, pulta ceous mass, derived alone from the am nios, and at others a pitchy tenacious fluid, chiefly derived from the discharge of meconium. Yet be it what it may, we are told that our nurses "have nothing to do but to take the infant's skin as nature gives it them ; nothing 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 nothing to do but 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 cover ing ; and the young of many other ani mals, 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 th9 receiver.