Many babies, by excessive loss of blood from leech bites, have lost
their lives from a mother not knowing how to act, and also from the
medical man either living at a distance, or not being at
hand. Fortunately for the infantile community, leeches are now very
seldom ordered by doctors.

114. _Supposing a baby to be poorly, have you any advice to give to
his mother as to her own management_?

She must endeavour to calm her feelings or her milk will be
disordered, and she will thus materially increase his illness. If he
be labouring under any inflammatory disorder, she ought to refrain
from the taking of beer, wine, and spirits, and from all stimulating
food; otherwise, she will feed his disease.

Before concluding the first part of my subject--the Management of
Infancy--let me again urge upon you the importance--the paramount
importance--if you wish your babe to be strong and hearty,--of giving
him as little opening physic as possible. The best physic for him is
Nature's physic--fresh air, and exercise, and simplicity of living. A
mother who is herself always drugging her child, can only do good to
two persons--the doctor and the druggist!

If an infant from his birth be properly managed,--if he have an
abundance of fresh air for his lungs,--if he have plenty of exercise
for his muscles (by allowing him to kick and sprawl on the floor),--if
he have a good swilling and sousing of water for his skin,--if, during
the _early_ months of his life, he have nothing but the mother's milk
for his stomach,--he will require very little medicine--the less the
better! He does not want his stomach to be made into a doctor's shop!