e table; also a cup containing a
saturated solution of boric acid; two cheese-cloth washcloths, a soft
towel, a thermometer to test the water, several toothpicks on which a
little absorbent cotton is twisted, and the rolled flannel band. Then a
basin containing warm water, 98 to 100 degrees F., also one with cold
water. The baby-clothes should be hung on a rack close at hand.

[ALL ABOUT BABY 549]

How to take care of a sore navel.--If it looks red or has a thin discharge
coming from it, wash it carefully twice a day with saturated solution of
boric acid; or if pus is there use a 1-5000 solution of bichloride of
mercury. Use for a dusting powder one part of salicylic acid and nineteen
parts of starch on it. It needs a physician's attention if it does not
soon heal.

Do any physicians advocate a daily bath before the cord drops off? Yes;
but not a full tub bath.

When does the cord drop off? In from five to ten days.

Does soap hurt a baby's skin? Some doctors claim it does.

Is it necessary to use a powder after the bath? No, if all moisture is
removed, there is no need of powder. The skin can be kept cleaner and
healthier without it.

GENITAL ORGANS.

When is circumcision needed? Usually when the foreskin is very long and
very tight, so that one must use force to push it back, and always if it
produces local irritation.

How should you clean the genitals of a female child? Use good absorbent
cotton and warm water, with a solution of boric acid if necessary, about
two teaspoonfuls to a pint of warm water. This should be done once a day.

Is the hood of the clitoris ever too tight? Yes, and it needs to be
loosened and kept so, or it will produce irritation and sometimes
convulsions.

How should you wash the genitals of a male child? In infants and children,
this should be attended to daily. The foreskin should be pushed back and
the parts washed with absorbent cotton and water. Tight foreskin and
unclean parts induce trouble and bad habits.

TREATMENT FOR SORE EYES.

How should a newly-born baby's eyes be treated? They should be kept clean
with a soft cloth and warm water. Do not use the same piece of cloth for
both eyes.

Should redness and pus appear in the eye or eyes a few days after birth,
what should be done? Use a piece of soft linen or absorbent cotton and wet
it in a solution of boric acid or salt (one-half teaspoonful to one pint
of water, warm) and wash out the eye or eyes, and if pu