Never give babies under two years old such food as grown persons eat.
Their chief diet should be milk, wheat bread and milk, oatmeal, possibly a
little rare boiled egg, but always and chiefly milk. Germ wheat is also
excellent.

_EXERCISE._

10. Children should have exercise in the house as well as outdoors, but
should not be jolted and jumped and jarred in rough play, not rudely rocked
in the cradle, nor carelessly trundled over bumps in their carriages. They
should not be held too much in the arms, but allowed to crawl and kick upon
the floor and develop their limbs and muscles. A child should not be lifted
by its arms, nor dragged along by one hand after it learns to take a few
feeble steps, but when they do learn to walk steadily it is the best of all
exercise, especially in the open air.

Let the children as they grow older romp and play in the open air all they
wish, girls as well as boys. Give the girls an even chance for health,
while they are young at least, and don't mind about their complexion.

[Illustration]

{325}

Infant Teething.

[Illustration]

1. REMARKABLE INSTANCES.--There are instances where babies have been born
with teeth, and, on the other hand, there are cases of persons who have
never had any teeth at all; and others that had double teeth all around in
both upper and lower jaws, but these are rare instances, and may be termed
as a sort of freaks of nature.

2. INFANT TEETHING.--The first teeth generally make their appearance after
the third month, and during the period of teething the child is fretful and
restless, causing sometimes constitutional disturbances, such as diarrhoea,
indigestion, etc. Usually, however, no serious results follow, and no
unnecessary anxiety need be felt, unless the weather is extremely warm,
then there is some danger of summer complaint setting in and seriously
complicating matters.

3. THE NUMBER OF TEETH.--Teeth are generally cut in pairs and make their
appearance first in the front and going backwards until all are complete.
It generally takes about {326} two years for a temporary set of children's
teeth. A child two or three years old should have twenty teeth. After the
age of seven they generally begin to loosen and fall out and permanent
teeth take their place.

4. LANCING THE GUMS.--This is very rarely necessary. There are extreme
cases when the condition of the mouth and health of the child demand a
physician's lance but this should not be res