tant office of the skin, or
insensible perspiration, are duly performed.

2049. Extremely Improper.

It is Extremely Improper to consider every noise of an infant as a
claim upon our assistance, and to intrude either food or drink, with a
view to satisfy its supposed wants. By such injudicious conduct,
children readily acquire the injurious habit of demanding nutriment at
improper times, and without necessity; their digestion becomes
impaired; and consequently, at this early age, the whole mass of the
fluids is gradually corrupted.

2050. Cold.

Sometimes, however, the Mother or Nurse removes the child from its
couch, carries it about frequently in the middle of the night, and
thus exposes it to repeated colds, which are in their effects
infinitely more dangerous than the most violent cries.

2051. Indulgence.

We learn frum Daily Experience, that children who have been the least
indulged, thrive much better, unfold all their faculties quicker, and
acquire more muscular strength and vigour of mind, than those who have
been constantly favoured, and treated by their parents with the most
solicitous attention: bodily weakness and mental imbecility are the
usual attributes of the latter.

2052. Free and Independent Agent.

The First and Principal Rule of education ought never to be
forgotten--that man is intended to be a free and independent agent;
that his moral and physical powers ought to be _spontaneously_
developed; that he should as soon as possible be made acquainted with
the nature and uses of all his faculties, in order to attain that
degree of perfection which is consistent with the structure of his
organs; and that he was not originally designed for what we endeavour
to make of him by artificial aid.

2053. Guide and Watch.

The Greatest Art in educating children consists in a continued
vigilance over all their actions, without ever giving them an
opportunity of discovering that they are guided and watched.

2054. Instances.

There are, however, Instances in which the loud complaints of infants
demand our attention.

2055. Causes.

Thus, if their Cries be unusually violent and long continued, we may
conclude that they are troubled with colic pains; if, on such
occasions, they move their arms and hands repeatedly towards the face,
painful teething may account for the cause; and if other morbid
phenomena accomp