will succeed beyond her expectation, and the
satisfaction she will experience in noting the evidences of returning
health and strength in the appearance and conduct of her child, should
be ample recompense for the effort made and the time bestowed.

She must begin with a definite knowledge of just what she intends doing;
she must know, however, what must be done and she must begin at the
beginning and build from a sure foundation. It is therefore absolutely
essential to ascertain if there is any actual disease underlying the
reduced vitality which is responsible for the delicacy of the child;
this necessitates a thorough examination by a competent physician. If
you are assured there is no disease present, no tuberculosis, no
syphilis, no malaria, and that debilitating conditions, such as
adenoids, sexual abnormalities, the results of self-abuse, skin disease,
do not exist, then certain fixed rules can be laid down, and definite
principles followed in the daily management.

WEIGHT, AS A STANDARD OF DEVELOPMENT.--It has been stated elsewhere in
this book that one of the safest guides to follow, as to whether a child
is thriving, is its weight. This can be relied upon as a general rule. A
child should therefore be weighed regularly every week. If it is not
gaining an average of four ounces weekly it is not thriving up to
standard. When the average is below four ounces there is something wrong
with the quality or quantity of the food.

HOW TO FEED THE DELICATE CHILD.--If the child is breast-fed and the
weight standard, as evidenced by the weekly averages, is persistently
below normal, we must find a substitute for the mother's milk. If the
child is bottle-fed and it is demonstrated that it is impossible to
maintain normal development on cow's milk, a wet-nurse should be
obtained. After the child is weaned, or put upon a more liberal diet,
milk should continue to be the chief article of diet. From the first to
the third year a child should take one quart of milk daily in addition
to the other food. There are some children, however, who seemingly
cannot take milk without getting indigestion; they should be put on
skimmed milk, to which may be added a small quantity of sugar to make up
for the loss of fat. Mothers must be certain that too much milk is not
given, or the desire for other necessary food will diminish.

After the first year it is a very good plan to give one teaspoonful of
scraped beef daily. If this is well bo