not to allow
the child to sleep with persons in bad health, or who are far advanced
in life; if possible, it should sleep alone.

Sect. V. BATHING AND CLEANLINESS.

DURING INFANCY.--Too much attention cannot be paid to cleanliness; it
is essential to the infant's health. The principal points to which
especial attention must be paid by the parent for this purpose are the
following:--

TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER.--At first the infant should be washed daily
with warm water; and a bath every night, for the purpose of thoroughly
cleaning the body, is highly necessary. To bathe a delicate infant of a
few days or even weeks old in cold water with a view "to harden" the
constitution (as it is called), is the most effectual way to undermine
its health and entail future disease. By degrees, however, the water
with which it is sponged in the morning should be made tepid, the
evening bath being continued warm enough to be grateful to the feelings.

A few months having passed by, the temperature of the water may be
gradually lowered until cold is employed, with which it may be either
sponged or even plunged into it, every morning during summer. If
plunged into cold water, however, it must be kept in but a minute; for
at this period, especially, the impression of cold continued for any
considerable time depresses the vital energies, and prevents that
healthy glow on the surface which usually follows the momentary and
brief action of cold, and upon which its usefulness depends. With some
children, indeed, there is such extreme delicacy and deficient reaction
as to render the cold bath hazardous; no warm glow over the surface
takes place when its use inevitably does harm: its effects, therefore,
must be carefully watched.

DRYING THE SKIN.--The surface of the skin should always be carefully
and thoroughly rubbed dry with flannel,--indeed, more than dry, for the
skin should be warmed and stimulated by the assiduous gentle friction
made use of. For this process of washing and drying must not be done
languidly, but briskly and expeditiously; and will then be found to be
one of the most effectual means of strengthening the infant. It is
especially necessary carefully to dry the arm-pits, groins, and nates;
and if the child is very fat, it will be well to dust over these parts
with hair-powder or starch: this prevents excoriations and sores, which
are frequently very troublesome. Soap is only required to those parts
of the