Advice to a Mother on the Management of Her Children Part 28

_'Tis with him e'en standing water.

Between man and boy_--SHAKESPEARE

_Standing with reluctant feet, Where the brook and river meet, Womanhood and childhood fleet_--LONGFELLOW

ABLUTION, ETC.

310. _Have you any remarks to make on the ablution of boys and girls_?

How is it that a mother thinks it absolutely necessary (which it really is) that her babe's _whole_ body should, every morning, be washed; and yet who does not deem it needful that her girl or boy, of twelve years old, should go through the process of daily and _thorough_ ablution? If the one case be necessary, sure I am that the other is equally if not more needful.

Thorough ablution of the body every morning at least is essential to health. I maintain that no one can be in the enjoyment of perfect health who does not keep his skin--the whole of his skin--clean. In the absence of cleanliness, a pellicle forms on the skin which engenders disease. Moreover, a person who does not keep his skin clean is more susceptible of contracting contagious disease, such as small-pox, typhus fever, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, etc.

Thorough ablution of the body is a grand requisite of I maintain that no one can be perfectly healthy unless he thoroughly wash his body--the whole of his body; if filth acc.u.mulate which, if not washed off, it is sure to do, disease must, as a matter of course, follow.

Besides, ablution is a delightful process; it makes one feel fresh and sweet, and young and healthy; it makes the young look handsome, and the old look young! Thorough ablution might truly be said both to renovate and to rejuvenise! A scrupulously clean skin is one of the grand distinctive characteristics both of a lady and of a gentleman,

Dirty people are not only a nuisance to themselves, but to all around; they are not only a nuisance but a danger, as their dirty bodies are apt to carry from place to place contagious diseases.

It is important that parts that are covered should be kept cleaner than parts exposed to the air, as dirt is more apt to fester in dark places; besides, parts exposed to the air have the advantage of the air's sweetening properties; air acts as a bath, and purifies the skin amazingly.

It is desirable to commence a complete system of was.h.i.+ng early in life, as it then becomes a second nature, and cannot afterwards be dispensed with. One accustomed to the luxury of his morning ablution, if anything prevented him from taking it, would feel most uncomfortable; he would as soon think of dispensing with his breakfast as with his bath.

Every boy, every girl, and every adult, ought each to have either a room or a dressing-room to himself or to herself, in order that he or she might strip to the skin and thoroughly wash themselves; no one can wash properly and effectually without doing so.

Now, for the paraphernalia required for the process--(1.) A large nursery basin, one that will hold six or eight quarts of water (Wedgwood's make being considered the best); (2.) A piece of coa.r.s.e flannel, a yard long and half a yard wide; (3.) A large sponge; (4.) A tablet either of the best yellow or of curd soap; (5.) Two towels-one being a diaper, and the other a Turkish rubber. Now, as to the manner of performing ablution. You ought to fill the basin three parts full with _rain_ water, then, having well-soaped and cleansed your hands, re-soap them, dip your head and face into the water, then with the soaped hands well rub and wash your head, face, neck, chest, and armpits; having done which, take the wetted sponge, and go over all the parts previously travelled over by the soaped hands; then fold the flannel, as you would a neck-kerchief, and dip it in the water, then throw it, as you would a skipping-rope, over your shoulders and move it a few times from right to left and from left to right, and up and down, and then across the back and loins; having done which, dip the sponge in the water, and holding your head over the water, let the water stream from the sponge a time or two over your head, neck, and face. Dip your head and face in the water, then put your hands and arms (as far as they will go) into the water, holding them there while you can count thirty. Having reduced the quant.i.ty of water to a third of a basinful, place the basin on the floor, and sit (while you can count fifty) in the water; then put one foot at a time in the water, and quickly rub, with soaped hands, up and down your leg, over the foot, and pa.s.s your thumb between each toe (this latter procedure tends to keep away soft corns); then take the sponge, filled with water, and squeeze it over your leg and foot, from the knee downwards,--then serve your other leg and foot in the same way. By adopting the above plan, the whole of the body will, every morning, be thoroughly washed.

A little warm water might at first, and during the winter time, be added, to take off the chill; but the sooner quite cold water is used the better. The body ought to be quickly dried (taking care to wipe between each toe), first with the diaper, and then with the Turkish rubber. In drying your back and loins, you ought to throw as you would a skipping-rope, the Turkish rubber over your shoulders, and move it a few times front side to side, until the parts be dry.

Although the above description is necessarily prolix, the was.h.i.+ng itself ought to be very expeditiously performed; there should be no dawdling over it, otherwise the body will become chilled, and harm instead of good will be the result. If due dispatch be used, the whole of the body might, according to the above method, be thoroughly washed and dried in the s.p.a.ce of ten minutes.

A boy ought to wash his head, as above directed, every morning, a girl, who has much hair, once a week, with soap and water, with flannel and sponge. The hair, if not frequently washed, is very dirty, and nothing is more repulsive than a dirty head!

It might be said, "Why do you go into particulars? why dwell so much upon minutiae? Every one, without being told, knows how to wash himself!" I reply, "That very few people do know how to wash themselves properly; it is a misfortune that they do not--they would be healthier and happier and sweeter if they did!"

311. _Have you any remarks to make on boys and girls learning to swim_?

Let me strongly urge you to let your sons and daughters be _early_ taught to swim. Swimming is a glorious exercise--one of the best that can be taken; it expands the chest; it promotes digestion; it develops the muscles, and brings into action some muscles that in any other form of exercise are but seldom brought into play; it strengthens and braces the whole frame, and thus makes the swimmer resist the liability of catching cold; it gives both boys and girls courage, energy, and self-reliance,--splendid qualities in this rough world of ours. Swimming is oftentimes the means of saving human life; this of itself would be a great recommendation of its value. It is a delightful amus.e.m.e.nt; to breast the waves is as exhilarating to the spirits as clearing on horse-back a five-barred gate.

The art of learning to swim is quite as necessary to be learned by a girl as by a boy; the former has similar muscles, lungs, and other organs to develop as the latter.

It is very desirable that in large towns swimming-baths for ladies should be inst.i.tuted. Swimming ought, then, to be a part and parcel of the education of every boy and of every girl.

Swimming does not always agree. This sometimes arises from a person being quite cold before he plunges into the water. Many people have an idea that they ought to go into the water while their bodies are in a cool state. Now this is a mistaken notion, and is likely to produce dangerous consequences. The skin ought to be comfortably warm, neither very hot nor very cold, and then the bather will receive every advantage that cold bathing can produce, If he go into the bath whilst the body is cold, the blood becomes chilled, and is driven to internal parts, and thus mischief is frequently produced.

A boy, after using cold bathing, ought, if it _agree_ with him, to experience a pleasing glow over the whole surface of his body, his spirits and appet.i.te should be increased, and he ought to feel stronger; but if it _disagree_ with him, a chilliness and coldness, a la.s.situde and a depression of spirits, will be the result; the face will be pale and the features will be pinched, and, in some instances, the lips and the nails will become blue; all these are signs that _cold_ bathing is injurious, and, therefore, that it ought on no account to be persevered in, unless these symptoms have hitherto proceeded from his going into the bath whilst he was quite cold. He may, previously to entering the bath, warm himself by walking briskly for a few minutes. Where cold, sea water bathing does not agree, _warm_ sea bathing should be subst.i.tuted.

312. _Which do you prefer--sea bathing or fresh water bathing_?

Sea bathing. Sea bathing is incomparably superior to fresh water bathing; the salt water is far more refres.h.i.+ng and invigorating; the battling with the waves is more exciting; the sea breezes, blowing on the nude body, breathes (for the skin is a breathing apparatus) health and strength into the frame, and comeliness into the face; the sea water and the sea breezes are splendid cosmetics; the salt water is one of the finest applications, both for strengthening the roots and brightening the colour of the hair, provided grease and pomatum have not been previously used.

313. _Have you any directions to give as to the time and the seasons, and the best mode of sea bathing_?

Summer and autumn are the best seasons of the year for cold sea bathing--August and September being the best months. To prepare the skin for the cold sea bathing, it would be well, before taking a dip in the sea, to have on the previous day a warm salt water bath. It is injurious, and even dangerous, to bathe _immediately_ after a _full_ meal; the best time to bathe is about two hours after breakfast-that is to say, at about eleven or twelve o'clock in the forenoon. The bather as soon as he enters the water, ought _instantly_ to wet his head; this may be done either by his jumping at once from the machine into the water, or, if he have not the courage to do so, by plunging his head without loss of time _completely_ under the water. He should remain in the water about a quarter of an hour, but never longer than half an hour. Many bathers by remaining a long time in the water do themselves great injury. If sea bathing be found to be invigorating-- and how often to the delicate it has proved to be truly magical--a patient may bathe once every day, but on no account oftener. If he be not strong, he had better, at first, bathe only every other day, or even only twice a week. The bather, after leaving the machine, ought for half an hour to take a brisk walk in order to promote a reaction, and thus to cause a free circulation of the blood.

314. _Do you think a tepid bath [Footnote: A tepid bath from 62 to 96 degrees of, Fahrenheit.] may be more safely used_?

A tepid bath may be taken at almost any time, and a bather may remain longer in one, with safety, than in a cold bath.

315. _Do you approve of warm bathing_?

A warm, bath [Footnote: A warm bath from 97 to 100 degrees of Fahrenheit] may with advantage be occasionally used--say, once a week. A warm bath cleanses the skin more effectually than either a cold or a tepid bath; but, as it is more relaxing, ought not to be employed so often as either of them. A person should not continue longer than ten minutes in a warm bath. Once a week, as a rule is quite often enough for a warm bath; and it would be an excellent plan if every boy and girl and adult would make a practice of having one regularly every week, unless any special reason should arise to forbid its use.

316. _But does not warm bathing, by relaxing the pores of the skin, cause a person to catch cold if he expose himself to the air immediately afterwards_?

There is, on this point, a great deal of misconception and unnecessary fear. A person, _immediately_ after using a warm bath, should take proper precautions--that is to say, he must not expose himself to draughts, neither ought he to wash himself in _cold_ water, nor should he, _immediately_ after taking one, drink _cold_ water. But he may follow his usual exercise or employment, provided the weather be fine, and the wind be neither in the east nor the north-east.

Every house of any pretension ought to have a bathroom. Nothing would be more conducive to health than regular systematic bathing. A hot and cold bath, a sitz bath, and a shower bath--each and all in their turn--are grand requisites to preserve and procure health. If the house cannot boast of a bath-room, then the Corporation Baths (which nearly every large town possesses) ought to be liberally patronised.

MANAGEMENT OF THE HAIR

317. _What is the best application for the hair_?

A sponge and _cold_ water, and two good hair-brushes. Avoid grease, pomatum, bandoline, and all abominations of that kind. There is a natural oil of the hair, which is far superior to either Rowland's Maca.s.sar Oil or any other oil! The best scent for the hair is an occasional dressing of soap and water; the best beautifier of the hair is a downright thorough good brus.h.i.+ng with two good hair brushes!

Again, I say, _avoid grease of all kinds to the hair_. "And as for woman's hair, don't plaster it with scented and sour grease, or with any grease; it has an oil of its own. And don't tie up your hair tight, and make it like a cap of iron over your skull. And why are your ears covered? You hear all the worse, and they are not the cleaner. Besides, the ear is beautiful in itself, and plays its own part in the concert of the features." [Footnote: _Health._ By John Brown, M.D.]

If the hair cannot, without some application, be kept tidy, then a little castor oil, scented, might, by means of an old tooth-brush, be used to smooth it; castor oil is, for the purpose, one of the most simple and harmless of dressings; but, as I said before, the hair's own natural oil cannot be equalled, far less surpa.s.sed!

If the hair fall off, the castor oil, scented with a few drops either of otto of roses or of essence of bergamot, is a good remedy to prevent its doing so; a little of it ought, night and morning, to be well rubbed into the roots of the hair. Cocoa-nut oil is another excellent application for the falling off of the hair, and can never do harm, which is more than can be said of many vaunted remedies for the Hair!

CLOTHING.

318. _Do you approve of a boy wearing flannel next to the skin?_

England is so variable a climate, and the changes from heat to cold, and from dryness to moisture of the atmosphere, are so sudden, that some means are required to guard against their effects. Flannel, as it is a bad conductor of heat, prevents the sudden changes from affecting the body, and thus is a great preservative against cold.

Flannel is as necessary in the summer as in the winter time; indeed, we are more likely both to sit and to stand in draughts in the summer than in the winter; and thus we are more liable to become chilled and to catch cold.

Woollen s.h.i.+rts are now much worn; they are very comfortable and beneficial to health. Moreover, they simplify the dress, as they supersede the necessity of wearing either both flannel and linen, or flannel and calico s.h.i.+rts.

319. _Flannel sometimes produces great irritation of the skin: what ought to be done to prevent it_?

Have a moderately fine flannel, and persevere in its use; the skin in a few days will bear it comfortably. The Angola and wove-silk waistcoats have been recommended as subst.i.tutes, but there is nothing equal to the old-fas.h.i.+oned Welsh flannel.

320. _If a boy have delicate lungs, do you approve of his wearing a prepared hare-skin over the chest_?

I do not: the chest may be kept too warm as well as too cold. The hare-skin heats the chest too much, and thereby promotes a violent perspiration; which, by his going into the cold air, may become suddenly checked, and may thus produce mischief. If the chest be delicate, there is nothing like flannel to ward off colds.