The woman's medical companion, and nursery-adviser : containing rules for preserving the health of unmarried females, directions to pregnant and lying-in women, and an account of their diseases together with instructions for the rearing of children from the hour of their birth, and an account of the diseases of infancy / by Henry McMurtrie.

  • McMurtrie, Henry, 1793-1865.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The woman's medical companion, and nursery-adviser : containing rules for preserving the health of unmarried females, directions to pregnant and lying-in women, and an account of their diseases together with instructions for the rearing of children from the hour of their birth, and an account of the diseases of infancy / by Henry McMurtrie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    period of birth until the growth of its liair is sufficient to render unnecessary artificial pro- tection of any kind. It is all important that the material of which the cap is formed be soft and perfectly smooth. A lace or embroidered cap may be very beautiful, and well adapted to gratify the parent's pride of dress, but neverthe- less it is an improper covering for an infant's head. The roughness and harshness of its surface is calculated to fret and irritate the delicate skin with which it is in contact, and it not productive of eruptions and sores, cannot fail to occasion some degree of pain or uneasi- ness to the wearer. The cap should never be allowed to cover or confine the ears; otherwise, by keeping the latter unnecessarily warm, and improperly pressing them against the sides of (.he head, it is apt to occasion pains and inflam- mation of these organs, or a disgusting, some- times dangerous soreness and running behind the ears. As soon as the head has become •well covered with hair, the cap may be dispensed with during the night as well as day; but when the child is taken out, a very light and easy hat may be worn. Soft cotton or woollen socks will keep the feet comfortably warm, and they should be c^rly worn, taking care, however, that they are suffi- ciently large to allow the utmost freedom of motion to the foot, and renewed the moment they become wet or soiled. Very little alteration need be made in the dress