THE NURSERY.

1. 2. 3. 4.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND, W.C.

5. 6. 7. 8.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND, W.C.

No. 8. A Jewish Lady, of Tetuawn. The dress is a fanciful combination of velvet, gold braid, and embroidery, with the gauze-like muslin of the Orient, rich in colours, and adorned with a gorgeous silk sash round the waist.

No. 9. Peasant maiden, of Donaueschingen, Black Forest. The bodice is made of black silk, festooned across the chest by blue or violet lace. The little cap, sitting close to the head, has a crescent-shaped opening at the back, through which the long tresses of hair escape. Two long ends of black ribbon fastened together complete the headdress. Short full snow-white chemise sleeves leave the arm bare in summer time. The petticoat is black and the stockings red.

No. 10. A Servian peasant woman.

No. 11. A Bulgarian peasant woman. The unmarried girls ornament their hair with wreaths of flowers, and on festive occasions wear rows of gold coins round their necks. As protection against the sun, the younger women wear on the head a white embroidered scarf, picturesquely draped. Married women deck themselves with tawdry bead jewellery, and wear a belt with large copper gilt buckles round their waist.

No. 12. A Peasant maiden of the Steinlach Valley. On the head is set a flat black cap, decked with floating ribbons. The dress consists of a stuff petticoat and scarlet bodice, the petticoat being made out of light or dark blue cloth, generally bordered with green bands, relieved by gold edging. The bodice is embroidered with gold down the back, and open in front over a handkerchief covering the bosom. The bodice is kept in place by cords, ribbons, or silver chains laced backwards and forwards. A white apron (the matrons wear black), made of fine linen, embroidered at the bottom, completes the dress. A garnet necklace encircles the throat. The full petticoat reaches a little below the knee, showing the feet in buckled shoes. On Sundays a girdle of silk or velvet embellished with metal bosses is worn round the waist.

No. 13. Wallachian girl. The costume consists of a long linen chemise, elaborately embroidered on the shoulders and sleeves with black, red, or blue wools, lace ruffles hanging from the wrists. Round the waist the chemise is held together by a bright coloured scarf, to which a front and a back apron, of a striped woollen material, are attached, leaving the chemise visible at both sides. The ordinary headdress is a white or red handkerchief thrown over the hair and tied in a knot under the chin; but on Sundays a smart little cap, embroidered with gold or silver tinsel, covers, fez-like, the beautiful hair, which is carefully parted in the middle and adorned with bunches of flowers, gold-headed hairpins, and strings of coin jewellery. A necklace of coins is an essential feature.

No. 14. Chinaman. Flowered silk robe; blue jacket; red hat.

No. 15. Dame Trot. Short quilted skirt; tunic and bodice red, with laced stomacher; tall black hat.

No. 16. Little Grannies. Grey cashmere dresses; white caps.

No. 17. Russian Peasant. White dress trimmed with red embroidered bands and Russian lace; long white embroidered apron; beads round neck; gold embroidered Kroshnick headdress of black velvet.

No. 18. Tyrolean peasant. Full black knee breeches; grey silk stockings; red blouse, with bretelles embroidered in yellow and gold; small bouquet at the waist; white Surah shirt, with wide sleeves; black silk necktie; black felt hat, with black and flame-coloured feathers.

No. 19. Normandy peasant. Short red skirt, striped with black; white mousseline de laine tunic, spotted with blue; low pointed bodice, laced with silver; muslin fichu, trimmed with lace; sleeves to match fichu; white muslin headdress, trimmed with lace.

No. 20. Polish costume. Pink satin dress, trimmed with white fur; the plastron is crossed with white brandebourgs, which are continued the entire length; white silk stockings; pink satin shoes.

9. 10. 11. 12. 13.W. J. WELCH. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND.

14. 15. 16. 17.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND.

18. 19. 20. 21. 22.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND.

No. 21. Normandy youth. Dark-blue satin knee breeches; silk stockings of the same colour, with red garters; white lawn skirt, with full sleeves; blue silk necktie;red satin coat opening over the skirt, and ornamented with small red brandebourgs; silk cap and cravat.

No. 22. Neapolitan girl. Pink silk skirt, with a claret velvet hem; white silk apron, striped with many colours; claret velvet bodice, with pink revers opening over a waistcoat to match, crossed with gold bands; long sleeves; claret revers, with gold braid; coral necklace; headdress to match the apron, and fastened with gold pins; tambourine in the right hand.

No. 23. Fop, reign of Henry VI. Long robe of blue cloth, with long hanging sleeves, festooned in shape of leaves; double band and pouch of yellow cloth; large hat of fur, trimmed with a fan of yellow cloth; grey worsted stockings. (Wingfield.)

No. 24. Lady, reign of Henry VI. Particoloured costume of pink and white Italian satin sheeting, trimmed with deep border of ermine on skirt; headdress of same material, with long flowing veil of Indian muslin. (Wingfield.)

No. 25. Page, reign of Charles II. Vest of myrtle-green velvet; blouse bodice, and sleeves in cambric; fringes of gold ribbon loops; skirt in amber silk; lace cravat bow; embroidered satin shoulder sash; green hat with amber plumes.

No. 26. Page, reign of Henry IV. Doublet of black satin trimmed with gold galloon; trunks of figured cherry-coloured silk; black velvet cloak with gold embroidery; black silk tights; velvet cap with turreted brim, and brooch of paste diamonds.

No. 27. Judge. Loose gown in black reps or Ottoman silk; cambric band, and wig. Alpaca may be substituted, if preferred, for the gown; high black cap.

No. 28. Friesland girl. The bust is encased in two bodices, one of cloth with sleeves of gaily coloured silk, and over it another tightly laced with a red or yellow silk ribbon of interminable length. The lacing tag, made of gold or silver, is worn as an ornament on the left side of the bust by girls, and on the right side by married women. A bright coloured silk wrapper covers the upper part of the body, and ends round the throat in a narrow black braid on which is a small red strip, placed on the left by girls and on the right by married women. For outdoor toilet a short jacket with sleeves, and wide open in front, is worn over the two bodices. This jacket is of printed calico for ordinary wear, but embroidered with gold and silver for festive occasions. The most peculiar feature of the costume is the headdress, made of striped calico or fine linen, and supported in its helmet-like shape by starch alone. Two petticoats are worn, one of crimson cloth, with a broad border of black velvet, reaches to the ankles, just showing the broad-toed velvet slippers; the other, of black woollen material, encircles the waist, in numberless plaits, and leaves the velvet border of the first one free. A silk apron completes the Sunday attire. A chatelaine is usually added.

No. 29. Dutch girl, from the Island of Mark.

No. 30. Turkish girl.

No. 31. A woman of Albania.

No. 32. A woman of North Holland.

No. 33. Jane Seymour coif.

No. 34. Charity girl. Black stuff gown; white linen cap; apron; red badge on left side of bodice.

No. 35. Moorish girl. Black velvet bodice and skirt, trimmed with white galloon; apron in muslin, enriched with gold thread and variegated silks; girdle of geranium-red cord with tassels; red satin under sleeves; rows of large beads fall on the muslin chemisette; cap and veil in toile Colbert, embroidered and also edged by a fringe of gold beads.

No. 36. Lady of Tangiers.

No. 37. Servian youth. Green woollen trousers, with bands and golden spangles; blue velvet jacket, trimmed with golden embroidery and grelots; vest in red and blue striped material bound by embroidery; red cashmere scarf, with revolvers passed through; red fez.

23. 24. 25. 26. 27.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND.

28. 29. 30. 31. 32.W. J. WELCH, PHOTO GRAVEUR. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND.

33. 34. 35. 36. 37.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND. W.C.

No. 38. Tellemarken, Norway.

No. 39. Mecklenburg.

Nos. 40, 41. Brittany.

No. 42. Welsh. Among the different costumes of Wales, there are few more picturesque and elegant than that of Gwent and Morganwg, which ancient district includes the present counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan; and, although now rarely seen, it is by no means extinct. The hat is beaver, which, although so called, was formerly made of the skin of the hare. The brim is sufficiently wide to cast a shade over the eyes and brow, which artists well know is so peculiarly becoming to the face; and from the hat being set on the head to incline downward (higher behind than before), this artistic effect is still more striking. The genuine Welsh cap has a border either of muslin, with narrow edging of lace, or for special dress, the whole border of good thread lace; and without a personal trial few could believe how the combination of such a hat and cap beautifies plain women, and still further improves the beautiful. The handkerchief is worn with the point behind to the waist, which is of natural and moderate length. The handkerchiefs are, for general use, blue and white, or pink and white, cross-barred, with a border, are worn double, and tightly pinned across the chest; for special occasions they are often scarlet and yellow, or blue and white. The gown has sleeves to the elbow, and for elderly persons often turns the elbow. The bodice is tight and low, and fastens in front, being pinned across under the handkerchief, the gown being open before. The skirt (if skirt it can be called) does not extend farther than an inch or two beyond the hips; it is very full behind, and has loops along the edge through which a tape is run, which draws it together, and is tied to another loop which is fixed at the back, in the centre of the waist in the inside. This part of the gown is not much longer than the petticoat, so that when it is drawn up only an inch of the petticoat is seen below, and sometimes it is even with the petticoat. The apron is of black and white or blue and white check—the Welsh national checks being totally different from the Scotch plaids, the only similarity consisting in both having cross bars. The strings of the apron are often passed through a loop which is attached underneath the point of the handkerchief, crossed behind and tied before, not being too wide to allow the coloured petticoat to be seen at the sides. The petticoat is moderately full, and short enough to show the ankles. The shoes, black leather with strong soles, used to be invariably set off with large buckles, which nearly covered the front of the instep; the shoes being high and fastened by the tongue of the buckle, but those worn without buckles had small leather ears on each side, with a hole in each, which tied over the instep. In cold weather, or when required, long sleeves of the same material as the gown, or coloured printed calico, or of knitted black wool, are added, or long-armed black mittens; and a cloak with a hood is thrown on. In the present instance the gown is orange and black, the petticoat violet and black. The present costume admits of many other varieties of ancient national Welsh patterns, both in colour and design, still made in the same district.

No. 43. Mecklenburg.

No. 44. Norway, Sætersdal. The men wear striped trousers, reaching almost to the throat, and showing a white shirt under the arms. A sort of very short jacket covers the shoulders, and closes across the upper part of the chest. To the uninitiated, it appears quite a riddle how they put this peculiar garment on. The jacket worn by the women is of equally curious cut. It opens horizontally across the bust to show a linen bodice, which again appears as a large stand-up collar on the throat. The hair is gathered into a net decorated with ribbons, which entirely hides it, and falls to the shoulders. With their short petticoats and jackets, braided with galloons and studded with silver buttons, a bright-coloured wrapper fastened to one shoulder, and draped round the waist, a Sætersdal girl presents a picturesque appearance.

38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44.W. J. WELCH. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND. PHOTO GRAVEUR.

45. 46. 47. 48. 49.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR. WELLINGTON ST. STRAND.

No. 45. French Lady, Reign of Henry I.

No. 46. Lady, Reign of James I.

No. 47. Italian Gentleman, XVI. Century.

No. 48. Maidservant, Reign of Henry VI. Costume in two shades of grey merino; large apron, handkerchief, and headdress with long flowing veil in fine white nainsook. (Wingfield.)

No. 49. Gentleman, Reign of Henry VI. Shirt of printed velvet, with tabbard of white Italian satin sheeting, bordered with black fur; worsted tights; hat of printed velvet, with long drapery of soft silk; bag pouch. (Wingfield.)

No. 50. Lady, from Saloniki, Macedonia.

No. 51. Girl from Ploaré, Brittany. The petticoat or skirt is generally of white flannel, bordered with a scarlet band above the hem, made very full and short to show the buckles on the shoes. The body or jacket consists of scarlet, blue, violet, or red cloth, cut tight to the shape, open in front, the sleeves long, turned up at the wrist with a deep cuff, and encircled with a sort of arm-band above the elbows. The facings of the bodice, cuffs, and arm-hands are trimmed with a braiding composed of black velvet ribbons embroidered with coloured worsteds. The apron is either a deep mulberry or orange colour, and fastened with an ornamental sash tied in a bow at the side, with a separate pocket for the knitting ball. The chemise, fastened in front with a brooch made of coloured bugles and glass beads, terminates in a kind of plaited ruff, and a small ebony crucifix is suspended by a velvet band from the neck. The headdresses vary in shape. The women of Bignan wear close fitting caps of white linen, and cover them with a sort of conical flap-cap, made of a coarse starched cloth, like brown holland, which serves the purpose of a bonnet.

No. 52. Flemish costume at the time of Rubens.

No. 53. Caucasian Girl. The costume consists of a caftan made of bright coloured silk or satin, buttoned in front, and reaching to the knees, with a belt, richly embroidered in gold and silver round the waist. In winter an overcoat of heavier material, without sleeves or collar, open in front and falling down to the ankles, is worn over the caftan. Very picturesque is the headdress or cap of conical shape, gorgeously embroidered with gold and silver tinsel. A long white veil descends from the point of the cap nearly down to the heels. This veil is likewise worn without the cap, fastened to a kind of diadem in the forehead. From underneath the cap or veil issue long plaited tresses of black hair studded with coin jewellery. Elegant bottines of morocco leather, tightly fitting to the leg, like stockings, and dainty slippers, complete the outfit.

No. 54. Woman of Bethlehem. A dark blue dress contrasts well with the scarlet tunic worn over it in graceful folds, and with the head covering of spotless linen, which frames in the face, just leaving room for the display of Oriental coin jewellery on the forehead and round the neck.

No. 55. Lady of Eleusis, Greece. A maize-coloured silk veil, picturesquely draped, covers head and shoulders, just to show two strings of gold coins on the lovely forehead of the oval face. A long white robe, girded round the waist with an embroidered belt or sash, envelopes the figure like the ancient chiton. The waist is covered with chains of coin jewellery, and an apron of violet silk, striped in two tints, is attached to the belt. But the greatpièce de résistanceof this becoming costume is a gorgeously ornamented jacket, likewise of white material, with semi-tight sleeves, embroidered, as our illustration indicates, in fanciful patterns, with dark red or black silk interspersed with gold and silver threads. Similar costumes to that of the women of Eleusis, and only slightly differing in cut and colours, are worn in all the northern provinces of the kingdom. In Athens a bright red scarf girds the waist, and silk of the same colour is used for the embroideries on jacket and petticoat. In Bœotia a green veil is worn, and the ornamental stitchery executed in a variety of colours, red prevailing.

50. 51. 52. 53. 54.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR. 25 WELLINGTON ST. STRAND. W.C.

55. 56. 57. 58. 59.W. J. WELCH. PHOTO GRAVEUR. WELLINGTON ST. STRAND. W.C.

No. 56. Spanish Girl. The short petticoat is generally of bright yellow, rose coloured, or green silk, trimmed either with bands of black velvet or with a deep flounce of black blonde. The tight-fitting jacket is made of black velvet, trimmed with gold or silver lace, and buttons to match. The material for the apron and for the neckerchief consists of muslin with a border of white blonde. The hair forms a plaited chignon on the back of the head, and is adorned with the high Spanish comb and with hair pins, with tops of gold or silver filigree.

No. 57. Spanish Toreador. Royal blue plush or velvet jacket and trousers, richly embroidered in silver and ornamented with silver fringe. Red silk sash. Red cloak and pink stockings. Blue plush cap. Heavy silver epaulettes and embroidered shirt.

No. 58. Modern Greek. In the picturesque national costume worn in modern Greece hardly any trace can be found of the ancient dress. The richly embroidered cloth jacket, worn over skirt and bodice of ordinary cut, cannot be compared with the ancient chitonion, although it serves the same purpose. For fancy balls this costume is most becoming, if the proper combination of colours, quite optional, even in Greece, is selected.

No. 59. French Farmer’s Wife, time of Henri III. The close-fitting pointed bodice, of a red material, is laced in front over a band of green silk; the square habit shirt is of fine linen, terminate in a lace-edged lawn ruff corresponding in colour with the long white sleeves; and the ample apron covers the front of a dark-coloured petticoat. The tablier headdress, worn over the hair combed back, is made of a double piece of black satin, stiffened by a stout lining.

Supplementary Literature.

Bernard Roth: ‘Dress: its Sanitary Aspects, a paper read before the Brighton Social Union; with additions and 8 full-page illustrations.’ London. 1880. 2s.

T. Frederick Pearse: ‘Modern Dress and Clothing in its relation to Health and Disease.’ London. 1882. 2s.

Henry Carr: ‘Poisons in Domestic Fabrics.’ London. 1880. 6d.

Ardern Holt: ‘Fancy Dresses described; or what to wear at Fancy Balls.’ London. 1882. 5s.

The Room.—The English nursery should have, wherever possible, a southern aspect, for the sake of catching the sun’s rays to the fullest extent. The prospect from the windows should be cheerful, and there should not be large trees in the immediate vicinity. The sanitary conditions necessary for the house demand extra attention in the nursery, as the young inmates are more prone to suffer from evil influences, and have not the change of air and scene which their elders enjoy. Hence a change of room is very beneficial during the day, and the day room should not be the sleeping room if it can be avoided. A few hours daily in the morning room or drawing room with the parents are productive of both material and moral good. Plenty of houseroom is an excellent rule, too often forgotten in taking seaside lodgings, in the expectation that the children will be out all day, which the state of the weather turns into disappointment. The nursery should be at the top of the house, but not, of course, just under the roof, as such a position is the coldest in winter and hottest in summer. The temperature of both day and night nurseries should be kept as nearly as possible at 60° F., and thermometers should be placed in the rooms for guidance. The height of the room should not exceed 10 ft., or it will be more difficult to keep at an equable temperature. A well ventilated room measuring 15 ft. square and 9 ft. high should suffice for sleeping a nurse and infant and 2 young children. No double-bedded nursery should be less than 15 ft. square. Children between 7 and 10 years may sleep out of the nursery, and above that age the sexes should be separated. A bedroom 14 ft. long and 8 ft. wide will admit a bedstead 4 ft. wide between the wall and door. The fireplace, never absent, should be in the opposite wall beyond the foot of the bedstead. The door should be hung so that when opened it does not admit an indraught of cold air upon the bed. The windows, never quite closed at the top in summer, should have shutters, linen or jute (not woollen) curtains for winter use, and green roller blinds for summer use. The walls are best painted or washed with distemper; if papered, bold patterns and bright colours (especially green) must be avoided, and a coat of varnish should be applied. The ceiling should be tinted sufficiently to destroy glare from the sun or gas. The floor should be stained all over, and varnished under the beds and carpets; the latter, best being Dutch or Kidderminster, should not cover the whole floor, especially under the beds. All furniture and fittings should be free from sharp edges and corners.

Clothing.—This is exceedingly important in very young children from their being especially sensitive to cold. They feel changes from warm to cold, and from cold to warm, much more severely than older persons do. The cold of winter and the east winds of spring are very apt to bring on colds and coughs which may end in serious disease; on the other hand, very great heat is equally bad for them, diarrhœa and convulsions always increase as the weather gets hotter. It is a very serious mistake to think that children have great power of resisting cold, and that they are strengthened and hardened by exposure to it; no error is attended with more fatal results. A child’s clothing should keep it warm at all seasons; the extra winter clothing should be put on early in the autumn and continued until late in the spring. The most trying and dangerous time is when the wind is high, particularly when it blows from the northand east. Flannel is the best material for inner garments, which should be made to cover the upper part of the chest and neck, so as not to leave these most delicate parts exposed to cold blasts. Neglect of this leads to bronchitis and croup, and sows the seeds of consumption. With any tendency to diarrhœa, a flannel binder should be worn round the bowels. The clothes should fit loosely and easily, and put no restraint upon free movement of limbs and body; and allow room for constant and rapid growth. Use a needle and thread or a button instead of pins. Unusual skin irritation may arise from damp under clothing, especially when soda has been used in washing the linen, and only imperfectly removed in rinsing.

The summer outfit for a young baby would include a binder, small cambric shirt, long flannel petticoat, which, being double over the chest and back, is a great protection from the cold, and keeps the legs very warm; a white washing petticoat and robe, not heavily trimmed, and of fine light material; this is quite sufficient. In winter add a knitted woollen spencer, or, what is prettier, a high long-sleeved merino vest, with a fine white cambric guimpe over, prettily tucked and trimmed, with very narrow lace at neck and sleeves. A short-coated baby requires a merino vest, high in winter, low in summer, cambric shirt, small stays, either quilted or made of jean, on to which the flannel petticoat is sewn, white washing petticoat and frock. In the winter there should be in addition a warm white woollen knitted petticoat and bodice in one, not skimpy, but long and full, and knitted with fine soft wool, not the common heavy sorts. The little stays should also be lined with flannel in the winter, and a high white guimpe worn over the vest, unless the white frocks happen to have been made high. Flannel or merino frocks can of course be substituted for washing ones; but, as long as the child dribbles, the latter are much more suitable, as, even when old, they always look well, and to keep a little child sweet, plenty of clean things are essential.

Until a baby can walk, the petticoats and frocks should come over the feet and woollen or silk boots be worn. If a child suffers from the cold, have the little shirt made of silk longcloth, which is warmer than anything of the same weight. Silk boots are warmer than wool, and easily knitted. High merino combinations would be excellent, but they are costly, and apt to be worn soiled. Head flannels are preferable to caps in almost all cases, though some contend that babies who wear caps for the first 2 months are much less liable to colds in the eyes. The greatest safeguard against catching cold out of doors is a large white silk handkerchief, to be worn all the year round, folded crosswise, and put on like an old woman’s shawl, crossed in front and tied behind; if, after the pelisse or jacket is on, you pull this up all round the neck, the child will rarely take cold. Full-skirted pelisses are preferable to jackets for children under 3. When a child is sitting up in a perambulator, a pelisse will pull down all over the feet, whereas a jacket only comes as far as the knees. Nothing equals a merino pelisse lined with flannel, full, and for a small baby long enough to come over the feet about 2 in.; the cape should also be lined with very thin wadding, and have a silk lining.

Cashmere or silk hoods, lined with flannel when cold, are better than fur or woollen. In winter, gaiters and flannel knickerbockers must be added, or, for a child that cannot walk, woollen gaiters that end in a bag, to tie up over the diapers. Fur jackets are unhealthy, producing undue heat, thereby weakening the child, and being very uncomfortable and heavy for running in. Unless there is any tendency to weakness in the ankles, strap shoes are best, both indoors and out; where the ankles are weak, very tight boots are better. The time of changing the knitted boots to regular leather shoes, with socks, entirely depends upon whether the child is forward or not. Fat, heavy children should never be put to their feet early, therefore they may wear their first boots longer than light active ones; probably 7-8 months is quite early enough for the change for any child; but in this matter, as in many others, mothers disagree.

When out of doors, infants up to 10 months old should wear the hoods already described, and warm woollen overdresses made to fasten at the back, as babies’ arms arevery easily dislocated, and in garments which fasten down the front, they have to be forced dangerously back into the sleeves. In cold weather young infants should have veils over their faces and mouths. The best things for this purpose are old-fashioned Brussels lace veils, doubled; woollen veils are apt to irritate. Children over 10 months should wear jackets out of doors. Capes are very injurious; they hang entirely from the neck and shoulders, and are apt to open, leaving the chest exposed, and admitting cold air to it and the armpits. Woollen jackets are as a rule preferable to fur unless the latter is very light; for winter wear they should be made long enough to nearly reach the ankle, and should fasten with hooks and eyes down to the very bottom. Children able to walk should have woollen gaiters over their legs when they go out in winter. Choose head gear always of the lightest kind: warm and close fitting in winter; cool and shady in summer.

Washing.—Never put a child to bed dirty. The whole body should be washed every day. Young babies and infants should be bathed and well washed every morning in warm (96°-98° F.) water, and thoroughly well dried afterwards. As they grow older, the water need not be so warm, but it should not be quite cold during the cold weather. In summer cold water is best. Have a large tub and plenty of water. Beware of a chill from draughts while washing and drying the child. Young infants are best washed after their first meal, older children before breakfast. A clean skin is all important; if not washed away, the perspiration dries and remains on the skin, chokes up the pores and sets up an irritation which frequently ends in some positive skin disease. Dry the skin quickly and thoroughly, rub it briskly, and do not leave off until it is perfectly dry; a half dried skin is sure to be made rough and sore very soon by the wind, and the daily morning wash should be a stimulant and tonic to the whole system, helping to make it vigorous and healthy. Sponges are generally used for washing children, and as long as they are not used for any other purpose, there is no objection; but remember that a sponge is very liable to convey infectious diseases and impurities. Some medical men recommend a piece of fine flannel, instead of a sponge. Use the purest soap. Very young infants should have no soap applied near their eyes, as it is liable to produce severe inflammation in them, not to speak of pain from the irritation of soap. It is particularly necessary to attend to the cleanliness and dryness of the napkins; the discharges from the bowels and bladder of a baby are very irritating, and if a wet and dirty napkin is allowed to remain applied to the skin it soon makes it sore, the skin gets inflamed and peels off, and these sores take a long time and much care to heal. The tender skin is soothed and protected by the use of violet powder after being washed. Some toilet powders are, in a degree, antiseptic. French chalk, white fuller’s earth, Taylor’s Cimolia, and sanitary rose powder (containing borax) are among the best. Iron or wire guards are indispensable to nursery fireplaces. It is well to wash and dress a baby near a fire; but never allow the child’s eyes to be exposed to the glare of the fire or its head to be heated.

Air and Exercise.—Children should never be kept indoors simply because the weather is cold; if they are properly dressed, the cold will do them no harm, unless they are already out of health. Even drizzling rain is not to be feared, and the children may be taken out in frosty weather, or slight sleet, and even when the snow is thick on the ground, provided their boots are waterproof, falls not to be feared, and garments all changed on returning home. Fogs and high winds, especially east winds, are to be avoided. Let the little ones be out in the air as much as possible. In winter they should go out in the morning from 10.30-12.30, and in the afternoon from 1.45-3 o’clock. In summer they should be out from 8.30-10.45 in the morning and from 4.30-7 o’clock in the afternoon; their meals must be managed so as to leave these hours free. In winter they should have dinner ¼ hour after returning from their morning airing, and should sleep in the afternoon from 3.30-5 o’clock, when they should have another meal. In summer they should have a very light meal on returningfrom their morning walk, and be put to sleep at about 11.30, dine at 3 o’clock, and have supper at 7.15. Of course young infants require to be fed more often than this, and cannot be kept out continuously for so long; but they can be taken in for a few minutes, fed, and then brought out again.

Perambulators are a doubtful blessing. A very young child ought to be carried in the arms for the first 6 months; it is so much warmer for one thing. The nurse’s arm, changed at short intervals, should project beyond the baby’s head at the back to protect it from passers by. After 6 months, perambulators may do very well, provided the child is carefully put in, which is very rarely the case. If seated facing forwards, a cold will be the natural result, without taking such care as is beyond the ordinary nursemaid. Every watchfulness must be used to prevent young children getting chills; never let them sit on the grass, nor on a seat which is exposed to the wind in the intervals of play. When they return home warm do not remove their overclothes in a cold room: nothing is more certain to produce ill effects.

Once or twice a day an infant should be set free from all hampering binders, &c.; and laid down on a soft rug on the floor to kick and sprawl to its heart’s content. This is the finest exercise, much better than all the jumping and romping, which only makes a baby giddy and over-excited. Do not be in too big a hurry to teach a child to walk; lay it on its back and let it kick about as much as it likes while it is very young. A little later it may crawl and creep about in perfect safety, but when a child is made to stand before its legs are strong enough to bear it, they are very likely to give way and become bent—the body is too heavy for the weak bones of the legs, and they become deformed.

As the child advances in age and strength, means of a healthy exercise should be provided in the nursery. Beyond the infantile stage of life, the movements of the child become more and more “purposive.” They are performed for definite purposes, and to effect ends which are clearly mapped out in the child’s mind. Hence, as these movements are of more decided character than those of infancy, “games”—which merely represent play with a purpose—are naturally indulged in. The young child does not “play” aimlessly and listlessly, as is too often supposed. If a child is provided with a ball, nothing delights it more than some defined amusement with that toy. It will aim at effecting some particular plan—as, for example, knocking down an object, or catching the ball in its rebound. Possibly the ball is the best plaything for the child just emerged from its infantile state. Freedom of movement is encouraged in such an exercise, and there is, besides, little danger of fatigue or undue prolongation of this exercise. The child should never be set down to regular exercises, or to any stereotyped course of mild gymnastics, until it has reached its seventh or eighth year. Nursery gymnastics and the use of swinging bars, the trapeze, and allied apparatus will only tend to injure the child if they are used before the age of 7-8. The movements these exercises excite and demand are too severe for young children, whilst, on the contrary, they are well adapted for boys and girls of 8-12 years of age. The same caution applies to the use of “dumb-bells,” which are well adapted for boys and girls of 10-11 and onwards, but are injurious to younger children.

Sleep.—Children require much more sleep than adults. They require to be kept very warm when sleeping; the natural warmth of the body is less during sleep than at other times. The hours of sleeping should be made quite regular: this is easy to manage if you begin with a baby at once; they soon acquire regular habits, and in the matter of sleep and feeding, this regularity of habit cannot be begun too soon: a bad habit is difficult to break. For the first few weeks a baby should sleep almost constantly, only awaking at regular intervals to be fed. After the first 2 months it lies awake longer, and is fed less often—it should then be put to sleep for at least 2 hours in the forenoon, from 10-12 or thereabouts, and again in the afternoon for at least an hour. But too much sleep during the day at and after this time spoils the rest at night, whichis the most important time for rest. For the first month a child is better to sleep with its mother, after this it may be put into a crib, but never cover its face with a handkerchief, and never have curtains to the crib—they cause the child to breathe its own air over again and always do much harm. Place the crib where no draught can reach it, and let the bedclothes be warm but light. Uneasy sleep is a sign of ill health. An hour’s sleep before dinner should be allowed to children of 4-5 years, after this it may be discontinued. Put them to bed at night between 6-7 o’clock, and they will generally sleep 12-14 hours. Never wake a child suddenly, the change should be gradual. When a child awakes in the morning it should not be permitted to lie long in bed; take it up and dress it, and so you may get it into the regular, healthy, and most valuable habit of early rising. After the child is up let the mattress be well shaken, and have the sheets and blankets thrown over the back of a chair or off the bed, and exposed to the air for an hour or two, that they be thoroughly dried and ventilated. Open the window freely.

Feeding.—Every mother should make it her duty, as it is her privilege, to nurse her baby at the breast. The only exceptions to this rule are those cases in which, because of special delicacy or disease, they are forbidden by the doctor to do so. Whenever, from any cause, the child cannot be brought up on the breast, the only food which should be given to it for the first 7-8 months is the milk of the cow or goat. Milk contains all ingredients necessary for the growth and nourishment of the child; and nothing can take its place. A child’s stomach has not for many months the power to digest foods which contain much starch, such as cornflour, arrowroot, sago, and others; these foods irritate the stomach and bowels, while the child is being starved for want of the only food it can digest. Milk may be given either from the breast of the mother, or from the bottle. If from the latter, care must be taken not to give the food when either too hot or too cold. Dollond, of 1, Ludgate Hill, has introduced a good thermometer for this purpose, on which thick black lines indicate the right temperature. Breast milk is infinitely to be preferred. Let the child have as much breast milk as possible, and only make up the deficiencies with the bottle. The child should be put to the breast early, within the first 12 hours. The first milk is different to what comes afterwards, and helps by gently acting on the bowels to prepare the passages to properly digest the fully formed milk. Instead of doing this nurses are far too apt to administer a dose of castor oil, which is quite unnecessary and wrong. If the milk has not yet come sucking will help it; and if the child cries with hunger, a little weak milk and water may be given with a spoon. The child should be put to the breastregularlyat stated intervals—every 2 hours during the day, and less often at night.

The nursing mother should take sufficient good food, but should not drink all sorts of foods at all hours, under the idea that she will thus make more milk. She is more likely to upset her digestion, and injure the quality of her milk. The secret of good nursing lies in keeping in the best health possible: take plenty of fresh air and rest, and sufficient plain, unstimulating food. Any violent nervous excitement, such as anger, fright, anxiety or grief is sure to affect the child. If the mother’s health remains good, she may continue to nurse her child for about 9 months. If the child is thriving well, and has cut several teeth, and especially if the mother’s health begins to suffer, nursing must be at once given up. Nursing beyond a year does harm to both.

Weaning should take place, then, at or about the tenth month. It must be done earlier (a) If the mother’s health is suffering, or if she is attacked by any acute disease; (b) if she becomes pregnant again while nursing the child; (c) if the child is not sufficiently nourished upon the breast milk, yet refuses to take other food. This happens when the milk is too thin and watery, although it may be in sufficient quantity. Carefully watch the condition of the child, and do not rely too much on dates or teething; wean a child gradually, choosing a time when the child is in good health. Begin by lessening the number of times it is allowed to take the breast; thus giving it time to get usedto and to relish other food. Reduce by degrees to one breast meal a day; and after about a week, this too must be given up.

Great mortality is found among infants brought up on the bottle, due to the wrong sort of food being put into the bottle. As to the bottle itself, the old-fashioned kind with a cork on one side is the best, because they are simplest, most easily kept clean and sweet, and when they are used, the child must be held in the proper upright position. However near perfection a bottle may be, it is liable to become a source of disease. Rubber parts absorb milk, or in a crack in the material a small quantity may adhere, and undergo fermentation, and the best-directed efforts to keep the tubing clean may not prevent this happening. In the glass part this does not occur readily, as it can be thoroughly cleansed, and there is no risk of absorption. If 2 bottles are used, one can be in operation while the other one is being cleaned. The manner most likely to prevent bad consequences is to thoroughly wash out the bottle after it has been used in tepid water, and then again wash it with water and soda, then thoroughly dry bottle and tubing, and put them in the open air, as on a window-sill, where they can have both sun and air. Of course, the stopper should be out of the bottle. Another method is to allow the bottle to remain in lime-water till next it requires to be used. In cleaning out tubes a brush attached to a strong wire is needed.

Cow’s milk is the best substitute for a child’s natural food. But in order to make cow’s milk as like the mother’s milk as possible, you must dilute it with water and add some sugar. At first the proportions should be at least equal parts of milk and water, with a small quantity of sugar; if the milk be very poor, a dessert spoonful of cream may be added to each meal with benefit. As cow’s milk soon turns acid, a tablespoonful of lime-water in each bottle is often useful in making it agree better with the child. This is particularly advisable in warm weather. Boil all milk intended for the child’s use as soon as it comes into the house. Where there is any doubt about the purity of the water, boil it too. After the first 6 weeks, the proportions should be ⅔ to ⅓ water; and after the fourth month the milk may be given plain. For at least the first 7 months the child should have no other nourishment whatever. Smell the bottle before you put a fresh meal into it, and if there is the least sourness about either bottle or nipple, wash it until it smells fresh and sweet. Feed at regular hours—every 2 hours during the day, and twice during the night, for the first 6 weeks: after this every 3 hours is often enough, but then the quantity of each meal must be larger. Never give a child a bottle merely to keep it quiet; you damage both stomach and character. The food should be as near the heat of the body as possible, i.e. at or about 98° F. Cold milk delays digestion, and does injury. If the child is allowed to lie on the back, it gets the milk too fast, and indigestion follows. If good cow’s milk cannot be got, Swiss condensed milk is useful, but it must not be given too strong; ½ teaspoonful to a teacup of water is plenty to begin with. For the first 4 months it is an excellent substitute for ordinary milk, and most children thrive on it; but do not continue its use too long. If the child is thriving and has cut several of its front teeth, at the age of 7-8 months, not earlier, farinaceous food may be given once or twice a day. Still, foods which contain much starch are to be avoided, such as arrowroot, sago, corn-flour. The best to begin with is oatmeal gruel, well-boiled and strained, or, as a change, milk thickened with a rusk or well-baked flour; Chapman’s entire wheat flour is excellent, and to be preferred to ordinary wheat flour, as it contains the phosphates of the wheat, and a peculiar ferment which changes starch into sugar.

Cow’s milk and Robinson’s patent barley (prepared by Keen, Robinson, and Bellville) is recommended for use by Dr. Pye Chavasse in his work entitled ‘Advice to a Mother,’ as the best artificial food for infants, stating that “children apparently dying of starvation, soon after taking it, quickly pick up flesh, their bodies fill out, they sleep, they loose all pain,” &c. To a good tablespoonful of the patent barley, mixed with a wineglassful of cold water, add one-and-a-half gills of boiling water, stir this over the firewhile boiling for six minutes, and then feed the infant. The same proportion of milk may be used instead of water when the baby is weaned. Alternately with Robinson’s patent barley, Robinson’s patent groats may be used with good results.

Some of the more expensive artificial foods are prepared in such a way that the starch is rendered soluble and easily digested, effected mainly by the addition of malt and the employment of heat. But if oatmeal and plain wheaten flour agree with your children use them. These farinaceous meals should be given once, or, at most, twice a day, remembering that the greater part of a child’s nourishment should still be milk.

In those rare cases where milk cannot be taken by a child, often barley-water, mixed in equal quantities with the milk, will make it agree, by lessening and softening the curd; sometimes the whey of the milk, separated from the curd by rennet, and made richer by adding 1 part cream, which contains no curd, to 4 of the whey, makes a digestible food. Sometimes it is necessary to feed for a day or two on rice water, with the boiled rice pounded and mixed in it; but such cases are serious, and demand medical advice.

When a child has cut most of its front teeth—that is to say, towards the end of the first year, it may be given once a day a meal of a meat broth with barley in it, or of gravy and bread crumbs. The broth should be made by cutting up the meat finely and letting it stand for 2-3 hours in cold water and then boiling it. At about the same time, or a little later, a lightly-boiled (much better raw) egg may be used instead of the broth, once or twice a week; or a well-boiled mealy potato, carefully mashed and mixed with good meat gravy. No solid meat food should be given to a child under 2 years of age, nor until it has cut all its teeth, for the simple reason that until its back teeth are ready for use, it is unable to masticate such food so as to prepare it to be digested in the stomach. After this a little meat well-cooked may be given to a child occasionally; but it should not form part of its every-day food. It is a great mistake to give weakly and delicate children much animal food; for the first 3 years, the less they have the better. The best food is not that which contains most nourishment, but which is best adapted to the digestive organs. Whenever animal food is given, it should be minced very fine, or bruised in a mortar, to make up for non-mastication. Bread-and-butter, oatmeal porridge, milk, rice, and light puddings should form the staple diet. Avoid stimulants, tea, cakes, and pastry. The plainer and simpler the food, the stronger and healthier will be the child. Compel children to eat slowly; and only allow them to eat at meal times.

Teething.—The number of first or milk teeth which a child gets is 20; they come in regular order, and at definite intervals; 8 front teeth, 4 above and 4 below, called “incisors”; eye teeth, 2 above and 2 below, called “canines”; and 8 back teeth, 2 above and 2 below on each side, called “molars.” The order in which they ought to come is:—the two lower middle incisors at about the seventh month, seldom earlier; followed in a few weeks by the 2 upper middle incisors; almost immediately afterwards, the other 2 upper incisors, one on each side of the middle ones; a week or two later, the two other incisors in the lower jaw come through, so that all the incisors generally appear before any of the other teeth, and, being smaller than the others, are generally cut without much trouble; by the end of the tenth or eleventh month, after an interval of about 2 months, the first 4 molars appear, and occupy 2 months, more or less, in making their way through the gums; after another interval of 2-3 months, the eye teeth begin, and are fully cut by the end of the eighteenth or twentieth month; this is followed by another period of rest, after which the 4 back molars come, and soon after the end of the second year the first dentition is complete. Teething is a natural process; but the period in which it is going on is a time of change from one mode of living to another, so that when a child is teething, it requires more than ordinary care. Its bowels must be kept in good order, rather too loose than too confined; give it abundance of fresh air, and avoid changes of diet just when the teeth are coming through; cooling drinks of milk and water, or barley water, are useful to allay thethirst, and cool the hot mouth; warm baths at night relieve feverishness which is often present; if the gums are swollen and inflamed, a touch of the lance will be productive of great relief. While the teeth are “breeding” in the gums, the irritation may be reduced by gently rubbing them, or by giving the child a crust or indiarubber pad to bite; but shortly before they break through the gum the mouth is so tender that the child will allow nothing to go near it, and it is just at this time that lancing is of most service.

Illness.—Infantile disorders within the range of domestic medicine are chiefly diarrhœa and constipation. The former, in a suckled child, will probably be due to the condition of the mother, who should carefully regulate her own bowels, taking a simple aperient, like castor oil or rhubarb if necessary. Diarrhœa, with bottle feeding, may arise from sour food: boil the milk, mix it with barley water instead of water, make it weaker, and add 2 tablespoonfuls lime-water or a few grains soda bicarbonate to every ½ pint food. See that cold to feet or body is not the cause. For constipation, generally occurring in bottle-fed infants, reduce the food, omit lime-water, and change one meal a day from milk to thin oatmeal gruel. Avoid medicines, except perhaps 30 gr. manna in 1 tablespoonful distilled water, or 1 tablespoonful fluid magnesia in the food of one meal for a day or two, or castor oil if a severe case. Gentle injection of a little warm water is an excellent thing in stubborn cases. Vaccination is a paramount duty hardly requiring mention. Especially beware of chills during convalescence. Exposure to cold after scarlet fever brings dropsy and kidney diseases, and consumption and bronchitis follow whooping-cough and measles.

Medicines kept should be under lock and key, for obvious reasons. The following may be found useful:—Ipecacuanha wine and powder, say of the former 2 oz. and of the latter 1 dr.; grey powder, 1 dr.; castor oil 6 oz.; antimonial wine, 1 oz.; sulphate of zinc, 1 dr.; fluid magnesia, 6 oz.; lime-water, by the gallon, if the infant is brought up by bottle; laudanum or solution of morphia, 1 oz.; Bow’s liniment, or camphor liniment; spongio-piline, for application of fomentation or as a poultice. Lint, oiled silk, and gutta-percha tissue, with 6 oz. carbolic lotion, strength 1 to 40. These are mostly for use by the medical attendant; amateur doctors should restrict themselves to giving a dose of castor oil or fluid magnesia.

Moral Training.—Why do women intrust their young children to the care of low-minded ignorant girls, when least able to take care of themselves, yet exercise so much caution to prevent familiar intercourse with servants and inferiors in later youth? With proper treatment, plenty of well-bred and well-educated girls could be found to take nursemaids’ places, to the great advantage of both children and nurse. Obviously, no girl who is not fit to be a companion, an intimate companion, of the mother, is fit to be the guardian and guide of that mother’s children. The nursemaid should be a girl or woman of culture, and not be expected to do anything menial. Early training of children is of great importance. Be with them as gentle, loving, and patient as you can be, but at the same time be firm. Never deceive a child, and never let it weary you into granting a request you have once refused as injudicious. Teach it from the first to bear and to forbear, to obey at once, and to be courteous; the little wretch who snatches anything he fancies, and howls like a monkey if crossed is a pitiable little object, the victim to his parents’ folly, who were too selfish to give themselves the trouble and vexation of training him.

Never allow children to be rude and unceremonious to each other because they are brothers and sisters. Be extra careful of your language and manners before children. Never lose your temper with them, never frighten them, and above all things do not strike a child on the head; there is a certain portion of the body especially intended by nature for receiving castigation. Never flatter nor pet a child, nor allow self-admiration to grow upon it. Reduce children’s parties to sensible hours—3-7 for the little ones, and not later than 9 for the older ones—and provide more sensible amusementsand less empty show and finery. Dancing, magic-lanterns, shadows, and scores of simple games will occur to every one. Avoid all toys which are painted or gaudily coloured.

One word about foreign nurses. They are often engaged with the object of early commencing the acquirement of a foreign language, generally French. But it must not be forgotten that the class of girl obtainable as a nurse is not likely to be capable of teaching the refined language or accent. These nurses may be engaged through the International Institution, 69 Berners Street, London, W.

The Room.—The rules which apply to dwelling rooms generally have a double importance in the case of the sickroom. The sanitation, ventilation, warming, and lighting, all demand extra care and attention. A southern aspect is preferable to any other; the room should be cheerful, spacious, and lofty, and subject to the invaluable effect of sunshine. It would be desirable for all houses, even of moderate size, to have some one corner suitable for a sickroom. If space admits of such a room being entirely isolated from the rest of the house, so much the better; but much may be done by securing two rooms opening into each other, with hot and cold water supply within easy reach, and a closet properly placed. When necessary, the room should be kept clean by dusting with a damp cloth, rubbing the floors in the same way.

Ordinarily, the chimney is the best ventilator, especially when the fire is burning, which increases the upward draught. Never stuff up chimneys: and except in very warm weather, always keep a fire in the sickroom. It is not always easy to maintain at the same time proper warmth and ventilation. But as a person is not liable to take cold when well covered up in bed, a little of the window may almost always be kept open, without fear of its doing harm, especially if a piece of fine gauze be gummed or tacked across the opening so as to break the force of the entering air. In ordinary sickness the best temperature is 62°-70° F. It should not be allowed to vary much, and as feeling is often deceptive, it is always advisable to keep a thermometer in the room.

For the removal of slops, the ordinary paraphernalia of the housemaid should be completely excluded from the sickroom, as both noisy and disgusting. All vessels when used, instead of being put under the bed, must be immediately removed and emptied outside, and brought back carefully rinsed, and, when necessary, deodorised with a little Condy’s fluid. Allow no confusion of medicine bottles, soiled glasses, spoons, and such matters about the room: those in immediate use should be kept arranged ready to hand; all others should be removed.

Even with the greatest care fires will burn down low, and it is necessary to have some means of restoration at hand. Few people know how valuable wine corks are for this purpose; they should always be saved, and a few kept in a corner of the coal basket. Orange and lemon peel likewise, when well dried, make capital fire revivers; and rather than that the fire in a sickroom should be allowed to go out, use a lump of white sugar or a sprinkling of brown, which will create in a moment a bright flame and revive the dying embers. Employ a pointed hard wooden stick instead of a poker; it makes so much less noise. Let a basket take the place of the coal-scuttle, and let its contents consist of fair-sized lumps, about as big as a French roll; a housemaid’s glove should be at hand to put these on with. This is the provision for the day. For the night small paper bags, such as fruiterers use, should be filled with about 1 lb. of small coal. This does not burn so fast or make so much flame as the lumps, whilst the feeding of the fire by these means divests the process of noise.

As little furniture as possible should encumber the room. No foot-stools, boxes, or baskets should be in the way, to be tripped over; no knick-knacks crowded on tables or mantelpieces to harbour dust, take up room, or tumble down with a crash. Variousforms of sickroom furniture, adapted for confirmed invalids and serious surgical cases, are made by Alfred Carter, 97 Holborn Viaduct, and by Robinson and Sons, Ilkley, Yorkshire, whose catalogues will be worth getting.

Of carpets, the less the better; but if any are used, mere strips or rugs are best, as they are easily taken up and shaken, or cleaned. Curtains should be got rid of, especially if of woollen or stuff; cotton and linen should be used for any sofa or chair coverings.

Windows should be made to open easily from both top and bottom, whilst some contrivance is necessary to prevent any rattling noise from either window-frames or outer blinds. Venetian blinds, imperfect at the best, are quite unsuitable for a sickroom, being always noisy, and sure to admit alternate rays of light. Nothing wakes many people so quickly as light—a mere crevice unprotected is often enough. In the evening, be sure that the light of the lamp or candle does not fall in the patient’s eyes; there is nothing more distressing. Gas in a sick room is not healthy; a Queen’s reading-lamp, with a green shade, is pleasant for a stationary light, and a candle for moving about.

Real quiet is of paramount importance. Even “noiseless” crockery can now be obtained. The principle adopted is that of noiseless tyres to wheels, made of rubber, such tyres being fitted to the bottoms of the jugs, basins, &c.

One thing that would give great pleasure to many a bedridden sufferer is a looking-glass—sometimes two may, from the position of the bed, be necessary—fixed so as to reflect all the passers-by, or to show a patch of bright flower garden, bringing some of the outside life into the sickroom. Ferns growing beneath a bell glass, where they need no care or attention after they are once planted, may also be introduced. Plants in pots and cut flowers will occur to every one; it only remains to observe that growing plants, for their own sake as well as for the patient, should be moved out of the room at night, and that cut flowers from the side of a fever patient must be burnt in the room when they are dead, and not carried into any other part of the house.

The Nurse.—TheLancetinsists that there is no more excuse for a nurse making a “guy” of herself than for her being decked out in vulgar finery, with her hair got up after an elaborate style which it would take her half the day to arrange. Print dresses of pretty pattern, or grey alpacas, according to season, with a light white cap, linen cuffs and collars, scrupulously white and clean, and a coloured neck ribbon, would be infinitely preferable to the black costumes of the sisterhoods. The heavy woollen dresses worn by some sisterhoods are not all that is desirable in a sanitary point of view. They do not “show dirt,” it is true; but it would be better if they did; and in their folds it is not impossible that germs of disease may be carried about. It may be laid down as a rule that nothing in a nurse’s dress that rustles, creaks, flaps, or catches can be in place. It is evident that this rule forbids silk dresses, stiff stays, trailing robes, and ornaments that are likely to throw things down. High heels are, of course, quite out of the question, as is any fashion which interferes with easy movement on the part of the nurse. Quietness, softness, usefulness are the points to be aimed at in the costume of a nurse; and if brightness can be given by a ribbon, the brightness may well be superadded. A nurse should wear no rings, and her nails should be kept cut very close. The sleeves of her dress should admit of being turned or rolled up above the elbow.

Never think any change in the patient’s manner or appearance too trifling to tell the doctor of it. Unimportant as you may deem it, it may be the very symptom he is watching for. Tell the doctor everything fully and truly, and above all, obey him implicitly. Never act against his orders, or tamper with them in any way. If you think any change in treatment judicious, ask his opinion first before trying it, but do not do things unknown to him. In this watchfulness and strict obedience lie the chief difference between professional and amateur nursing, and also too often the greatadvantage gained by employing the former over the latter. The several symptoms should be written down by the nurse from time to time on a slip of paper, always at hand, for the doctor.

Always save whatever has been vomited by a patient for the doctor to see, and be able to give information as to when the vomiting took place, whether directly after food or liquid had been taken, or not; notice whether there was much straining or retching before actual vomiting occurred, also if it was preceded by pain, and the situation of the pain. Remove the vomit from the room immediately.

In the case of coughing, observe whether it comes on in paroxysms, or is incessant; whether it is dry and hard, or moist and accompanied with expectoration; whether it is worse at any particular time, and is attended with pain. If there is expectoration, this should be kept for the doctor’s inspection. If blood is brought up, note whether it is coughed up, vomited, or brought up from the back of the throat or mouth; remark whether the expectoration adheres to the side of the spitting-cup, or flows easily.

The number of times the bowels are moved in the 24 hours must be noted, and whether the motion is attended with pain, griping, or straining; also the colour of the motion, and, if the patient passes worms, whether they are round or flat, tape, or small and thread-like. Note in what quantities urine is passed; also how often, whether with any discomfort or pain either before or after, its colour and consistence, and if there be any deposit, its colour also.

Do not forget to give messages of inquiry, as sick people think much of such kindnesses. Do not read letters out without reading them to yourself first; you may come upon some passage about the patient that you do not care to repeat, and your hesitation will make him anxious and uncomfortable. In convalescence books are often a difficulty, and require most careful choosing. Something not exciting, but thoroughly amusing, is generally the best thing—the lightest novel you can find. In any case, be careful not to read too long at a time; the strain of listening and attending is very tiring. In extreme weakness, when there is nothing to be done, say something from time to time to take off the sense of loneliness, but do not ask unnecessary questions or touch your patient—it is very tiring; and never at any time lean against the bed and shake it, and do not put anything heavy over the patient’s feet; the weight tires, and a hot bottle warms much more effectually.

Remember that the process of settling for the night takes a long time, and be sure to begin early. Some people sleep better in the first part of the night, and you should notice the hour at which the patient gets sleepy, and arrange accordingly; if kept awake long past that hour, a restless night will be the consequence. It is never wise to wake the patient, even to give medicine, except by the doctor’s orders. You should have a small tray arranged with all the things you are likely to want in the night, except medicines. By means of the judiciously-placed screen, anything that has to be brought in can be quietly handed over the top without a sound. Door-hinges and handles should be carefully eased and oiled.

Real quietude means the absence of all excitement, and it must be remembered that anything out of the common will tend to excite the mind of a sufferer. Do not, therefore, walk on tip toe, for this, in addition to its unusual elaboration of the gait, invariably causes a certain amount of creaking. Speak in low tones, but do not whisper. A whisper will often awake a sleeper who would not be disturbed by an ordinary conversation; and never say “hush!” Let your clothes and foot covering be of as noiseless and unobtrusive a character as possible, and instead of gliding and tottering about like a rickety ghost, do not hesitate to walk. If you have occasion to say anything in the room, say it so that the patient can hear it if he wishes, and do not let him be aware of your conspiring privately with the others, especially at the door. The door has much to answer for. If it be visible from the bed, people open it cautiously, put their heads in and slowly withdraw again. If, as is more frequently the case, it is screened by thebed curtains, mysterious openings and shuttings are heard, unattended with any apparent ingress or egress, andsotto vocecolloquies going on outside. When you enter, do so honestly and at once. Do not spend 5 minutes in turning the handle, thereby producing a series of irritating little clicks, finally terminating in a big snap, with which the door flies open. If the latch be at all rusty, a handle that is slowly wound back in this way will often stick, and either require to be rattled back in position, or, if left as it is, may start back suddenly, after a time, of its own accord, with a report like a pistol shot.

A bracket or table on the landing or in an adjoining room, where one can keep a basin, water, and a cloth for washing cups, &c., can nearly always be managed; and even if one has to carry everything up and down stairs, the comfort to the patient of systematic, dainty cleanliness more than repays the trouble. Some nurses seem to think it enough to place anything used outside the sickroom door, trusting to a chance maid seeing it and carrying it off. But this proceeding often worries the patient most exceedingly. He or she lies there and fidgets over the chance of that stray cup being whisked over by a passing skirt, with an ominous clatter and smash; and though this probably does not happen, the expectation of it keeps the mind on tenter-hooks, and prevents needful rest.

Let visitors sit between the door and the patient, getting the benefit of the air and not between him and the fire, thus getting in the direct current of foul air rushing towards the fireplace; they should be well in sight of the patient, and never admitted at meal times. While talking to the patient it is better to sit by the side of the bed and as near the pillow as possible, so that you may converse easily, while your face and body are turned in the same direction as his. By this means you can make all necessary observation of his features without enforcing the arrest of his eyes on your own, which is so embarrassing and disagreeable to one lying in bed, and is almost unavoidable when facing him. Keep him in as comfortable a position as possible, by all means, but do not be too demonstrative in smoothing the pillows and little offices of that sort. Fidgety attentions will worry and do more harm than downright neglect.

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