OF CHILDREN.

IS

OF NURSES.

It is not here intended to lay down rules fer the choir* of nurses.This would be wasting time. Common sense will direct every one tochuse a woman who is healthy, and has plenty of milk. If she be atthe same time cleanly, careful, and good-natured, she can hardly failto make a proper nurse. After all, however, the only certain proof ofi good nurse, is a healthy child upon her breast. But, as the mis-conduct of nurses often proves fatal to children, it will beof impor-tance to point out a few of their most baneful errors, in order tonake parents look more strictly into the conduct of those to•vhom they commit the care of their infant offspring.

Though H admits of some exceptions, yet we may lay itdown as ageneral rule, that every woman who nurses for hire should be care-fully looked after, or she will not do her duty. For this reason pa-rents ought always to have their children nursed under their owneye, if possible; and where this cannot be done, they should be ex-tremely circumspect in the choice of those persons to whom theyintrust them. It is folly to imagine that any woman who abandonsher own child to suckle another for the sake of gain, should feel theiffection of a parent towards her nursling ; yet so necessary are theiffections in a nurse, that but for them, the human race wouldsoon be extinct.

One of the most common faults of those who nurse for hire, isdozing children with stupefactives, or such things as lull them a-sleep. An indolent nurte, who does not give a child sufficient ex-ercise in the open air to make it sleep, and does not chuse to be dis-turbed by it in the night, will seldom fail to procure for it a doseof laudanum, diacodum, saffron, o ■_ what answers the same pur-pose, a dose of spirits, or other strong liquors. These, though theybe certain poison to infants, are every day administered by manywho bear the character of very good nurses; but if a mother onvisiting her child at nurse finds it always asleep, I would advise herto remove it immediately, otherwise it will soon sleep its last.

A nurse who has not milk enough is apt to imagine that thisdefect may be supplied by giving the child wines, cordial waters,or other strong liquors. This is an egregious mistake. The onlything that has any chance to supply the place of the nurse's milk,must be somewhat nearly the same quality as cow's milk, ass'smilk, or beaf tea, with a little bread. It never can be done by thehelp of strong liquors. These, instead of nourishing an infant, ne-ver fail to produce the contrary effect.

Children are often hurt by nurses suffering them to cry long andvehemently. This strains their tender bodies, and frequently occasions ruptures, inflammations of the throat, lungs, &c. A child never continues to cry long without some cause, which might alwaysbe discovered by proper attention; and the nurse who can hearan infant cry till it has almost spent itself, without endeavouringto please it, must be cruel indeed, and is unworthy to be entrust-ed with the care of a human creature.

Nurses who deal much in medicine are always to t,e suspected.They trust to it, and neglect their duty. I never knew a good nurse