CHILDREN.

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forward and press with their whole weight upon the breast.By this means the breathing is obstructed, the breast flattened,and the bowels compressed; which must hurt the digestion,and occasion consumptions of the lungs, and other diseases.It is a common notion that if children be set upon theirfeet too soon their legs will become crooked. There is rea-son to believe that the very reverse of this is true. Everymember acquires strength in proportion as it is exercised.The limbs of children are weak indeed, but their bodies areproportionably light ; and had they skill to direct themselves,they would soon be able to support their own weight. Whoever heard of any other animal that became crooked by usingits legs too soon ? Indeed, if a child be not permitted tomake use of its legs till a considerable time after the birth,and be then set upon them with its whole weight at once,there may be some danger ; but this proceeds entirely fromthe child's not having been accustomed to use its legs fromthe beginning.

Mothers oí" the poorer sort think they are great gainers bymaking their children lie or sit while they themselves work.In this they are greatly mistaken. By neglecting to givetheir children exercise, they are obliged to keep them a longtime before they can do any thing for themselves, and to spendmore on medicine than would have paid for proper care.

To take care of their children is the most profitable busi-ness in which even the poor can employ themselves ; but,alas ! it is not'always in their power. Poverty often obligesthem to neglect their offspring, in order to procure the neces-saries of life. When this is the case, it becomes the interest,as well as the duty, of the public to assist them. Ten thou-sand tifnes more benefit would accrue to the state by enablingthe poor to bring up their own children, than* from all the.hospitals that ever can be erected for that purpose.

Whoever considers the structure of the human body willsoon be convinced of the necessity of exercise for the healthof children. The body is composed of an infinite number ofvessels, whose fluids cannot be pushed on without the actionand pressure of the muscles. But if the fluids remain inac-tive, obstructions must happen, and the humors will of coursebe vitiated, which cannot fail to occasion diseases. Naturehas furnished both the vessels which carry the blood andlymph with numerous valves, in order that the action of everymuscle might push forward their contents; but without ac-3*