SPARTAN RULES FOR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2056, 29 April 1907, Page 4

SPARTAN RULES FOR BABIES.

LECT URER’S PLANS OF REFORM FOR THE NURSERY. Babies’ ears must have boon tingling a good deal yesterday (says a recent Daily Mail),, lor two lecturers wore explaining all about them, and incidentally advocating some sweeping reiorms in baby life. Miss M. Constance Barker, addressing the National Health Society ‘a London, audaciously compared then, first to protoplasm and then to monkeys. “Sot a baby anywhere,,” she said, “and it will take for food whatever surrounds it. So does a protoplasm. And you notice liow a baby’s first act, almost, is that of sujiporting itself by its hands, gripping things with its fingers, and—as shown when the baby toes curl over a pencil placed beneath them—with its feet. A Spartan treatment was her ideal for babies. Let them sleep out of doors in the daytime in all weathers, so long as they were sheltered from the wind and'well wrapped up, with a hot' water-bottle if necessary.

Dr. Georgo Carpenter, who spoke at the Institute of Hygiene of London, was from the nursery point of view, oven a more thorough-going reformer. Babies were healthy litt-lo animals, lie said, and at first their cliiof happiness lay in their stomachs. After enumerating a number of things good for babies to eat, the lecturer gave his views on milk. “Howls of indignation rent the air when “The Jungle” revealed the horrors of a packing house, but it seems difficult to arouse the public in regard to an equally scandalous state of affairs in our own dairy operations.” Dr. Carpenter laid down several rules for the treatment of children:— No excuse must be taken for children to refuse wholesome food when it is set before them. Willy-nilly, they must eat it; and mothers must not be frightened when baby holds bis breath and goes blade in the face when an unwelcome dish appears on the table.

There must he no second helpings to dainties; if the child is hungry when it has had its share, lot it have bread. No lights at night, and

No “staying up” after bedtime:

Dr. Carpenter added his voice to the rising chorus of condemnation of currants, which, he said, were excessively indigestible, and bad no nutritive value whatever. Currant and sultana cakes and plum pudding should never be given to children. THE PET OF PROVIDENCE. REMARKABLE SERMON BY THE KAISER’S CHAPLAIN. A remarkable sermon was preached on February 28th by Dr. Faber, the Court Chaplain, in the chapel ol the Imperial Palace, at the usual service hekl before the opening of the Reichstag by the Kaiser. Dr. Faber said the Reichstag ought to consist entirely of loyal deputies who are willing to follow the Kaiser with perfect faith, without doubt and without questioning. He continued: “If we had such a Reichstag we could safely leave the control of our 'destinies to God and the Kaiser.

“The victory of the Imperialist parties at the recent general election was a work of Divine Providence, and all the world heard the voice of God revealed in the result of the polls. God has taken Germany under His especial protection, and the German people are destined by Divine Providence to be the salt of the earth and the representatives of religion among mankind.” The Kaiser and most of the Protestant members of the Reichstag were present. Dr. Naumann, a Radical deputy, has published vitriolic criticism, of the sermon, and the Berliner Zeitung describes it as “a melancholy sign of the times.” The journal adds: “The Court Chaplain undoubtedly .gave utterance to views known to be ideasing to his royal listeners, so that we are bound to conclude that his opinions commended themselves to the Emperor.

“Even in the time of Louis XIV. there were courageous men who did not fear to tell the absoluto monarch the truth and nothing but the truth. AVe do not exaggerate when we declare that religion has never been degraded to such an extent as on this occasion by the Court Chaplain’s sermon.”