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After use it should be washed and placed in clean water with a little Condy's
fluid in it. Never leave the bottle in baby's cot for it to suck or leave as it
likes. The mother should hand-feed the baby just as she would if she were
nursing it. Give baby the bottle and then let nothing enter it's stomach for at
least two hours, or longer, according to its age. Mothers who leave the
bottle in the cot under the idea of pacifying the child are injuring it most
seriously. Such conduct is selfish, foolish and unpardonable. Bottles with
long india rubber tubes are an abomination. They cannot be kept clean,
and have poisoned more children than all the scheduled poisons of the chemist
put together. Baby's bottle should be a plain glass boat-shaped bottle fitted
directly with an india-rubber teat. The teat should be frequently changed
and cleaned daily, the teat being turned inside out for this purpose.
During the first six months of life nothing but milk should be given.
The milk should be fresh cows' milk, diluted with barley water and
sweetened. Tinned condensed milk and patent foods should be strictly
shunned, certainly during the first six months. In the very few cases
where condensed milk is necessary it should be given only under medical
advice and the brand should be carefully selected. The selection of the
proper strength of milk to give is most difficult, as children differ so
much, that what is right for one is altogether wrong for another. The
following rules are only a rough guide which will require intelligent
modifications generally under medical advice in all cases where the baby
does not thrive.
The fresh cows' milk should be boiled by placing it in a basin
or other clean vessel, and putting the basin in a saucepan of water,
which is then set to boil. Enough milk should be thus boiled to last
twenty-four hours. The milk should then be rapidly cooled by placing the
basin with the milk in it in cold water which is frequently changed. It
should then be covered up with muslin and put in a cool clean cupboard,
and used as required.
To make Barley Water.
Take two tablespoonsful of pearl barley, wash it well in two
changes of cold water, and place in a clean jug. Pour on one pint
of boiling water, leave it to soak for twenty minutes, strain off and
set the liquid aside for use as required, keeping the jug covered with
a piece of clean muslin.
Fresh barley water should be made each day, or twice a day
during hot weather.
The same barley should never be used twice.
As a general rule:—
During the first two months, one part of this milk to two of
water or barley water should be given. From two or three months
one part of milk to one of water. From three to six months,
two of milk to one of water.