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The Care of Babies: Cover

Oatmeal Water. - This is used in the same way as barley water, especially if a laxative effect is desired. To make it, stir two tablespoonfuls of oatmeal with a pinch of salt in a quart of boiling water. Cover and let simmer for two or three hours.

Replace the water as it evaporates so that there will be a quart when done. Strain the same as for barley water and make fresh every day.

Or, for oatmeal or rice water, put three tablespoonfuls of oatmeal (H-O) or rice into a quart of water.

Soak three hours or overnight. Then boil steadily for two hours keeping the quantity up to a quart with more water as needed. Add a pinch of salt and strain as for barley water.

Keep in an ice box or other cool place and make fresh daily.

BOTTLE FEEDING The best plan is to prepare each morning enough food to last for twenty-four hours and place the required quantity for each nursing in a separate nursing bottle. Plug the THE CARE OF BABIES bottles with baked absorbent cotton, cotton wool or antiseptic gauze.

Or, if you do not have enough nursing bottles, prepare enough food for twenty-four hours and place it in a clean, freshly boiled fruit jar with a glass clamp top. Do not use the screw-top jars. They are not so easy to keep clean. Do not use the rubber ring, it is hard to keep clean and is not necessary.

Get together all the necessary utensils, and put them in a saucepan, preferably of agate ware. Cover them with cold or luke-warm water, and bring them slowly to a boil.

Clear off a table top to work on and cover it with a freshly laundered towel or other clean cloth. See that everything that comes in contact with the milk is absolutely clean. Wash your hands with soap and water and scrub them with a stiff brush with especial attention to the finger nails.