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The Care of Babies: Take

Take good care of the baby's skin.

If it is irritated the baby will be uncomfortable, and will tend to become fretful and unhealthy. Buy only the purest kind of soap for the baby's bath and use it sparingly. The green castile Zanti soap is the best and can be procured through your druggist. If this is not available, white castile soap is the next choice. Do not use soap if the skin is irritated or raw. Place a cheese cloth bag containing teacupful of bran in the baby's bath and squeeze it until the water becomes slightly milky. a On very warm days, sponge the baby two to four times with lukewarm water in which dissolve a little salt in the proportion of a teaspoon to each pint, or use a like amount of alcohol (not wood alcohol) instead of salt. For nettle rash or "prickly heat" bathe the affected skin with water containing a teaspoonful of baking soda or a tablespoonful of vinegar, but remember that roughened or inflamed skin may be the sign of infectious disease. If it does not yield to this treatment consult your physician. If the baby has fever, sponge it in cool vinegar water every two or three hours and place cool wet cloths on its head. Sponge the baby whenever the diapers are changed. Take especial care to cleanse the creases of the body, particularly after movements of the bowels. Dry the skin thoroughly after sponging and if talcum powder is used, buy only the unscented.

Don't let the baby crawl on a dirty floor where it may pick up the germs of tuberculosis or other disease and transmit them to its mouth. Keep the floor clean and wash the baby's hands after crawling. - Care of the Mouth. Wash out the mouth at least twice a day with a soft clean cloth wet in water containing a teaspoonful of borax or baking soda to the pint, but never put your fingers in the baby's mouth without first washing them. Don't let the baby put dogs or cats close to its mouth.

Fresh Air. - Fresh air is as important to the baby's health as fresh food. Children, like growing plants, thrive best in the open air. Keep the baby in the largest, coolest, best ventilated room you have. Screen the windows and doors against flies Keep the baby cool. and destroy those that get in. Also protect the baby from flies, mosquitoes and other insects by screens and mosquito netting. Insects often carry the germs of malaria, typhoid and other contagious diseases. Keep the room clean and free from garbage, soiled clothes and rubbish. Even in winter and in cold climates, the airing of the baby's room may be begun when he is not more than a month old. Thereafter the windows may be kept open for a gradually lengthened period of time from a few minutes to an hour or several hours at a time depending on the weather.

Protect the baby when thus exposed to the fresh air by putting on his bonnet and coat the same as for an airing out of doors. If thus habituated to fresh air the baby is much less liable to colds than if reared in foul or stagnant air.

In summer keep as little fire as possible. In very hot weather keep the doors and windows wide open night and day. Always keep one or more windows open in the baby's sleeping room winter and summer, night and day, and whether the baby is sick or well, as soon as it has been properly accustomed to fresh air. Some ignorant persons have a THE CARE OF BABIES superstition that night air is injurious to health. Night air is the only kind of air there is at night and fresh outdoor air is far more wholesome than that which has been shut up in the house and breathed over and over again. In summer sleep out of doors with the baby if you can.

Keep the baby out of the kitchen or other overheated rooms, especially Keep the baby outdoors in summer. if you are cooking or washing. Take it out of doors in the early morning when the air is free from dust, and if the weather is good keep it out of doors, if you can, all day. Avoid the sun on hot days. Keep on the shady side of the street, under the trees, or in some shady place. Walk and move around slowly. Have a basket for the baby to sleep in, which you can hang up outdoors in some shady place away from dust and sudden winds. But when you place the baby in the shade be very careful to alter its position as the sun moves around. Be careful not to let the sun shine on the baby's eyes.

Its sight may be injured if it is let the sun shine on the baby's eyes.

During the fly season see that the baby is covered with a suitable net.

Keep it away from crowds and crowded places. Babies are very susceptible to the germs of contagious diseases.

A trip to the country for city babies, or any change to a higher alti tude or cooler climate, may save the ferably some place near a large body baby's life if summer complaint or heat of midsummer. Choose preferably some place near a large body of water. An ideal spot is a heavy harmful-natural shade is necessary lake or bay. Too much sunshine is harmful-natural shade is necessary to health and comfort. Even a few may save the life of a baby living may save the life of a baby living in a crowded city. When traveling with a sick baby, carry sufficient food -cow's milk, condensed milk or other manufactured foods - to last the baby during the trip. Also carry a supply of pure or boiled water for the baby to drink and for use in mixing its food. There is a traveling basket on the market lined with metal and felt, or mineral wool, which contains chambers for ice and milk bottles. In this, milk can be kept the same as in a refrigerator.

This basket will also carry an alcohol stove and supply of alcohol, ex- NON-RUST ACE Traveling basket for baby's food. tra nipples, brushes and other accessories to the nursing bottle. Sleep and Rest.-Under no circumstances should a baby sleep with its mother, nurse or any other person. smothered by their mothers over- Very young babies have often been lying them in sleep. There is also a temptation to frequent nursing at night which is harmful to both the baby and mother. If there is no crib, a bed for the baby may be made up on a couple of chairs at the mother's bedside. The baby will be much more comfortable in such a bed and will neither disturb others nor be disturbed. The backs of the chairs will keep the baby from falling. A Morris chair makes a good substitute for an infant's crib and can be utilized during the daytime.

Lay the back down flat with something under it for a support and use the cushions as a mattress. of a bed for a baby is a mattress of a bed for a baby is a mattress made of excelsior covered with cheese cloth. A good quality of excents, and cheese cloth may be found niture store or factory for a few cents, and cheese cloth may be found in any dry goods store at three or four cents a yard. Such a bed is always cool, clean and comfortable. It helps the child to keep strong and well and free from colds and coughs.

Should it become soiled, the excelsior can be removed, the washed and another cover stuffed with excelsior substituted. This bed is highly recommended for sick children, especially in summer months. If an ordinary mattress is used it should be firm and hard.