the incapacity of Nature, although the origin of the customs practised is obscured by their revered antiquity; and in outcry against the opinions of such heterodox people as myself, mothers and nurses will doubtless maintain that whatever they do is right, since it was always done by their mothers and grandmothers for centuries past.
The following instructions, although contrary to custom, will, however, be found in accordance with reason, physiology, and Nature.
At birth the navel cord, instead of being bound tightly to the body and pointing towards the chest, according to a common but very bad practice, which is apt to cause premature separation, sore navel, and even rupture at the part, should be wrapped in a piece of clean, soft rag, and left as free as possible. Its tendency will be to incline towards the feet.
The navel string generally dries up and separates from the body about the fifth day, and the following very excellent advice on this subject is given by the Ladies' Sanitary Association in its pamphlet on "How to manage a Baby :"—"If the navel is sore, a piece of very soft linen rag should be put upon it. If the navel seems likely to push outwards, twelve little round pieces of linen rag should be put on it. The first piece should be the size of a threepenny-piece, and the second a little larger, and the third a little larger than that, and so on up to the twelfth, which should be as large as a penny-piece. These pieces should be laid one upon the other with the largest at the bottom, the next
