screwed to the faucets. It is a good plan to attach the tub to the slats by straps when in use, in order to prevent the possibility of pushing it off.

A still more convenient tub made of rubber can be bought. It is of a folding pattern, which does away entirely with the stand. It occupies very little space when not in use, and is especially serviceable to take to summer resorts or when visiting. An inexpensive home-made rubber tub is shown in the illustration (Fig. 15). The legs, each of which is thirty inches long, are pivoted upon the ends of the central bar. This and the four side-bars are each thirty-six inches in length. The latter are fastened firmly to the legs. The tub itself is made of a single piece of white rubber cloth thirty inches wide and one and a quarter yards long. There is a hem at each end, and through these hems broad tapes, each nineteen inches long, are passed and securely fastened to the ends of the side-bars. The

sides of the rubber cloth are tacked to the top of

FIG. 16.-China sponge-basin.

the side-bars. A small plait at each corner gives the tub a better shape. A little ingenuity can easily make the legs detachable from the central

and side bars and from each other, and thus allow of packing the tub into very small space for travelling.

An outfit for bathing is not complete without a rubber cloth or an oil-cloth to be laid beneath the tub to protect the floor, and the low chair with a broad seat upon which the nurse is to sit, and to which reference has already been made. One of the small china sponge-basins made especially for the baby's toilet is also very serviceable.

It is divided into two compartments-one for cold and one for warm water (Fig. 16).

After the child has reached the age of two or three years a second and somewhat larger tub may be bought. This is not an absolute necessity, as the ordinary stationary bath-tub can be used instead. It is, however, a great convenience, and saves the uncomfortable leaning over which is necessary with the latter.

In this connection it is important to understand fully the value of early accustoming a baby to immersion in water. I have frequently seen the great fear of the tub bath, shown by children who had been accustomed to sponging only, interfere with the use of cool bathing in cases of fever and of exhaustion by summer heat, at times when it would have been of the greatest remedial value. Moreover, it is impossible to attain by sponging alone, no matter how thoroughly done, the cleanliness which tubbathing ensures.

To prevent the fear of the bath developing, we should carefully avoid any sudden or rough plunging of the child into the water, and especially see that the head does not accidentally become submerged. Fear which has been acquired in any way may sometimes be overcome by covering the tub with a blanket, placing the baby in this, and gradually lowering baby and blanket into the water; or the child may be put into the empty tub and allowed to play there until it is quite at home, and may then be accustomed to an amount of water which is increased a very little day by day.

A wash-rag made of flannel or of diaper-cloth should be used for applying soap. A delightfully soft wash-rag is made of the Arnold cotton goods. All the folds and hollows of the body must be soaped thoroughly, but no effort should ever be made to force the fingers

or anything else into the ears, and no water should be allowed to remain there. Severe inflammation of the ears has often followed over-zealous attempts at cleansing.

The scalp should be soaped daily during some months. After the age of six months, however, it is not advisable to do this quite so frequently, as it renders the hair dry and brittle. This does not mean that soaping of the head is to be neglected entirely. As the infant grows into childhood the scalp should be washed with soap once or twice a week at least, and with water daily. Even the long hair of the girl need not prevent this.

For removing the soap-suds a sponge is better than a wash-rag, since it permits of the water being squeezed from it in a distinct stream. Only the finest sponges should be chosen, from which the minute flinty particles have been entirely removed in the process of preparation. These little needle-like bodies are present in many of the cheaper sponges, and are very irritating to the skin even of an adult. The sponge and the wash-rag should be well washed out and be thoroughly dried in the air after each bath and before being used again. If this is done, there is no objection to their being kept in the rubber pockets with which the baby's basket is often furnished.

In the choice of soap there is a wide range. It is important to select one which is entirely unirritating and free from an excess of alkali. Transparent glycerin soap and oatmeal soap are good, but there are few equal to the well-known Castile soap. As there are different varieties of this, some of which are not at all suitable, it is important to choose one of the finest imported brands, made of olive oil and purchased from a dealer of wellknown reliability. There is a very excellent soap imported from Germany and called there a Basis Seife,

which is intended especially for use with children. It is unirritating, and contains an unusual amount of oil. It can be procured through the druggist, and is probably the best soap for infant use which is to be had at the present time.

A very service

The water used for the bath should be soft and clear when it is possible to obtain it so. Very hard water will make the skin rough and sore. It may be improved by boiling, which precipitates much of the lime, but it is better to substitute rain-water. Muddy water must be filtered. This may be done through one of the various filters made to screw upon the faucet. able plan is to tie a bag of flannel over the opening of the faucet and to let the water run very gently through it. A fresh bag should be used every day. The temperature of the water is very important. Our hands are so made that they accommodate themselves rapidly to degrees of heat or cold. They are consequently poor guides in determining the actual temperature of the bath. The bared elbow dipped into the water is much more sensitive; but if we do not wish to have the baby sometimes parboiled and sometimes frozen, it is far better to use a bath thermometer (Fig. 17). This may be had at any good house-furnishing store or drug-store. The casing must be of wood, in order that the instrument shall not sink in the water. To test the temperature of the bath the thermometer should be moved back and forth in the water for a few minutes, and the height of the mercury noticed while the bulb ist still in it.

FIG. 17.—Bath thermometer.

The temperature of the first bath should be 100° F., and that of succeeding ones be lowered very gradually until, at the age of six months, the water is at 90° to 95° F. for winter or at 80° to 85° F. for summer. Actually cool baths should not be given before the age of four or five years, although by two years a cool sponging may immediately follow the warmer bath, provided the bracing effect is produced which may reasonably be expected. (For the temperature of hot, warm, and cool baths, etc., see Appendix, 36.) Whatever the temperature of the bath, it is important that the head and the face be wet before the rest of the body.

Enough water should be used in bathing to cover the baby to the neck when supported in a semi-reclining position. As it grows older and learns to sit upright the water need not reach above the armpits. The duration of the immersion should at first be one or two minutes, and later about five minutes. One bath should be given every day, but in very hot weather, when the baby is evidently depressed by the heat, several cool baths daily are sometimes very beneficial. In such cases they are given, of course, for their cooling effect, and not for cleansing purposes.

Besides the regular daily bath, it is important to sponge the lower parts of the body after each bowelmovement, in order to ensure perfect cleanliness. Simple warm water is usually sufficient for this, and soap should not be employed. Most careful drying must follow. In the early months of life an evening sponging of the whole body is often practised. It is frequently of advantage, but is not an essential.

When the child has reached the age of four years the bathing may consist of cool sponging every morning with water at a temperature of 75° to 80° F., but it is much