Alexander Mackenzie - "History Of The Mackenzies"

John Lothrop Motley - "The Life of John of Barneveld, 1614 17"

Frank V. Webster - "The Young Firemen of Lakeville"

Charles Dickens - "The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargin"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Prospective Mother

J >> J. Morris Slemons >> The Prospective Mother




A more rational hygienic measure for the relief of itching and
smarting about the vaginal orifice consists in removing the secretion
as soon as it appears. In other words, the external parts should be
kept clean and dry. Great comfort is often derived from the use of a
"sitz-bath," which may be easily prepared by placing a small tub upon
a low stool and pouring in warm water (about 90 degrees F.) until it
is five or six inches deep. Cold sitz-baths are useful in the treatment
of hemorrhoids. Whether the bath be hot or cold, the treatment should
continue from ten to fifteen minutes, and after it the skin should be
thoroughly dried.

A special form of tub, called a "bidet," has been devised to
facilitate bathing the parts in question. The device is convenient
but expensive, and is certainly not essential. Every purpose will be
served by the small tub, provided the desired temperature of the bath
is properly maintained by changing the water as may be necessary.

CLOTHING.--In these days at least it is not idle to remark that the
first use of clothes is to keep the body warm; all other services
they are made to perform are secondary and relatively unimportant.
There are very good reasons, to be sure, for dressing neatly and even
for dressing in accord with the fashion, so long as the prevailing
styles are not harmful. Odd as it may seem, these are matters which
are not without significance for the physical well-being of a
prospective mother. Neat and comfortable clothing will help her to
overcome a natural inclination to become a "stay-at-home," and on
this account an inconspicuous way of dressing is often more valuable
than medicine. So long as they do not attract attention, most
prospective mothers go out in the day time, mingle with their
acquaintances, and attend public places of amusement. Deference to
fashion, therefore, may contribute substantially to good health.

Yet no prospective mother can afford to forget that first of all her
clothing must keep the body warm. Our clothing confines a cushion of
air which prevents the escape of the heat that we generate. Now,
since dry air conducts heat poorly and moist air conducts it readily,
the underclothes should be made of material that absorbs the
perspiration; otherwise the heat that the body generates is quickly
lost. Woolen garments effectually absorb the perspiration and should
be given the preference. Most persons who cannot wear wool next the
skin must choose cotton, since silk and linen are much more
expensive; there is not in this, however, a serious deprivation.
Cotton undergarments are perfectly hygienic; adapting their weight to
the season of the year, one will find them equally satisfactory in
summer and winter.

Except in summer every inch of the body should be covered with the
underclothing; this means that high-neck and long-sleeve shirts and
long drawers should be worn, for healthful activity of the skin can
thus be best preserved. It is well known to physicians who practice
obstetrics that the kidneys fail in their work more frequently during
the winter than the summer. To my mind, this is chiefly explained by
the way women dress. Even with light clothing the sweat glands
respond actively to the heat of summer and thus relieve the kidneys,
but in cold weather the sweat glands will not remove their share of
the waste products unless the clothing is warm.

Nature generally indicates that the body should be kept warm during
pregnancy. Many prospective mothers complain of perspiring freely;
others, if reproached because they are not clad warmly enough, reply
that they must wear light clothing to keep from perspiring. Thus they
discount or render absolutely ineffective a most important natural
safeguard against serious complications. It cannot be too strongly
emphasized that warm clothing helps to maintain healthful activity of
the kidneys quite as much as a proper amount of exercise and the
drinking of a suitable quantity of water.

The texture of the outer garments should take into account this same
quality of warmth; in other respects in selecting them personal taste
is an excellent guide. Outfitters carry a variety of maternity
garments; patterns for such garments are also sold by dealers, so
that those who cannot afford the ready-made clothes will find it easy
to have them made at home. Alterations in the clothing are compulsory
as pregnancy advances, and should be timely, made in anticipation of
inevitable development rather than in response to it. No prospective
mother need go to the extreme of "Reform Clothes"; her apparel should
illustrate both her good sense and her personal pride.

It is obviously even more harmful during pregnancy than at other
times to cramp the body by the clothing; the chest and the abdomen,
the parts most likely to be compressed, are at such times most in
need of freedom. To a slight degree natural causes always compress
the chest from below upward; and on this account nothing should be
allowed to hamper the expansion of the lungs from side to side. On
the other hand, if the waist is constricted, not the breathing
movements alone but also the growth of the womb will be interfered
with. In order to avoid such disagreeable consequences, and at the
same time to limit the extent of the maternity wardrobe, skirts may
be fitted with practical devices which permit letting out the
waistband as occasion demands. So far as possible, however, all the
clothing should be hung from the shoulders, and under no
circumstances should heavy skirts be worn.

Shoes contribute toward health, or the lack of it, more significantly
than the average person realizes. It is particularly advisable that
prospective mothers should select foot-wear with care, because their
bodies are heavier than usual. The feet are apt to become swollen in
the latter months of pregnancy, and consequently the shoes should be
roomy, but should always fit. To escape the discomfort of tight
shoes, it is generally advisable to wear a shoe an inch longer and
broader than the foot at rest.

High heels have been proved a frequent cause of back-ache; half of
such cases, in all probability, may be thus explained. High heels
tilt the body forward in such a way that the erect posture can be
maintained only by an unnatural tenseness of the back-muscles. Some
strain of this kind is inevitable during the latter months of
pregnancy on account of the enlargement and the position of the womb;
it is reasonable, therefore, to minimize it by wearing low, broad
heels.

Besides being responsible for many cases of backache, high heels add
greatly to the danger of tripping and falling; for this reason alone
they should not be worn. Improper foot-gear and not the joints
themselves deserve the blame for weak ankles. To prevent "turning the
ankle," it is not necessary to restrict oneself to high shoes, but
merely to see that the shoes that are worn have low heels and broad
soles. Such shoes provide a sure, firm footing, and this the
prospective mother particularly needs.

CORSETS.--No question connected with women's dress has provoked so
much discussion as the use of corsets. "Are corsets necessary to
health?" has been differently answered by those who would appear to
be equally competent authorities. In the time of our savage ancestors
we may safely conclude that they were not used; and, therefore, it is
really a question as to whether their continued use for generation
after generation has finally made some support of this kind
indispensable to the average woman. While that matter has not as yet
been settled, it is obvious that custom is really responsible for the
conviction of many women that they appear slovenly without corsets.
On the other hand, not a few women, unmindful of fashion, never wear
them; they testify that they are healthier for doing so. Whether this
be true or not, no one can honestly believe that corsets will soon be
banished; and the practical problem is to distinguish between those
that may do good and those certain to do harm.

During pregnancy the abdomen tends to fall forward and slightly
downward, and though it is in pregnancies after the first that this
tendency is most marked, every prospective mother will be more
comfortable if she wears some sort of support to counteract what
physicians term a "pendulous abdomen." Such a condition can be
prevented by the use of several appliances, and the device best
suited to the case should be chosen. Those who have never become
accustomed to corsets will probably find a corset-waist or an
abdominal supporter the most comfortable and useful. But the average
young woman who has previously employed a sensible, well made, and
loosely fitting corset need make no change until the third or fourth
month of pregnancy. From then on she should wear a corset especially
designed to conform with the changes that naturally occur in the
figure.

There is a plan, wrong in principle, which many adopt. Reasoning that
it will be necessary to change the corset from time to time, and
desiring to practice economy, a number of women purchase the cheapest
corset at hand. This they replace with a larger one of the same style
from time to time. The result is that an improperly fitting garment
is worn continuously; and, in the end, this plan proves almost as
expensive as, and far less suitable than, a proper corset, which
would remain serviceable throughout pregnancy, or at least until a
few weeks before confinement.

Most, and probably all, of the injuries for which corsets are
responsible result from their misuse. Naturally serious consequences
may be expected if they are worn with the design of compressing the
abdomen so as to render pregnancy less noticeable or perhaps to
conceal it altogether. Thus worn, the corset becomes not only an
instrument of torture but a source of danger both to the mother and
to the child. Fortunately there are very few women who fail to
appreciate the risk of thus striving to disguise their condition; and
generally it is the needless discomfort, the trifling ills
thoughtlessly inflicted upon themselves, that prospective mothers
must be taught to avoid.

At present there are manufactured a number of excellent maternity
corsets; but there are also worthless types, and some likely to do
harm. To judge them fairly they must be examined with regard to
several requirements. In the first place the corset should not be
stiff and should always be capable of easy adjustment; it must never
interfere with the activity of any organ. As _enceinte_, the
French word meaning pregnant, signifies, the prospective mother
should be unbound. Tight clothing, as we have already remarked,
hinders the breathing movements; it also interferes with the action
of the heart, and occasionally causes the child to assume an
unfavorable position within the uterus. The adjustment of the
maternity corset to the progressive development of the body is
generally provided for by means of extra lacings down the sides, and
by the insertion of elastic material.

The maternity corset, in the next place, must support the enlarged
uterus. Correctly shaped and worn, it extends well down in front,
fits snugly around the hips, and arches forward so as to conform to
the curve of the abdomen. In place of the arching, or "cupping" as
manufacturers call it, some maternity corsets have attached to their
lower edge limp flaps of a strong fabric which lace together. The
maternity corset-waist also should extend well under the abdomen and
fit snugly around the hips.

Finally, the corset should support the bust; the unpleasant
sensations due to congestion of the breasts can be relieved most
successfully by elevating them. It is exceedingly important, however,
that the upper part of the corset should fit loosely, for otherwise
the development of the breasts may be hindered, and the nipples
depressed. As a further precaution against pressure above and also to
secure the proper amount of support below, it is generally advisable
to begin putting on the corset while lying down. In every case the
corset should be laced from below upward; if laced in the opposite
direction it fails to lift the womb and tends to push all the
abdominal organs downward.

Any kind of corset is likely to become uncomfortable toward the end
of pregnancy; and of course should then be discarded. An abdominal
supporter made of woven linen or rubber is frequently used to
advantage during the last three or four weeks. With the first
pregnancy the supporter is rarely necessary, but with subsequent ones
it is frequently useful as early as the sixth month and is
indispensable later. A substitute for the manufactured supporter can
be made at home. Some such device often facilitates turning in bed,
and on that account may be found even more useful at night than
during the day.

THE BREASTS.--Personal hygiene during pregnancy includes the
preparation of the breasts with a view to success in nursing. All
measures which promote the health of a prospective mother also serve
to equip her for the nursing period; and in that sense the directions
just given for the care of the body, as well as the rules to follow
in the next chapter regarding a wholesome way of living, bear
directly upon lactation. But there are also local measures to be
adopted, some of which, such as supporting the breasts and avoiding
constriction by the clothing, have already been mentioned. Finally,
the nipples must be toughened and, if short or flat, they must be
drawn out, for the best supply of milk will count for nothing if the
infant cannot nurse comfortably.

Some approved method of toughening the nipples so that they will not
be injured by the sucking efforts of the infant, no matter how
vigorous, should be begun eight weeks before the expected date of
confinement; to start earlier will do no harm, but it is quite
unnecessary. A number of procedures have been advocated, but in my
own experience the following simple method is the best. The nipples
are scrubbed for five minutes, night and morning, with soap and warm
water. Generally, a soft brush, such as a complexion-brush, is
satisfactory; but if this is too harsh, at first a wash cloth may be
used. After having been thoroughly scrubbed the nipples are anointed
with lanolin and covered with a small square of clean, old linen to
prevent soiling of the clothing.

Another method widely used, but somewhat less trustworthy, consists
in bathing the nipples and applying a dilute solution of alcohol.
Formerly brandy, whiskey, or cologne were recommended, but at present
the following solution is commonly used. A tablespoonful of powdered
boric acid is added to three ounces of water and thoroughly mixed.
This is poured into a six-ounce bottle, which is then filled with
grain alcohol (95 per cent). The solution is applied twice a day with
a small piece of absorbent cotton.

Well-formed nipples need only be toughened, but depressed nipples
require additional treatment; and this should be begun about the
middle of pregnancy. The old-fashioned way of making the nipple more
prominent was to cover it with the mouth of a bottle which had
previously been warmed. The vacuum created, as the bottle cooled,
drew the nipple out. Similarly, the bowl of a clay pipe was sometimes
placed over the nipple; the patient sucked the stem, the nipple was
drawn into the bowl, and with persistence day after day success was
often attained. A similar and somewhat more aesthetic procedure is
now employed. The nipple is seized between the thumb and finger and
alternately pulled out and allowed to retract. These manipulations,
if faithfully practiced for several months, generally make the nipple
prominent enough for the infant to grasp. Occasionally patients need
to wear a contrivance sold at instrument stores which consists of a
circular piece of wood modeled to fit the breast and perforated in
the middle to accommodate the nipple. The appliance should not be
used unless a physician thinks it necessary.

Directions regarding the care of the breasts are sometimes taken
lightly, yet such care is not a minor duty. Now and then a patient
will pass through pregnancy uneventfully, will be delivered without
difficulty, and will enter upon what promises to be a rapid
convalescence when her recovery is interrupted by the development of
inflammation of the breast. Because such a complication may be
prevented, its appearance is the more to be regretted. Furthermore,
the responsibility for its prevention usually rests with the patient
herself. If she has been conscientious in preparing the nipples and
continues to watch them throughout the nursing period, the annoyance
of an abscess will almost certainly be prevented.




CHAPTER VI


GENERAL HYGIENIC MEASURES

The Need of Fresh Air--Outdoor Exercise--Massage and Gymnastics--The
Influence of Work upon Pregnancy--Relaxation and Rest--Is Traveling
Harmful?--Mental Diversion.

Besides the hygienic measures described in the preceding chapter,
whose observance should be recognized as more or less obligatory,
there are more general questions of conduct, such as exercise,
relaxation, mental occupation, and amusement, which are also
important. These measures, although frequently determined merely by
personal inclination or by the force of circumstances, nevertheless
exert a tremendous influence upon health. This fact a prospective
mother is likely to realize, for she is certain to consider not only
her own welfare but also that of the expected child; and she is
consequently concerned about details of conduct that most persons
would regard as trivial. She may, indeed, be too conscientious. Well-
meaning friends, sometimes in reply to her questions and sometimes
without solicitation, offer her a great deal of advice. Their
counsel, aside from the fact that some of it may be misleading, may
have the effect of prescribing so many rules that, if she followed
them all, she would never lose sight of the fact that she is
pregnant. Such a degree of self-consciousness is certain to make her
unduly apprehensive. The proper attitude of mind is quite the
opposite; so far as possible the prospective mother should forget
that she is pregnant. This state of mind is really the more rational,
for if a woman's daily life has previously been in accord with such
simple rules of health as everyone should adopt, the existence of
pregnancy calls for very slight changes.

It does not, for example, condemn her to inactivity and seclusion,
for it is advisable to lead a moderately active life during
pregnancy. Of course, such obvious indiscretions as prolonged
exertion, violent exercise, and fatiguing journeys should be avoided,
for transgression of the laws of health brings its own punishment,
generally in the form of discomfort, more quickly, and often more
severely, during pregnancy than at other times. Yet, on the whole, it
is more frequently necessary to emphasize to prospective mothers what
they should do than what they should avoid. This happens to be the
case because, as a rule, they are inclined to become recluses. For
fear of attracting attention they often wish to give up outdoor
exercise during the day; they stay away from public places of
amusement, and deny themselves other pleasures to which they have
been accustomed. Against this tendency they must be warned, for if
they yield to it they will surely be the worse off both physically
and mentally. Every prospective mother should make up her mind to
enjoy recreation out of doors regardless of comments.

THE NEED OF PURE AIR.--Outdoor life has been so urgently advocated of
late that the public has come to appreciate its benefits almost as
fully as do physicians. The existence of pregnancy does not lessen,
but rather enhances, the value of fresh air; in order to enjoy the
best health during this period one should spend at least two hours
out of doors every day. Neither the season of the year nor the state
of weather should modify this obligation. If the sun is shining the
"airing" is more delightful, but it should be taken in bad weather
also, on a protected porch or in a room with the windows wide open.

Even when the injunction to be regularly out of doors is observed
women are accustomed to spend the greater portion of the day in the
house, and on that account special attention must be given to keeping
the air of the house pure. Ventilation takes care of itself in
summer, when the windows are open, but in cold weather, when in our
anxiety to keep the temperature comfortable we may overlook the need
of fresh air, it demands close attention. The necessity of
ventilation at all times is due, of course, to the composition of the
atmosphere and to the changes produced in it as we breathe.

The air about us is a mixture of gases, of which oxygen and nitrogen
are the most important. Although nitrogen, which constitutes four-
fifths of the atmosphere, is taken into our lungs in breathing, we
make no use of it, but breathe it out in precisely the same condition
as we take it in. As chemically combined in the food-stuff known as
protein, nitrogen is indispensable to animal life; but our bodies
make no use of the gaseous form of nitrogen. Oxygen, on the other
hand, supports life; and though it forms less than one-fifth of the
atmospheric air, it is present in ample amount for our needs. After
we draw air into our lungs, the oxygen it contains is absorbed by the
blood and used by the tissues. In return our tissues give up a waste
product, carbonic acid gas, which is thrown off by the lungs. It is
interesting to observe that the carbonic acid gas which animals
exhale supports the life of plants, and that the plants, under the
influence of sunlight, give back pure oxygen to the atmosphere.
Obviously, the complementary relation exhibited here is of mutual
benefit.

The average person uses about four bushels of air a minute.
Consequently, rooms that are occupied must be constantly replenished
with fresh air; otherwise the point is quickly reached where the
occupants are breathing an atmosphere that is not only poor in oxygen
but saturated with carbonic acid gas and other impurities conveyed by
the breath. Foul air such as this causes headache, dizziness,
faintness, nausea, and occasionally even more serious disturbances.
Those who live in "close" rooms day after day grow pale and languid;
their appetite fails and some of their natural power of resistance
against illness is lost. Many people are unhealthy simply because
they neglect to supply their living quarters with a steady stream of
air from the outside.

While it is impossible to keep the air in any room as pure as the
outside atmosphere, perfectly satisfactory ventilation can be easily
arranged. Some of the impure air in a house is always escaping of its
own accord and its place is taken by air from the outside. Thus, the
cracks around the windows and doors let bad air out and good air in;
and, besides, most building materials are porous. These natural
paths, however, must be supplemented. The simplest device for
ventilation, which is also the best, consists in opening a window at
the top and bottom. The width of the opening may be regulated so as
to permit the air in the room to change without occasioning
disagreeable drafts; if necessary the current may be broken by a
screen of some pervious material placed in the opening.

The bed-room should always be supplied with plenty, of fresh air,
which "quiets the nerves" and helps one to sleep soundly.
Furthermore, the temperature of the bed-room should be lower than the
temperature of rooms occupied during the day. Both these requisites
will be properly met by leaving a window open at night, which may be
done throughout the year in most climates, if one puts on enough
covering. There is no danger of catching cold from sleeping with the
window open; on the contrary, breathing fresh air day and night is
one of the best ways to prevent colds.

OUTDOOR EXERCISE.--Outdoor exercise is indispensable to good health.
It benefits not only the muscles, but the whole body. By this means
the action of the heart is strengthened, and consequently all the
tissues receive a rich supply of oxygen. Exercise also promotes the
digestion and the assimilation of the food. It stimulates the sweat
glands to become more active; and, for that matter, the other
excretory organs as well. It invigorates the muscles, strengthens the
nerves, and clears the brain. There is, indeed, no part of the human
machine that does not run more smoothly if its owner exercises
systematically in the open air; and during normal pregnancy there is
no exception to this rule. Only in extremely rare cases--those,
namely, in which extraordinary precautions must be taken to prevent
miscarriage--will physicians prohibit outdoor recreation and,
perhaps, every other kind of exertion. Under such circumstances the
good effects that most persons secure from exercise should be sought
from the use of massage.

The amount of exercise which the prospective mother should take
cannot be stated precisely, but what can be definitely said is this--
she should stop the moment she begins to feel tired. Fatigue is only
one step short of exhaustion--and, since exhaustion must always be
carefully guarded against, the safest rule will be to leave off
exercising at a point where one still feels capable of doing more
without becoming tired. Women who have laborious household duties to
perform do not require as much exercise as those who lead sedentary
lives; but they do require just as much fresh air, and should make it
a rule to sit quietly out of doors two or three hours every day. It
will be found, furthermore, that the limit of endurance is reached
more quickly toward the end of pregnancy than at the beginning; a few
patients will find it necessary to stop exercise altogether for a
week or two before they are delivered.