What is baby’s condition at the fifth month?  He is now a bright lively fellow, and may sit in a half upright position in his carriage or in his chair for a short time each day.  When in his chair he should be tied in, a soft pad or pillow should be at his back to support him.  He now enjoys exercise on a bed or in a large clothes basket, and may even have one toy at a time to play with.  Do not shake rattles at him.  It tires him.  His naps now grow shorter gradually, but he should take two daily; a long one of two or three hours in the morning and about one hour in the afternoon.  He should not sleep late in the afternoon, or he will not sleep as well at night.  He now “drools.”  This is a sign of teeth coming, and baby will bite his fingers and put everything he can hold in his mouth.  He may form the sucking habit now, and if he does, put a small toy in his hand, or dip his thumb in a solution of quinine or aloes.  The habit of thumb sucking is an ugly one.  Another way to stop it is to bind a piece of cardboard on the arm and long enough to reach a little above or below the elbow.  Then the arm cannot be bent.

Should the baby use an ivory or rubber ring to bite on when teething?  A special cracker is now made in the form of a ring; it is quite hard and composed mostly of malt sugar and is intended for teething babies to bite on.

Mothers’ remedies.-1.  Teething, What One Quebec Mother did for.—­“Rub paregoric on the gums.  This always eased my children.”

2.  Teething, Novel Canadian Method to Aid in.—­“Put a thimble on your finger and when holding the baby rub his gums gently with it, and let him chew on it.  This cuts the gums and starts bleeding when the baby doesn’t think of it.”

How early should a baby be able to sit and stand alone?  At seven to eight months he is usually able to sit erect and support his body.  He first attempts to bear the weight upon his feet at nine to ten months, and at eleven to twelve months babies can stand without assistance.

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When should a child walk without help?  At twelve to thirteen months he attempts to walk.  At fifteen to sixteen months the average child is able to run alone.

What conditions postpone this?  Premature birth, a delicate constitution, or prolonged illness and especially chronic or digestive disturbances.  Rickets is a common sign of late sitting, standing or walking.

Should you urge a child to walk?  No; his muscles and bones may not be ready.  He will walk soon enough if able.

How early does a child begin to talk?  Generally a child can say papa and mamma at one year.  The end of the second year the average child is able to put words together in short sentences.

If a child does not attempt to talk in two years, what should be suspected?  Child may be a deaf-mute or mentally deficient.  It is sometimes seen in children who are very backward.