[ 9: ] 
portion of deaths, as we fhall prove more particularly hereafter. 
The difeafe which carried off moft of thefe children, perhaps nine- 
teen of twenty, was general convulfions, or what our nurfe-tenders 
have been long in the habit of calling the nine-day fits, as con- 
ftantly occurring within the firft mine days after birth. As this 
difeafe has hitherto yielded to no remedy, I have been always 
more engaged in attending to its prevention than cure. I am 
chiefly indebted for its hiftory, therefore, to the united reports of 
feveral of out moft experienced nurfe-tenders. I took down their 
remarks feparately, and from the whole colleGed what follows. 
In general it has been obferved that fuch children as are difpofed 
to whine and cry much from their birth, and fuch as are fubje& to 
heavy deep fleeps, or ftartings in their fleep, are peculiarly apt to 
fall into convulfive affeGtions. Twifting of the upper extremities, 
while awake, without any evident caufe; a livid circle about the 
lips, and fudden changes of colour in the countenance, have now 
and then been thought to portend the mwe-day_ fits. Screwing and 
gathering of the mouth into a purfe, accompanied at intervals 
with a particular kind of {creeching, well known to the expe- 
rienced nurfe-tenders, are reckoned fure, and by no means diftant, 
forerunners. Sometimes previous to thefe fymptoms, and fome- 
timesalong with them, the infants aré obferved to be unufually 
greedy for fucking at.the breaft; or feeding by the fpoon ; laxatives 
given, in fuch fituations, feldom fail to operate freely, fometimes 
bringing away greenish, flimy, or knotty ftools ; though not unfre- 
quently they are of a natural yellow oldu as I rte have 
more than. once feen. 
N 2 GENERALLY 
