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are commonly fuppofed to originate from acrimony in the 

 fluids. It is not eafy to conceive how acrimony is £o fre- 

 quently generated in the blood of infants, nourifhed by the 

 mildeft of all fluids. It is a vulgar fuppofition that thefe dif- 

 eafes are often occafioned by improprieties in the diet and 

 condudl of hireling nurfes ; but they often happen to infants 

 fuckled by the mother, where no fufpicion of impropriety can 

 be entertained : nay, the fame tendency is obferved in infants 

 fed on fpoon meat. I have been frequently tempted to think 

 that nature intended fuch eruptions to carry off fuperfluous or 

 redundant fluids from the conftitution of infants ; hence, per- 

 haps, it is that they are moft frequently to be met with among 

 large infants, of a full habit. Viewing the fubjedl in this 

 light, one would be naturally inclined to encourage the dif- 

 charge from fuch eruptions ; with me foap and water is a 

 favourite application; by waftiing ofi" filth, which obftrucfls 

 the pores, it allows a free exit both to perfpiration and to 

 the difcharge from the ulcerated parts ; it alleviates the itch- 

 ing, which is not only very troublefome, but abfolutely 

 injurious to the infant's health, by interrupting its fleep. All 

 ointments and greafy applications, having a contrary tendency 

 to foap and water, feem to me objedllonable. By difcharging 

 freely, the cutaneous complaints under confideration often 

 run their courfe with fafety in a few weeks, and the patient 

 is reft:ored to health without the ufe of any internal medi- 

 cine. When, however, the general health feems to be impaired, 

 and the violence of fymptoras renders medicine neceflary, I 

 have not found any remedy to be put in competition with 



B 2 calomeL 



