INFANCY. 



t{ an effeminate education will infallibly 

 spoil the best constitution, and if boys are 

 brought up in a more delicate manner 

 than even girls ought to be, they will 

 never be men." The same author, with 

 great justice, applauds the practice, of 

 late introduced, of teaching boys the mili- 

 tary exercise, as not only an admirable 

 mean of strengthening their body and 

 limbs, but of inspiring them with early 

 ideas of courage, and educating them so 

 that they may, at a future period, be 

 ready and able to defend their country in 

 case of emergency. 



To uniform exercise, add the use of the 

 cold bath : it will prove an admirable 

 auxiliary, and may be even a substitute 

 for exercise where it cannot be duly ob-' 

 tained ; and if the salt-water bath can be 

 had, it is certainly preferable. By gene- 

 ral immersion, the body is braced and 

 strengthened, the general circulation in- 

 creased, and all stagnation in the smaller 

 vessels prevented. The commencement 

 of this practice early will be the means 

 of preventing the appearance of many 

 constitutional diseases. It cannot be too 

 much inculcated, and has been in use 

 from time immemorial with those nations, 

 who have been most distinguished for the 

 enjoyment of health and vigour of consti- 

 tution. No prejudices, therefore, of the 

 mother or nurse, should prevent the use 

 of this salutary prophylactic ; and even 

 where it cannot be employed to its full 

 extent, still the extremities should be 

 every day bathed in cold water, and af- 

 terwards well dried, and the skin well 

 rubbed. In this view, boys, instead of 

 being prevented by their fond and fearful 

 mothers, should, on every account, be en- 

 couraged to learn and practise the salu- 

 brious and useful exercise of swimming. 



Diseases of Infants. 



The diseases of infantile life are very 

 numerous, and some of them very com- 

 plicated. It would be absurd to attempt 

 a discussion of the whole of these with- 

 in the limits of a narrow, and what is 

 merely designed as a popular, essay. We 

 shall confine ourselves, therefore, to those 

 alone, which are more common or more 

 manageable, and a general knowledge of 

 the nature of which may enable the 

 mother to co-operate with the intention 

 of the medical practitioner, whom she 

 may find it expedient to consult. These 

 we shall arrange under the heads syncope; 

 retention of meconium ; jaundice ; cos- 

 tiveness ; looseness ; acidity, and flatu- 

 Jence ; thrush ; cutaneous eruptions ; den- 



tition ; convulsions ; and rickets, For 

 the rest, we must refer the reader to their 

 regular classification, under the article 

 MEDICINE. 



The process of birth is, at times, at- 

 tended with difficulty and danger, and 

 especially exhaustion to the child, as well 

 as to the mother : and as the latter, upon 

 delivery, experiences occasionally syn- 

 cope, or fainting, so does the former not ' 

 unfrequently : its life, when first born, 

 appears feeble and uncertain, and the 

 only proof of animation is derived from 

 the pulsation of the navel-string. Gene* 

 rally the infant soon recovers from this 

 state, and without relapse. But at times 

 the syncope continues four hours ; the in- 

 fant gasps faintly, and then evinces no 

 sensible appearance of respiration for ten 

 minutes, or even longer ; occasionally the 

 face is languid and pale, but sometimes 

 suffused with blood : this attack may also 

 repeatedly recur. 



The only remedies here are gentle 

 stimulants and cordials. The nostrils and 

 temples, as well as the hands and feet, 

 may be rubbed with a little volatile salt, 

 and as soon as swallowing is practicable, 

 a little wine may be administered, con- 

 taining a few drops of volatile tincture of 

 valerian. These remedies may be repeat- 

 ed every two or three hours till recovery 

 take place : after which, stools should be 

 obtained by means of a clyster, or a tea- 

 spoonful of castor oil. 



The name of meconium is given to the 

 first contents of the bowels of children, 

 consisting of a black, pitchy matter, high- 

 ly tenacious. This usually passes away 

 within a day or two after birth, and if re- 

 tained beyond this period, proves the 

 source of very troublesome complaints. 

 This substance, it is clear, whatever be its 

 cause or intention, is no longer useful af- 

 ter the child is born, and should be dis- 

 charged as soon as possible ; to which, 

 from its own irritating nature, there is 

 constantly a tendency. But, in certain 

 cases, from the torpor of the bowels, or 

 its own unusually viscid or clammy state, 

 this discharge is delayed, and irritation, 

 pain, and griping ensue. If the first milk, 

 therefore, do not prove laxative, and bring 

 it away, a tea-spoonful of castor oil should 

 be given once, or oftener, till the bowels 

 be disburdened, and the symptoms of un- 

 easiness entirely cease. 



It has been common, indeed, even at 

 birth, antecedently to its discharge, to 

 administer a gentle laxative for this pur- 

 pose ; nor can there be any objection to 

 that practice, however reprobated by 

 some physicians. A little syrup of roses 





