386 OF INFANCY. 



For the firft two months, the infant llioulcl 

 receive no other food than the milk of the mo- 

 ther or nurfe ; and, if irs conftitution be deli- 

 cate, this nourifliment alone Ihould be continued 

 durin[5 the third and fourth month. A child, 

 hou'everrobuft, maybe injured, if any other food 

 be adminiflcred before the end of the firil month. 

 In Holland, in Italy, in- Turkey, and through 

 the whole Levant, children are allowed no other 

 food during the firft year. The favages of Ca- 

 nada nurfe their children four or five, and fome- 

 times {\k or feven years. In our country, as 

 moit nurfeshave not a liifficient quantity of miik 

 to fatisfy the dcfircs of their children, in order 

 to fpare it, they give them, even from the be- 

 ginning, a compoiition of boiled bread and milk. 

 This nourifhmcnt appeafcs hunger ; but, as the 

 flomach and inteflincs are yet too weak to di- 

 geft fuch a grofs, vilcid fiibftance, the children 

 are greatly hurt [>y it, and often die of indige- 

 stion. 



The milk of animals, in cafes of neceflity, 



may fipply that of the mother: But then the 

 chdd Ihould be obliged to fuck the animal's teat, 

 tliat It may receive the milk in an equal and pro- 

 }^cr degree of heat, and that, by tlie adlion of 

 the mufcles in fucking, the miik may be mixed 

 with fdiva, which greatly promotes digeition, 

 I have known fcveial peafants who had no other 

 •iuirfcs than ewes J and yet they were equally 



vitroroHS 



