OF INFANCY. 387 



vigorous as tliofe who had been nurfed by their 

 mothers. 



After two or three months, when the child 

 has acqiiired Ibme ftrength, it may have food 

 fomewhat more folid, as flour baked with milk, 

 a fpecies of bread which gradually difpofes the 

 ftomach to receive common bread, and fuch o- 

 ther nourilhment as it mull afterwards be ac- 

 cuftomed to take. 



The confidence of liquid food is thus gradu- 

 ally increafed, that the child's ftomach may be 

 prepared to receive what is ftill more folid. In- 

 fants, during the tirfl year, are incapable of ma- 

 ftication. The rudiments of the teeth are flill 

 covered with the gums, which are fo fofr, that 

 they can have little effecf upon hard fubftances. 

 Some nurfes, eipecially among the common peo- 

 ple, firft chew the food, and then give it to their 

 children. Before relieding on this pradice, we 

 mufl throw afide every idea of dilguft, of wliich 

 children, at this age, have not the Icaft concep- 

 tion. They are equally difnofed to receive nou- 

 rishment from the mouth of the nurfc, as from 

 her brcaiis. This culloni feems to have origi- 

 nated from fomc natural inftind ; for we meet 

 with it in many countries which are exceedingly 

 remote from each other; as in Italy, in Turkey, 

 in moll parts of Afia, in America, in the Antilles, 

 in Canada, &c. As it is the only way by whicli 

 the (loinachs of ciiildren can be fupplicd witli a 

 proper quantity of faliva, 1 believe it is very ufe- 



B b 2 ' ful 



