388 o F I N F A N C Y. 



ful to them. If the nurfe chews a bit of bread, 

 it is foaked In her faliva, which renders it fitter 

 for nourilhment than if it had been diluted in 

 any other liquor. This pradlice, however, is 

 lannecefTary after children are furniihed with 

 teeth, vvdiich enable them to chew their food, 

 and to mix it with their own faliva. 



The incifores, or cutting teeth, are eight in num- 

 ber, four in each jaw, and they generally appear 

 about the feventh month, though, infome cafes, 

 not till the end of the firft year. Thefe teeth 

 are often nremature ; for feme children have 

 them at birth, and foeiufes have been found 

 with teeth completely formed long before the or- 

 dinary time of geiiation is fmiflied. 



The rudiments of the teeth are lodged in foc- 

 kets, and covered with the gums: In the procefs 

 of their growth, they extend their roots to the 

 bottom of the focket, and break through the 

 gums. This procefs obferves not the ordinary 

 laws of Nature, which act continually on the hu- 

 man body, without occafipning any painful fen- 

 fation. Here Nature makes a violent and pain- 

 ful eBort, v.'h'ch is often attended with fatal 

 confequences. fihildren, v/hen teething, lole 

 their ufual f})rightlinefsj and become pecvifli and 

 fretful. I'he iiums arc at firft red and fwel- 

 led; and, when tlie circulation of the blood is 

 nearly uopped by the preifure of the teeth , 

 they turn v.hitiili. Children perpetually apply 

 their fingers to the afiecled part, in order to re- 

 move 



