OF NATURAL HISTORY. 201 



by allowing it any other nourifliment before the end of the firft 

 month. In Holland, in Italy, in Turkey, and over the whole Le- 

 vant, children, during the firft year, are not permitted to tafte any 

 other food. The Canadian favages nurfe their children four or five 

 years, and fometimes fix or feven. -In cafes of neceffity, the milk of 

 quadrupeds may fupply that of the mother. But, in fuch cafes, the 

 child fhould be obfiged to fuck the animal's teat ; for the degree of 

 heat is always uniform and proper, and the milk, by the aftion of 

 the mufcles, is mixed with the faliva, which is a great promoter of 

 digeftion. Several robuft peafants have been known to have had no 

 other nurfes than ewes. After two or three months, children may 

 be gradually accuftomed to food fomewhat more folid than milk. 

 Before the teeth fhoot through the gums, infants are incapable of 

 maftication. During that period, therefore, it is obvious that Na- 

 ture intended they fhould be nouriftied folely by foft fubftances. 

 But, after they are furniflied with teeth, it is equally obvious, that 

 they fhould occafionally be allowed food of a more folid texture. 



The bodies of infants, though extremely delicate, are lefs affeded 

 by cold than at any other period of life. This efTedt may be pro- 

 duced by the fuperior quicknefs in the pulfation of the heart and 

 arteries which takes place in fmall animals. The pulfe of an infant 

 is more frequent than that of an adult. The pulfe of a horfe, or of 

 an ox, is much flower than that of a man ; and the motion of the 

 heart, in very fmall animals, as that of a linnet, is fo rapid that it is 

 impolTible to count the flrokes. 



The lives of children, during the firft three or four years, are ex- 

 tremely precarious. After that period, their exiftence becomes gra- 

 dually more certain. According to Simpfon's tables of the degrees 

 of mortality at different ages, it appears, that, of a certain number 

 of infants brought forth at the fame time, more than a fourth part 

 t C c ' of 



