202 THEPHILOSOPHY 



of them died in the firft year, more than a third in two years, and 

 at leaft one half at the end of the third yeai-. Mr Simpfon made 

 this experiment upon children born in London. But the mortahty 

 of children is not nearly fo great in every place; for M. Dupre de 

 S. Maur, by a number of experiments made in France, has fhown, 

 that one half of the children born at the fame time are not extiniJ: 

 in lefs than feven or eight years. 



To treat of the difeafes of children, or to enter minutely into the 

 caufes which contribute to the great mortality of mankind in early 

 infancy, is no part of our plan. In general, thefe caufes are to be 

 referred to unnatural pradices in the management of children, in- 

 troduced by fuperftition, by ignorance, and by foolifh notions arifing 

 from over-refinement, from prejudice, and from hypothetical fyftems, 

 while the oeconomy and analogy of Nature, in the condudt and fi- 

 tuation of the inferior animals, are almofl: totally negleded. Every 

 animal, except the human fpecies, brings forth its young without 

 any foreign aid. But incredible numbers of children, as well as of 

 mothers, are daily maimed, enfeebled, and deftroyed, by the igno- 

 rance and barbarity of midwives and accoucheurs. An infant is no 

 fooner brought into the world than it is crammed with phyfic. Na^ 

 lure's medicine for cleanfing the bowels of infants is the milk of the 

 mother. But midwives abfurdly imagine that drugs will anfwer 

 this purpofe much better. All other animals that give fuck nurfe 

 their own offspring : But we too frequently delegate this tender aijd 

 endearing office to flrange women, whofe conftitutions, habits of 

 life, and mental difpofuions, are often totally different from thofe of 

 the genuine parent. Infants, recently after birth, frequently fuffer 

 from giving them, inftead of the mother's milk, wine-whey, water- 

 gruel, and fimilar unnatural kinds of nourifhraent. In this period 

 of their exiftence, however, very little food, but a great deal of reft, 

 is neceffary for promoting their health, and fecuring their eafe and 



tranquillity J 



