INFANCY. 
those nations who have been most distin- 
guished for the enjoyment of health and vi- 
gour of constitution. No prejudices, there- 
fore, of the mother or nurse, should pre vent 
the use of this salutary prophylactic ; and 
even where it cannot be employed to its 
full extent, still the extremities should be 
every day bathed in cold water, and after- 
wards well dried, and the skin well rubbed. 
In this view, boys, instead of being pre- 
vented by their fond and fearful mothers, / 
should, on every account, be encouraged to 
learn and practise the salubrious and use- 
ful exercise of swimming. 
Diseases of Infants, 
The diseases of infantile life are very nu- 
merous, and some of them very compli- 
cated. It would be absurd to attempt a 
discussion of the Whole of these within the 
limits of a narrow, and what is merely de- 
signed as a popular essay. We shall con- 
fine ourselves, therefore, to those alone, 
which are more common or more manage- 
able, and a general knowledge of the nature 
of which, may enable the mother to co-ope- 
rate with the intention of the medical prac- 
titioner whom she may find it expedient to 
consult. These we shall arrange under the 
heads syncope ; retention of meconium ; 
jaundice ; costiveness ; looseness ; acidity, 
and flatulence; thrush; cutaneous erup- 
tions; dentition; convulsions; and rickets. 
For the rest, we must refer the reader to 
their regular classification, under the arti- 
cle Medicine. 
The process of birth is, at times, attended 
with difficulty and danger, and especially 
exhaustion to the child, as well as to the 
mother : and as the latter, upon delivery, 
experiences occasionally syncope, or faint- 
ing, so does the former not unfreqnently 
its life, when first born, appears feeble and 
uncertain, and the only proof of animation 
is derived from the pulsation of the navel- 
string. Generally the infant soon recovers 
from this state, and without relapse. But 
at times the syncope continues for hours ; 
the infant gasps faintly, and then evinces 
no sensible appearance of respiration, for 
ten minutes or even longer; occasionally 
the face is languid and pale, but sometimes 
suffused with blood : this attack may also 
repeatedly recur. 
The only remedies here are gentle stimu- 
lants and cordials. The nostrils and tem- 
ples, as well as the hands and feet, may be 
rubbed with a little volatile salt, and as 
soon as swallowing is practicable, a little 
wine may be administered, containing a 
few drops of volatile tincture of valerian. 
These remedies may be repeated every 
two or three hours till recovery take place: 
after which, stools should be obtained by 
means of a clyster, or a tea-spoonful of cas- 
tor oil. 
The name of meconium is given to the 
first contents of the bowels of children con- 
sisting of a black, pitchy matter, highly te- 
nacious. This usually p isses away within 
a day or two after birth, and if retained be- 
yond this period, proves the source of very 
troublesome complaints. This substance, 
it is clear, whatever be its cause or inten- 
tion, is no longer useful after the child is 
born, and should be discharged as soon as 
possible ; to which, from its own irritating 
nature, there is constantly a tendency. 
But, in certain cases, from the torpor of 
the bowels, or its own unusually viscid, or 
clammy state, this discharge is delayed, and 
irritation, pain, and griping ensue. If the 
first milk, therefore, do not prove laxative, 
and bring it away, a tea-spoonful of castor 
oil should be given once, or oftener, till the 
bowels be disburdened, and the symptoms 
of uneasiness entirely cease. 
It has been common, indeed, even at 
birth, antecedently to its discharge, to ad- 
minister a gentle laxative for this purpose; 
nor can there be any objection to that prac- 
tice, however reprobated by some physi- 
cians. A little syrup of roses will generally 
be sufficient; or, in the country, a little 
fresh whey and honey . Should a stronger lax- 
ative be required, then the castor oil may be 
recommended, or a watery infusion of rhu- 
barb, cannot fail to answer the effect. But 
should they be slow in producing the ease 
and freedom from pain, for which they are 
intended, and no stools have been procured 
for twelve or fourteen hours after birth, a 
clyster may be thrown up, and repeated at 
the distance of a few hours, which will an- 
swer every purpose, and the discharge once 
begun, and the bowels brought into action, 
the meconium will gradually pass off, for se- 
veral days, without any further trouble. 
Jaundice is a disease to which infants, at 
birth, are very subject, and may be said to 
take place always to a certain degree. It 
is easily known by the tinge of the skin, 
and more particularly the saffr on hue of the 
eye. The nails, however, are not here co- 
loured, as with adults ; but the yellowness 
of the complexion gradually increases, as in 
other cases. 
This disorder is evidently the effect of a 
