INFANCY. 
External hydrocephalus, which sometimes 
appears immediately after birth, is a very dis- 
tressing, and generally a very fatal disorder. 
A succession of blisters to different parts 
of the cranium, offers the best chance of 
cure. 
Internal hydrocephalus seldom takesplace 
before two, or after ten or twelve years of 
age. It may proceed from external injuries, 
from schirrous tumours, and excrescences 
within the scull, from a watery state of the 
blood, a diminished secretion of urine, a 
suddenly checked perspiration, or some lin- 
gering disease ; and there are not wanting 
instances of its being hereditary ; or, per- 
haps, it may be oftener referred to scrophula 
than to any other cause. 
In young children it frequently begins 
with cough, a quick pulse, difficult respira- 
tion, flushed cheeks, a discharge from the 
nose and eyes, with continual heat and cos- 
tiveness. The child often puts its hand to 
its head ; and, during sleep, picks its nose, 
and grinds its teeth ; the eyes are impatient 
of light, the vision imperfect, the counte- 
nance unmeaning, the hands tumid, and the 
fingers clinched. The most decided symp- 
toms, however, are an inclination to lie on 
the back, a dislike to be moved, an increase 
of pain on the head being raised, and an al- 
most continual drowsiness. 
Though generally fatal, there are many 
instances of cures being effected by medi- 
cines; of which, those most worth trying 
are, stimulant embrocations, blisters applied 
to the head and neck, active purgatives and 
diuretics, with the external use of mercurial 
ointment. Strong sneezing powders, as 
white hellebore, or the compound powder 
of asavum, have often been recommended, 
as well as electricity ; fox-glove, too, has 
been known to succeed, in conjunction, as 
it should, in this disease, always be given, 
with small doses of calomel. By the use of 
this conjoint plan, persevered in for a long 
time, and accompanied with frictions upon 
the scalp and spine of strong camphorated 
liniment, the writer of this article has seen 
many cases yield which were pronounced 
by several practitioners altogether intract- 
able. 
The last infantile disorder we shall notice 
is that of rickets. These generally show 
themselves, whenever they occur, between 
six months and two years of age. Rickets 
are evidently a disease of debility, and 
hence, whatever tends to debilitate, predis- 
poses the constitution to their attack. On 
this account they are often apt to arise from 
unhealthy parents, and especially mothers 
who pass a sedentary life, in unwholesome 
air, and feed on a weak and watery diet ; 
or from an improper nursing of children 
themselves, especially from their being kept 
wet, dirty, in a close damp air, and without 
due exercise. Hence they are most com- 
mon among the children of poor people in 
manufacturing towns, the disease having, in 
fact, never appeared in this country till 
manufactures began to flourish. Children 
begotten by men at a late period of life, or 
by those afflicted with gout, gravel, or other 
chronic diseases, or who have suffered much 
from venereal complaints, are also very 
subject to rickets. 
The disease first shows itself in a softness 
and flabbiness of the flesh ; the child’s 
countenance becomes bloated, or very 
florid, the belly and head enlarged, and the 
body debilitated; the pulse is quick and 
feeble, and the appetite and digestion bad. 
The teeth frequently rot early, and fall out; 
the wrists and ankles become unusually 
thick ; the spine, or back-bone, assumes an 
unnatural shape; the breast is often de- 
formed; and the bones of tlie arms and legs 
grow crooked. 
Weakness and relaxation being the cause 
of this disorder, its remedy must, of course, 
consist in promoting digestion, and in bra- 
cing and strengthening the solids. Hence 
nourishing, and especially animal food, with 
a little port wine, is the proper diet. Air and 
exercise are indispensably necessary ; the 
cold-bath, and if possible, of salt-water, will 
be of essential service, especially in sum- 
mer ; but it should not be entered on with- 
out previous purging. Frictions afterwards 
with flannel and aromatic powders, or lini- 
ments, or the fumes of frankincense, mas- 
tic, or amber, especially on the back and 
belly, will contribute to strengthen the 
habit. Bark, columbo, steel, and tincture 
of myrrh, are also to be recommended 
where they can be employed. If the child 
be of a gross habit, gentle emetics, with 
warm and active aperients, will be of use ; 
it being necessary to reduce the tympanum 
of tiie belly, and to strengthen the action of 
the intestinal canal. Though this complaint 
be seldom suddenly vanquished, yet by at- 
tention to regimen, and particularly to air 
and exercise, in conjunction with the medi- 
cal plan now prescribed, it will generally 
be overpowered by degrees. 
INFANT. From the observations daily- 
made on the actions of infants, as to their 
arriving at discretion, the law and customs 
