1804.) 
Ahere is any probability that the fabled 
‘fon of Calliope may have obtained ac- 
-crfs to the Volume of the Hebrew Pro- 
-phets, and fometimes have lighted his 
torch at their facred fire. 
GRECULUS. 
Edinburgh, 10 Fan. 1804. 
a 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
S I think. every thing which con, 
A cerns the rifing generation of: im- 
porcanee to fociety, I take the liberty, 
by means of your Magazine, to convey a 
few hints whieh I hope may tend to 
meliorate that-ftate of infancy whieh we 
fee fo frequently thortened by -difeafe, 
‘owing .to improper food in the firft 
smonths. The method of feeding young 
infants with milk and water, veal-tea, 
and vaaious other things in preference to 
the pap of our grandmothers—has been 
very much recommended by feveral emi- 
nent phyficiqns; but I am afraid, many 
of my filter matrors are fill too much 
under the influence of the good old nurfes, 
to pe fevere in oppoftion to what they 
fay mult be the get, becaufe fo many 
hundreds have been brought up with it, 
and dose well—and with the beft inten- 
tions pofiible, are as fearful of any inno- 
‘vation in their province, as the moft 
pious bifhop on the bench. Iam defirous 
of earnettly recommending from my own 
happy experience the adoption of barley- 
water and milk, in preterence to every 
ether food I have ever met with; till an 
antantas four months old. J mutt re‘are 
_ the contet J had with the good folks 
about me, and my own perleverance, in 
‘erder to iufrate. my fubject properly. 
I had pretznted my hufband with three 
very fine children, which were fed in the 
good old way Jaid down by my nurte. 
The intants were every one of tmem fo 
fabjeét to wind in the ftomach and bowe's, 
that it was abfolutely necefiary to have a 
carminative medic ne always at hand to 
adminitter. I bad nearly loft them all 
with watery gripés, when they were abour 
three months old. Before my confine. 
mcnt the founth time, I was recommended 
by a friend to try the barley-water and 
milk. I mentioned my determination to 
my nurfez; fhe affured me it would not 
be fuficient nourifhment, but it fhould 
be made; a few days afterward I ob- 
ferved fome rice boiling ; the faid ir was 
neceflary on acconot of the infant being 
too much relaxed by the dbaney ;. in 
another, day or two fome oatmeal was 
boiled, the rice was too binding. I in- 
Direttions for the Food of Tnfaits. 
iil 
fifted on the barley viétuals being adhered 
to, but I found I could gain no ground 
in the argument; and I was then too 
helplefs to take an ative part in the ma- 
nagement of my infant. However, when 
T got down ftairs,:I one afternoon heaftd 
fomething beating in a’ faucepan, and, 
fufpecting the matter, I went our. All was 
fill—I intifted on fteing what the cook 
had been preparing ;—when fhe produced 
a pint of very nice pap. On my being 
extremely angry at her impertinence in 
daring to make it after my exprefs orders 
to the contrary ; fhe affu‘ed me, fhe had 
regularly made the fame quantity every 
day by defire of the nurle, who faid it 
was very wrong to try experiments on 
fo young a child, and the was fure it 
would dze if I were fo inhuman as to give 
it fuch poor fluff; befides, the child would 
tire of having the fame food conftanily. 
T felt mytelf very much irritated at not 
being ailowed a fair trial of the food, and 
immediately threw the pap away; and 
told them all, that the firft perfon I faw 
make any more, I would inftantly dif 
charge from my fervice. I attended the 
feeding of the child confantly myfelf 
afterwards ; and had the pleafure to ob- 
ferve that the wind and gripes never re- 
turned ; the child grew up much ftronger 
than the former ones, and of courfe was 
nurfed with lefs trouble and care. I have, 
fince that, reared four more, to whom I 
have never given any other food what- 
ever, till they were four months old: one 
of thefe had not the breait at all, and i¢ 
proved quite fuflicient even forher, My 
method’ of making it is as follows :— 
To three defler:-{poonsfull of nearl-barley 
(firft wafhed) add three pints of water, 
which boil up as quick as pulfible, till it 
is of the coniitlence of cream; every time 
the child is fed, about a tea-cup full of 
thas fhould be made hot, and cooled with 
one third of new milk, increafing the 
quantity of mJk as the infant’s fomach 
can bear it; then f{weeten it with a little 
moilt fugar. It fhould never be heated a 
fecond time, as it will curdle the milk, 
and by that means render it leis nutriti- 
ous. At the end of four months I begin 
to vary their food, by giving a {mall 
boiled cuftard madei by flirring the yoke 
of one egg and a little grated ginger 
into’ {ome milk over the fire till it thick- 
ens, taking care that it does not, curdie. 
This given by way of dinner is fufiicient 
fora month longer; after that, make it a 
littleymore fubftantial, by adding a little 
flour. Since I have purfued this method 
Ihave never had a carminative in ay + 
hovle 
Q2 
* 
