BESIDEStheexternalandinternal Excrementsmention’d in the foregoingChapter, theInfantin a few days afterBIRTH, pukes up a certain Sort ofviscid Phlegm; for which Reason it ought to have noSUCKuntil thisHumourbe evacuated, lest theMilkincorporating with that Matter,bothshould corrupt: To prevent which Inconveniency,someorder a littleOil of sweet Almonds by Expression, and a small Quantity ofSugar-Candy, or a little freshButterandHoneymixed.
INSTEAD of which, however, I have seen someJewish Matronsgive also the new-bornChildfor the first Thing, a littleSaltdissolv’d and mix’d in a Spoonful ofHysop, orSaxifrage-Water; which (tho’ no improperPrescriptionin itself) yet I conceive their chief Reason for it to proceed fromEzek.16. 4. where theLordsumming up the Duty of theMIDWIFE, says,Thou wast not salted at all, &c. Again farther——
THE LearnedArnoldus de Villa Nova, advises us to give theCHILD, for the first Thing, half a Scruple of finepulverized Coralin a little of theWoman’s MILK; and that (says he) to preventFITS, to which new-bornChildrenare very subject.
ALLwhich may be indifferently us’d, according to Pleasure, tho’ I take a small Spoonful ofSugar’d Wine, given twice or thrice a day, for the first four or five days running, to be the most preferableRemedyfor Prevention: By reason that theWinecuts and loosens theAcid Humour, preparing afterwards byConcoctionandDigestionwhat remains, as theSugartemperates and helps to expurge theAcrimony: Which being duly done, I would order theInfantalways to rest, laying it not on itsBack, but on itsSide, that thismorbifick Mattermay be the more commodiously voided by theMouth, as already precautioned inChap.7.——
THISHumourbeing then thus prepared and discharg’d, theBreastof some other clean and soundWomanmay be given theCHILD, until theMother’s Milkbe purified for its properUse; which it can scarce be supposed to be, before theDissolutionof theMILK-FEVER, that is before theninth dayafterDELIVERY: From which time, it is to be maintain’d and nourish’d for the first three or fourMonthsbyBREAST-MILKonly; augmenting however itsAllowancefrom day to day, in proportion to itsAgeandStrength, that the weakStomachmay never be overloaded, so as to occasionVomiting, or (which is worse) aDIARRHÆA: To prevent whichInconveniency, lettheINFANTrathersuck often, and alittle at a Time, than too much at once.
AFTERthese first Months are over, a little thinPAPmay be given it every Morning, and in time twice a day; which is commonly made ofFlowerandMilk, orAle, with a littleSugarandButter: But becauseFLOWERis of itselfhumidandviscid, and may not only occasionPainsandObstructions, but also, engenderGravelandWorms, it ought to be first welldryedin a new or clean earthenPotin anOven; or, what is better, thePapmay be made of theCrumbof a Loaf: Which Diet is properly observ’d, until the time ofTeething, laying it still, a little after itsMeal, to rest upon itsSide, or now and then upon itsBack, with theHeada little rais’d; however not in theBedwith theNurse, for fear of overlaying it, but in aCradleclose by herBed-side; always very carefully covering theChild’sFace, that theLightmay not offend its tenderEyes, and render them any waysdistortedorgoggled: And as theInfantmay be brought up by theHandwithoutSuckling, so it may easily be accustomed to Sleep withoutRocking. But be that as it will, as soon as theCHILDis furnish’d withTeeth, it is proper by degrees to use it to a little more solidFood, such asBreadand tenderMeatsorFleshes, however, a little chewed by theNURSE: In the mean time noCrude, orMeatsof hardDigestion, are to be allow’d it, becausesuchThings produce aCorruptionofHumours, whenceWormsengender, and other various, grievous, and irregularSymptomsarise.
BUTbefore I proceed farther, I ought to observe, that the Duty of the Nurse does not consist entirely in the abovesaid Conditions; for theBABEmust be as dulywashedandshifted,unswaddledandreswaddledasFed: Wherefore from theBirth, until the third or fourthMonth, it ought to beloosedandwashedall over inwarm Watertwice or thrice a day, before the warm Fire; as also in the night time if necessary, that theAcrimonyof theExcrementsmay not offend it: Upon which at everysingular Occasion, theNursemay alsorubits tender Body gently, not only for the betterConcoctionof itsAliment, but also for strengthening and consolidating itsMembers; which Offices being all carefully and affectionately done, theInfantis to beshiftedtoties quoties, and orderly reswaddled in clean, dry and warmCloutsandBlankets. However yet, from the third Month until theTeething-Time, the Body needs only bewashed once a day, or (if you please) every other day; as from thence forward it may only betwice a Week.
MOREOVER, when theCHILDbegins to use itsHandsandFeet, if it moves briskly from place to place, it is a good Sign of a strong and livelyConstitution; as it is theReverse, when it sits torpidly or drowsily still and unactive. Which notwithstanding, thesebrisk INFANTSare not to be allow’d suchMotionstoo soon, I mean not to use theirFeetprematurely or too fast, as many ignorant Nurses commonly encourage them to do: Because by these means, their tender Legs may be easily distorted or become crooked. Whereas when they are more firm and well-grown, they may be learned to walk by the help of theNurse’sHand, or of aLeading-String; as afterwards they may be inur’d to walk of themselves, by the means of a smallVehicleorChariot, as is generally well known in populous Places.
ASto the time ofAblactation, or weaning theCHILDfrom theBreast, it is not always the same;somebeing more robust and lively thanothers, and consequently may be soonerwean’d; butothersare more weak and tender, and accordingly require longer time of theBreast. However this be, theInfantought not to be wean’d before it has its compleatSett of Teeth;becauseif sooner, it can no ways duly prepare itsVICTUALSby theMouth, forConcoctionin theSTOMACH, which may be of very bad Consequence; Besides, in the time ofTeething, especially about theEruptionof those call’d theDog-Teeth, theChildis subject toFevers, Pains of theGums, and various otherSymptoms, which would certainly be of moreDangerby far, if it was at thatJunctureto be deprived of theBreast.
OTHERWAYS, I take the due and proper Time forWeaningtheInfant, to be about the 18th or 24thMonth, rather longer than shorter; because it surely finds the Benefit of this proper and benignAlimentall the Days of its Life. Yet at what time soever it happens to be done, theChildis not on a sudden to be accustomed todifferent sortsofVictuals, but rather, while it yetSucks, to be gradually brought to theUseof what is most convenient for itsNutrition, such asHenorChicken-Broth, or theSoupof other Meats, mix’d with a littleCrumb of Bread; or aSoupmade of Ale, andCrumbs, with a littleFresh-Butter, which is of excellentNourishment: As before, or about the Time that theInfantis to beWean’d, a little halfchew’d Meatof any Sort, providedsweetandfresh, may be given it for a goodweaning Repast.
UPONthis Head, I shall only farther observe, that theAblactation, or Weaning, always happens more conveniently in theSpringorAutumn, than in theSummerorWinter, andthatmore auspiciously with theencreasingthan with thedecreasing Moon: Andthis, because otherways, besides theAlterationwhich happens to theChildfrom the Change of itsDietandAliment, another may easily affect it from theCalidityorFrigidityof theAmbient Air.
BUTbesides, in short, that theInfantmay be the better and the more readilyWean’d, theNurse’sNipplesmay be anointed with the freshJuice of Wormwood; or with aLinimentof the sameJuice,HoneyandAloes; or any other properIngredients, discreetly us’d, that its tenderLipsorGumsmay not be inflam’d, nor the weakStomachhurt or offended. However, the better way is, that theNursewithdraw herself from theChild’sPresence; upon which it is to be plentifullyfed, as already advis’d, allowing it a littleAle, but noWine, for its Drink.
NOWas to theDietandRegimenofChildrenfromAblactationto the firstSeventh Year of their Age, I would farther observe, that it differs yet altogether from that of moreadult Persons, since their infirmHabitsand tenderBodiescan no way tolerate, or withstand the consequentialEffectsof an irregularDiet, or an ErroneousRegimen: Besides this Age requiresVictualsfrequently, andthatnot only what is sufficient forNutriment, but also forGrowth: And moreover they ought still to be now and thenbathedorwashedat Times.
BUTtouching theAffectionsandPassionsof their Minds, greatCaremust be taken, that they be not provoked toWrathorAnger, nor frighted with fearfulNotionsorPhantasms; since such Things make strongImpressionsupon their soft Bodies, and frequently giveOrigintoConvulsions,Epilepsies, &c. However, asChildrenare naturally more prone toEvilthan toGood, and toVicerather than toVirtue, they are not to be too much indulged; but from theirInfancyupwards, all such perverseFacultiesandPassionsof Mind are to be so curbed and moderated, that they may become subservient and obedient toReason; andthatbecause this veryAgeis the proper Time to lay theFoundationof their future goodQualitiesandDisposition, agreeable to theRulesandPræscriptsof a right rationalOeconomy.
I knowThisis sometimes accounted a hardTask, but if we consider that theWhelpsof SavageBearsandLionsmay be so tamed, as to obey theMotionsof theirKeeper, how much more easily may theSonsofMenbe inur’d to follow theLawsof rightReason? TheirPassionfirst discover themselves most commonly byCryingandTears, tho’ sometimes also otherways; wherefore suchFitsofAngerorPassionought to be prudently reprehended in them;and when neitherAdmonitionsnorCommandsmay prevail, thenThreatsought to take place, that allFrowardnessandObstinacymay be stifled in theBud; for the Mind ofYouthmay be justly compar’d to aMassofWaxorClay, on which we may readilystampwhatImpressionwe please to make.
FORtheseReasons, theirAttendants, or such other Persons as may be occasionally aboutChildren, ought carefully to avoiddoingorsayinganymean,baseorvile Thing, especially in their Presence or to their Knowledge; since here theold Proverbholds most true, that,we are drawn by Precept, but led by Example. Wherefore to moderate and mitigate theirPassions,Childrenought to be allowed properDiversions, and suchExercisesof Body as theirAgeandConstitutionwill permit; andthatalso, because if they were to be brought up lazily or sluggishly, withoutMotionorExercise, theirVictualswhich is now commonly given them both plentifully and frequently, could not possiblydisperseitself nordigest, upon which theinnate Heatwould infallibly suffer a sensibleDecay.
THESEThings being duly observed, it now only farther remains, that theChildbe well train’d up, and carefully educated; instilling all along into its Mind thePrinciplesofHumanityandMorality, and instructing it gradually in the Knowledge ofArtsandSciences; which it will even at this tender Age be found capable of Conceiving: For theHuman Mindbeing naturally adapted to attain to theCognitionof all sublunary Things, may be thus endued and furnished with the most laudableArts, before it can distinguish theUseof them; since according to thePhilosopher’s wise saying[185],Nostrum scire nihil aliud est, quam Reminsisci. Because (I say) theMind of Manperceives and comprehends the Notion and Knowledgeof all temporal Things in it self, notwithstanding that it cannot easily display it self, by reason of the burthensome Oppression of theBodyand its grossHumours: Like as aFire, overlaid withAshes, must be raised up and fomented, before its engender’d or retain’dSparklescan exert themselves with anyLustre; so it is even with us, before theLightandInstinctof our Natures can shine forth: For as someRootscast noSmell, or breathe noFragrancyof themselves, unless they be softly touched or squeezed with theHand; so neither do ourNatural PowersandFacultiesexert or show themselves, unless they be diligently exercised and cultivated.
THUSwe have now guided and conducted theChildfrom itsBirth, to theSeventh Year of his Age; which being only meant by theInfant, that was safelyBorn, and continued all along inHealth; I come now in the next place, to hint upon what is fartherRequisitetowards therearing of suchChildren, wholeMisfortuneit may be, either to come into the World withInfirmities, or to be afterwards subjected to them in theirCradles. AndFirst,