Practical observations on the diet of infancy and childhood / by Thomas Herbert Barker.

  • Barker, T. Herbert (Thomas Herbert), 1814-1865.
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical observations on the diet of infancy and childhood / by Thomas Herbert Barker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    giving to a toothless child such substances as solid bread, potatoes, or the flesh of animals—roast beef for instance. One might think that common-sense would sufficiently show the absurdity of such treat- ment. Nature has given to all creatures intended to consume flesh suitable teeth to tear and masticate it, and the adult human being is furnished with such teeth ; but look at the mouth of the infant, and ob- serve for what purpose it was intended.—The ten- der and toothless gums, the soft, full and prominent Hps, the whole formation, admirably adapted for re- ceiving a bland, fluid diet by suction, but totally unfitted for mastication,—do not these signs clearly enough declare the impropriety of giving to infants the diet of adults ? Reasoning and authority might seem unnecessary on such a point, and yet, so frequently is the error against which we write com- mitted, that we must confirm our protest against it by another quotation :— Dr. Clarke* says the practice of giving solid food to a toothless child is not less absurd than to expect corn to be ground when there is no apparatus for grinding it. That which wo\ild be considered an evidence of idiotism oy insanity in the last instance, is defended and practised in the former. Are these reasons and authorities sufficient on this point? or must nature, reason and the highest medical advice be still resisted, while the dictum of * Commentaries on some of the most important Diseases of Cliildren, By J. Clarke, M.D.