Medical inquiries and observations / by Benjamin Rush, M.D. professor of the institutes of medicine, and of clinical practice in the University of Pennsylvania ; volume I.

  • Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813.
Date:
MDCCXCIV [1794]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical inquiries and observations / by Benjamin Rush, M.D. professor of the institutes of medicine, and of clinical practice in the University of Pennsylvania ; volume I. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Fourthly, Of thofe cufloms which are common to them both*. I. Of the birth and treatment of their children. Much of the future health of the body depends upon its original (lamina. A child born of healthy parents always brings into the world a fyftem formed by nature to refill the caufes of difeafes. The treatment of children among the Indians, tends to fecure this hereditary firmnefs of confti- tution. Their firft food is their mother's milk. To harden them againft the aclion of heat and cold (the natural enemies of health and life among the Indians) they are plunged every day in cold water. In order to facilitate their being moved from place to place, and at the fame time to pre- * Many of the facts contained in the Natural Hiftory of Medicine among the Indians in this Inquiry, are taken from La Hontan and Charlevoix's hiftories of Canada ; but the moll material of them are taken from perfons who had lived, or travelled among the Indians. The author acknow- ledges himfelf indebted in a particular manner to Mr Ed- ward Hand, furgeon in the 18 th regiment, afterwards brigadiergeneral in the army cf the United States, who, during feveral years' refidence at Fort Pitt, directed his in- quiries into their'cufloms, difeafes, and remedies, with a fuccefs that does equal honour to his ingenuity and diligence. B % frrve