Domestic medicine, or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines : with an appendix, containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners / by William Buchan, M.D. fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edingburgh.

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1792
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine, or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines : with an appendix, containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners / by William Buchan, M.D. fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edingburgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    water. The ftomachs of children can digeft well enough without the afMance of warm ftimtilants: befides, being naturally hot, they are eafily hurt by every thing of a heating quality. Few things are more hurtful to children than un- ripe fruits. They weaken the powers of digeftion, and four and relax the ftomach, by which means it becomes a proper neft for infects. Children indeed {hew a great inclination for fruit, and I am apt to believe, that if good ripe fruit were allowed them in proper quantity, it would have no bad effects. We never find a natural inclination wrong, if properly regulated. Fruits are generally of a cooling nature, and correct the heat and acrimony of the humours. This is what moft children require; only care fhould be taken left they exceed. Indeed the beft way to prevent children from going to excefs in the ufe of fruit, or eating that which is bad, is to allow them a proper quantity of what is good*. Roots which contain a crude vifcid juice mould be fparingly given to children. They fill the body with grofs humours, and tend to produce eruptive difeafes. This caution is peculiarly necefiary for the poor; glad to obtain at a fmall price what will fill the bellies of their children, they ftuff them two or three times a day with greafy potatoes, or other crude vegetables. Children had better eat a fmaller quantity of food which yields a wholefome nourifh- ment, than be crammed with what their digeftive powers are unable properly to affimilate. • Children are always fickly in the fruit feafon, which may be thus accounted for: Two-thirds of the fruit which comes to market in this country is really unripe; and children not being in a condition to judge for themfelves, eat whatever they can lay their hands upon, which often proves little better than a poifon to their tender bowels. Servants, and others who have the care of children, fhould be ftriftly forbid to give them any fruit without the knowledge of their parents. Butter