Buchan enlarged. Domestic medicine; or, The family physician, 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. To which is added ... rules and regulations to be observed ... in the management of infants, etc / [William Buchan].

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1818
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Buchan enlarged. Domestic medicine; or, The family physician, 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. To which is added ... rules and regulations to be observed ... in the management of infants, etc / [William Buchan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    43/680 (page 15)
    of the most general causes of the diseases of children. Every thing, therefore, which tends to unbrace their solids, ought to be carefully avoided. We would not be understood by these observations as confining cliiidren to any particular kind of food. Their diet may be fre- quently varied, provided always that sufficient regard be had to simplicity. Of the Exercise of Children. Of all the causes which conspire to render the life of man short and miserable, none has greater influence than the want of proper Exercise: healthy parents, wholesome food, and proper clothing, will avail little where exercise is neglected. Suflicient ex- ercise will make up for several defects in nursing; but nothing can supply the rvant of it. It is absolutely necessary to the health, the growth, and the strength of children. The desire of exercise is coeval mth life itself. Were*this prin- ciple attended to, many diseases might be prevented. But while indolence and sedentary employments prevent two-thirds of man- kind from either taking sufficient exercise themselves, or giving it to their children, what have we to expect but diseases and defor- mity among their offspring The rickets so destructive to chil- dren, never appeared in Britain till manufactures began to flour- ish, and people, attracted by the love of gain, left the country to follow sedentary employments in great toAvns. It is amongst these people that this disease chiefly prevails, and not only deforms, but kills many of their ofl'spring. The conduct of other young animals shews the propriety of giving exercise to children. Every other animal makes use of its organs of motion as soon as it can, and many of them, even when under no necessity of moving in quest of food, cannot be restrained without force. ' This is evidently the case mth the calf, the lamb, and most other young animafs. If these creatures were not |iermitted to frisk about and take exercise, they would soon die or become diseased. The same inclination appears very early in the Iiuman species; but as they are not able to take exercise themselves, it is the business of their parents and nurses to assist them. Children may be exercised various ways. The best method, while they are light, is to carry them about in the nurse’s arms'^. This gives the nurse an opportunity of talking to the child, and * The nune ought to be careful to keep the child in a proper position; as clefor^ mity is often the consequence of inattention to this circumstance. Its situation ought also to be frequently changed. I have known a child’s legs bent all on oue aide, by the nurse carrying it constantly on one acjn.