Medical advice to the inhabitants of warm climates, on the domestic treatment of all the diseases incidental therein : with a few useful hints to new settlers, for the preservation of health, and the prevention of sickness / by Robert Thomas (late of Nevis) surgeon : to the work are prefixed, some observations on the proper management of new Negroes, and the general condition of slaves in the sugar colonies : also are annexed, a list of medicines recommended in the treatment of the diseases, and an explantory table of the weights used by apothecaries.

  • Thomas, Robert, 1753-1835.
Date:
MDCCXCIV [1794]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical advice to the inhabitants of warm climates, on the domestic treatment of all the diseases incidental therein : with a few useful hints to new settlers, for the preservation of health, and the prevention of sickness / by Robert Thomas (late of Nevis) surgeon : to the work are prefixed, some observations on the proper management of new Negroes, and the general condition of slaves in the sugar colonies : also are annexed, a list of medicines recommended in the treatment of the diseases, and an explantory table of the weights used by apothecaries. 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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    unnecefTary for mc to add, that every poffible attention and care HiouW be pud to the woman after fhe is delivered, and that properYnitriment, adapted to her condition, ihould now be given to her, inftead of the ordinary allowance of the eftate. Indted, I have ufually found, that whatever was judged necefinry en thefe occafion3, was readily rur- nilhtd. The infant, immediately after birth, fhould be entruftcd tofome careful woman who has been aexuitomed to the management of young children, under whofe charge it Ihould remain until the mother acquires fifficient ftrength to attend to it herfelf. Evejy milter ihould furwfli at leaft a couple of changes of baby linen for each infant, and not place an entire reliance on what the mothtr has thought proper to provide for it. All pioprieiors that re- gard their inteteft, aa well as the welfare and comfort of their ffives, will, no doubt, pay an attention to every minute circuir.ftrnce of this kind. Iniie^d, 1 have the plea« fure of knowing feveral who rtfide in England that annu- ally fend out baby-clothas Lr the ufe of their breeding women. The ufual indulgence which is granted by all matters to their lying-in women, of not calling upon them to do any kind of work whatever until after the expiration of four wetks, is much to their credit ; and even if a longer reft from labour is judged neceliary by tte furgton uho at- tends the eftatc, it is in general readily granted. How different is the lot of poor labouring women in this part of the world, many of whom I have known to unde $zo gicat toil and fatigue a vtry few i.ays alter being delivered, or elfe their children mult have been deprived of that morfel of bread which prolonged their txitlence from one «Jay to another ? The many children that die within the cnurfe of the firft month of their birth, and the very lew that are reared, in proportion to the numbers that are born, which renders it ucceflfary for the porprietor of almoft every fugar eftate whatever to purchafc every now and then . (Vican ncgroe* at a very high price, in order to keep up his proper and original ftrength, Ihould prove a ftimulus to all owners of ti.tves, to give every poffihle encouragement to their breeding women to take proper care of their offspring A fmall pecuniary reward b^ftowed'on ihofe who learthem to the age of two or three years, with certain exemptions from the daily labour performed by the otler fiaves, would, in ad probability, be accompanied with the good effect f allude to. Some additional mark of favour (hewn to ihoie riegroes who form connexions with one another on the fame eftale to which, ukv ball belong, would alfo be pro- ,w Per,