fay, nourishes it by the mouth during its continuance in the womb. But this, for feveral reasons too tedious to be mentioned, is manifeftly false; for it is rather nourished by the navel. Wherefore, I conclude with the majority of physicians, that this matter is nothing else but the fæces of the bile, the pancreatic, ftomachic, and intestinal juices, &c. which, continuing in the prima via are infpiffated to this confiftence, and ferve to keep the inteftines open and dilated, that fo they may the better perform their functions after birth. Part of this matter, as we remarked before, is evacuated by the infant, through the impreffion made on it by the fire, or otherwife; yet, as fome of it for a time remains, it should be purged off by other methods. The most usual is, to order the infant an ounce or more of the oil of fweet almonds, with the fyrup of maiden-hair; or if this fhould not fucceed, though it commonly does, add half an ounce of the fyrup of peaches, or two ounces, according to the occafion. The common fyrup of cichory, alone, or with the oils, will have the like effect, in much the fame dose: yet fome are not fond of this prescription,

by

by reason, they fay, it often makes the child fick and vomit.

II. It is neceffary to obferve, whether the meconium is intirely evacuated or not. This may be known, when the ftools change from black, and become yellow, which is about the 2d or 3d day, lofing by degrees this tincture, in proportion as the new faces of the milk mix with the meconium. Yet this is not enough; for the child hath also a certain phlegm remaining in its stomach, which it pukes up fome few days after it is born. To remedy this, you must give the child a small spoonful of fugar'd wine, twice or thrice a day, and by no means give it fuck, until it be evacuated, left the milk, mixing with the viscous humour, should corrupt, as it would, if you gave the child prefent fuck. The jews are accustomed to give their children a little butter and honey, which doth almost produce the fame effect; and this they do, to follow what is faid in Isaiah vii. 14, 15. Behold, a virgin fhall conceive, and bear a fon, and shall call his name Emanuel. Butter and honey fhall be eat, that

be may know to refuse the evil, and chufe the good. But wine is much better, because it

doth

doth better incide and loofen the phlegm, and helps to concoct and digeft that which remains. The fugar sweetens its acrimony, and helps to purge it off, as alfo to deterge and corroborate the ftomach. Thus the Paffages are evacuated, and disposed to digest the milk when the child begins to fuck.

The child being thus dreffed and prepared, must be quietly laid asleep; for by the efforts it had made, and the fatigue of being cleanfed and fwaddled, it ftands greatly in need of reft. We must not lay it on its back, but on its fide, with its head a little raised, that the faliva may run out the freer and that the infant may breathe with more ease, and fafety, care muft alfo be taken, that the blankets do not too closely cover the mouth and nofe.

I

Mothers ought to fuckle their children.

AM fenfible, that it is no eafy matter to

perfuade mothers to fuckle their children: however, it is incumbent on us to use our endeavours to induce them to perform this important duty, since the child with the milk it fucks, imbibes the manners and difpofitions,

C

as

1..

as well as the peculiar qualities of the nurse's humours. This appears plainly in animals which fuck a strange dam; for they always partake something of the creature they fuck, being accordingly either. of a milder or fiercer nature, or of a ftronger or weaker body; which may be noted in young Lions tamed by fucking a domestic animal, as a cow, goat, &c. as on the contrary, a dog will become more furious, if it fucks a wolf; and a lamb fucking a goat, changes not only its nature, but even its wool into the goat-kind; fo it is alfo among rational creatures: hence we have juftly the old proverb, touching an ill-natured perfon, that fome brute or other has been his nurse.

Daily experience may fufficiently convince us, that children really fuck in the vicious inclinations, and depraved paffions of their nurses, which honeft parents perceiving in their children, are amazed at such degeneracies, not knowing after whom the child can take thofe propenfities: where fore, the mother, though perhaps not the best nurse in other refpects, and where it is. not inconfiftent with fome prefent diforder, is always preferable to a stranger; which if peopleof honour and probity would more observe,

I am

I am apt to believe, admitting a proper education, that there would not be fo many graceless, difobedient, and degenerate chil dren of our age. What madness is it then to fuffer an infant, formed upon noble and generous principles, to be thus perniciously corrupted by a stranger's milk?

'Tis alfo obfervable, that there is of ten neither parental love, nor good understanding amongst brethren; that they are of very different tempers, because they have fuck'd different breafts; whereas, had they been nurfed by their mothers, it might be the means to prevent diffenfions in families too frequently obfervable. Moreover, it is cruel and unnatural in a mother, either out of felf-love or indolence, to defraud her new-born babe (tender and helplefs) of that milk which nature has provided for it, and which by instinct, it eagerly fearches for, though not offered.

But, if natural affection, and the innumerable inconveniencies, to which the mother exposes her child, by refufing to fuckle it, are not fufficient to perfuade her to do this indifpenfable duty, let her but confider, that by changing the natural courfe of her milk, fhe draws upon herself many diseases, fuch