Moschion, Averrhoes, and Avicenna approve of exercising the child in a cradle, and of lulling him with music. When the cord falls off, Avicenna advises that the part should be sprinkled with the powder of burnt lead.
Averrhoes disapproves of sprinkling the child’s body with salt, as recommended by Galen. (Collig. ii, 6.) He agrees with Galen, however, in condemning the use of wine. He directs exercise for the child every day; after exercise, friction, and after friction, the bath. He forbids the use of the cold bath, however, because it retards the growth. When the child does not sleep, Avicenna and Averrhoes recommend poppy in his food. (Cant. ii, 1.)
Haly Abbas directs us, when there is any malformation of the head, to reduce it to its proper shape, and bind it firm. Like Galen, he recommends that the body of a new-born child should be sprinkled with salt and powdered roses, to harden the skin. He directs us to give the child, for the first two days, sugar, triturated with the oil of sesame. He recommends the frequent use of the tepid bath. He properly directs the nurse not to expose the child’s eyes to the strong light of day, nor to allow him to sleep in a strong sun, for fear of injuring his eyes. When a child cries, it is the duty of the nurse, he says, to find out the cause, as a child never cries except when something hurts it. The most common causes, he adds, are, heat or cold, fleas or gnats, hunger or thirst, retention of urine or of the fæces. For retention of the urine, he recommends melon-seed with julep both to the child and the nurse; and when the child’s bowels are constipated, he directs the nurse to take laxative herbs, oil of olives, prunes, and so forth. It is clear, therefore, that he was aware that a child may be operated upon by medicines given to the nurse. (Pract. i, 20.)
The directions given by Alsaharavius are very similar. He remarks that violent crying may occasion a descent of the bowels.
Syrasis, one of the commentators on Avicenna, recommends the tepid bath for young children, and food after it. He directs the nurse to exercise the child before putting him into the bath.
From what we have stated, it will be seen that the ancient physicians did not approve of the cold regimen, absurdly proposed by certain modern philosophers as the most proper for infants.
According to Athenæus, the sons of Roman freemen were prohibited from drinking wine until they were thirty years old. (Deipnos, x, 23.) Plato enjoins complete abstinence from wine until the age of eighteen, and great moderation until thirty. (Leg. ii.)
SECT. VI.—ON THE ERUPTIONS WHICH HAPPEN TO CHILDREN.
Whatever eruptions appear upon the skin of a child, are to be encouraged, in the first place; but when the eruption is properly come out, it may be cured by putting the child into baths of myrtle, or lentisk, or roses, and then anointing with the oil of roses or lentisk, or with a cerate containing ceruse. And its body may be gently rubbed with nitre; but it will not bear hard friction. But a very good plan is for the nurse to be fed upon sweetish things. And the child’s diet ought to be attended to, so that it be neither too full nor too spare. If the child’s belly be constipated, a little honey may be put into its food; and if even then it do not obey, turpentine, to the size of a chick-pea, may be added. When the bowels are loose, millet, in particular, ought to be administered.
Commentary. This Section is taken from Oribasius (Synops. v, 6.) See also Aëtius (iv, 21.) The Exanthemata here referred to would appear, properly speaking, to be the strophuli of Dr. Willan, but the ancients used the term rather vaguely for several eruptive diseases. (See [Book Fourth.]) The Exanthemata are the “pustulæ parvæ” of Eros (apud Gynæcia, p. 59.) For the Arabians, see in particular Haly Abbas (Pract. i, 20); Avicenna (i, 3, 1); Alsaharavius (Tr. xxvi, 7 and 8.) Alsaharavius describes two cutaneous complaints of infancy by the names of Alseafa and Alkaba. The former he describes as consisting of pustules, which affect the heads of infants, and sometimes the face. They are attended, he says, with a constant itching, and occasion erosion. His treatment is to shave the head, and to apply to it first a leaf of blite (bletæ vel betæ?) and afterwards an ointment composed of spuma argenti, ceruse, and lye, with rose-oil and wax. The Alkaba is said to be of the same nature, only that the fluid which runs from the pustules resembles honey. This, therefore, must be the porrigo favosa. His remedies are, to wash the head frequently with a lotion made from marjoram, mint, or centaury; and then to apply an ointment composed of spuma argenti, ceruse, Armenian bole, sulphur, almonds, and quicksilver; and also liniments of rose-oil and vinegar, with the free use of the bath. As Dr. Willan remarks, he has described the strophuli by the name of pustulæ, (bothor.) (Tr. xxvi, 25.) He says of them: “Aliæ sunt albæ, aliæ rubeæ, aliæ nigræ, aliæ magnæ, aliæ parvæ et multæ et paucæ, aliæ fortis et acuti doloris, et mortiferæ,” &c. It appears, therefore, that he applies the term in a very lax signification.