Sect. 377.
he Diseases of Children, and every Thing relating to their Health, are Objects which generally seem to have been too much neglected by Physicians; and have been too long confided to the Conduct of the most improper Persons for such a Charge. At the same Time it must be admitted their Health is of no little Importance; their Preservation is as necessary as the Continuance of the human Race; and the Application of the Practice of Physick to their Disorders is susceptible of nearer Approaches to Perfection, than is generally conceived. It seems to have even some Advantage over that Practice which regards grown Persons; and it consists in this, that the Diseases of Children are more simple, and less frequently complicated than those of Adults.
It may be said indeed, they cannot make themselves so well understood, and meer Infants certainly not at all. This is true in Fact to a certain Degree, but not rigidly true; for though they do not speak our Language, they have one which we should contrive to understand. Nay every Distemper may be said, in some Sense, to have a Language of its own, which an attentive Physician will learn. He should therefore use his utmost Care to understand that of Infants, and avail himself of it, to increase the Means of rendering them healthy and vigorous, and to cure them of the different Distempers to which they are liable. I do not propose actually to compleat this Task myself, in all that Extent it may justly demand; but I shall set forth the principal Causes of their Distempers, and the general Method of treating them. By this Means I shall at least preserve them from some of the Mischiefs which are too frequently done them; and the lessening such Evils as Ignorance, or erroneous Practice, occasions, is one of the most important Purposes of the present Work.
§ 378. Nearly all the Children who die before they are one Year, and even two Years, old, die with Convulsions: People say they died of them, which is partly true, as it is in Effect, the Convulsions that have destroyed them. But then these very Convulsions are the Consequences, the Effects, of other Diseases, which require the utmost Attention of those, who are entrusted with the Care and Health of the little Innocents: as an effectual Opposition to these Diseases, these morbid Causes, is the only Means of removing the Convulsions. The four principal known Causes are, the Meconium; the Excrements contained in the Body of the Infant, at the Birth; Acidities, or sharp and sour Humours; the Cutting of the Teeth, and Worms. I shall treat briefly of each.
Of the Meconium.
§379. The Stomach and Guts of the Infant, at its Entrance into the World, are filled with a black Sort of Matter, of a middling Consistence, and very viscid or glutinous, which is called the Meconium. It is necessary this Matter should be discharged before the Infant sucks, since it would otherwise corrupt the Milk, and, becoming extremely sharp itself, there would result from their Mixture a double Source of Evils, to the Destruction of the Infant.
The Evacuation of this Excrement is procured, 1, By giving them no Milk at all for the first twenty-four Hours of their Lives. 2, By making them drink during that Time some Water, to which a little Sugar or Honey must be added, which will dilute this Meconium, and promote the Discharge of it by Stool, and sometimes by vomiting.
To be the more certain of expelling all this Matter, they should take one Ounce of Compound Syrup [85] of Succory, which should be diluted with a little Water, drinking up this Quantity within the Space of four or five Hours. This Practice is a very beneficial one, and it is to be wished it were to become general. This Syrup is greatly preferable to all others, given in such Cases, and especially to Oil of Almonds.
Should the great Weakness of the Child seem to call for some Nourishment, there would be no Inconvenience in allowing a little Biscuit well boiled in Water, which is pretty commonly done, or a little very thin light Panada.