Domestic medicine : $b or, 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 practitionersBuchan, William
Science
Domestic medicine : $b or, 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
Buchan, William
Medicine, Popular -- Early works to 1800
Did mothers reflect on their own importance, and lay it to heart, they
would embrace every opportunity of informing themselves of the duties
which they owe to their infant offspring. It is their province, not only
to form the body, but also to give the mind its most early bias. They
have it very much in their power to make men healthy or valetudinary,
useful in life, or the pests of society.
But the mother is not the only person concerned in the management of
children. The father has an equal interest in their welfare, and ought
to assist in every thing that respects either the improvement of the
body or mind.
It is pity that the men should be so inattentive to this matter. Their
negligence is one reason why females know so little of it. Women will
ever be desirous to excel in such accomplishments as recommend them to
the other sex. But men generally keep at such a distance from even the
smallest acquaintance with the affairs of the nursery, that many would
reckon it an affront, were they supposed to know any thing of them. Not
so, however, with the kennel or the stables: a gentleman of the first
rank is not ashamed to give directions concerning the management of his
dogs or horses, yet would blush were he surprised in performing the same
office for that being who derived its exigence from himself, who is the
heir of his fortunes, and the future hope of his country.
Nor have physicians themselves been sufficiently attentive to the
management of children: this has been generally considered as the sole
province of old women, while men of the first character in physic have
refused to visit infants even when sick. Such conduct in the faculty has
not only caused this branch of medicine to be neglected, but has also
encouraged the other sex to assume an absolute title to prescribe for
children in the most dangerous diseases. The consequence is, that a
physician is seldom called till the good women have exhausted all their
skill; when his attendance can only serve to divide the blame, and
appease the disconsolate parents.
Nurses should do all in their power to prevent diseases; but when a
child is taken ill, some person of skill ought immediately to be
consulted. The diseases of children are generally acute, and the least
delay is dangerous.
Were physicians more attentive to the diseases of infants, they would
not only be better qualified to treat them properly when sick, but
likewise to give useful directions for their management when well. The
diseases of children are by no means so difficult to be understood as
many imagine. It is true, children cannot tell their complaints; but the
causes of them may be pretty certainly discovered by observing the
symptoms, and putting proper questions to the nurses. Besides, the
diseases of infants being less complicated, are easier cured than those
of adults[5].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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