Where a healthy and well-constituted nurse has been provided, on account of the existence of a hereditary taint, such as active scrofula or cancer, in the parent, it is generally advantageous to defer the weaning beyond the usual time. But we must, in this case, be watchful not to delay it, if either the nurse or the child begins to suffer from its continuance. It would carry me too far from the main object of this work to discuss all the contingencies against which it is occasionally necessary to provide in the management of the young. This, however, is scarcely required, seeing that medical advice is generally resorted to at the time of their occurrence; and the exposition of principles already given will enable most reflecting readers to decide for themselves, how far they may safely trust to their own lights, without delaying to seek advice from others till the evil is done. After the child has been weaned, panada, gruel, thin arrow-root, tapioca, sago, rusk, or crust of bread, may be allowed along with the fresh milk and water and sugar, which ought still to constitute the principal part of the food; and one or other ought to be preferred according to its effects. When these are given in moderate quantity, and not too frequently, they generally agree well; but in some delicate children they cause acidity, flatulence, and griping. In this case, a proportion of weak chicken-broth, or beef-tea freed from fat, and thickened with rusk, soft boiled rice or arrow-root, may be added. The same kind of food ought to be continued till after the appearance of the canine or dog-teeth. When these have fairly protruded, a portion of soft-boiled egg may be given as an introduction to the use of a more completely animal diet. In general, solid animal food ought not to be allowed in any quantity till all the teeth have appeared, and the digestive powers be fully adequate to its assimilation. In this respect, there are two errors which ought equally to be avoided. If animal food be given too early, or in too great quantity, the system becomes excited, and diseases of irritation are apt to be produced, which impede nutrition, and lead ultimately to the production of scrofula and other organic changes in the glands and bowels, and not unfrequently also in the brain and lungs. In these instances, the child generally eats heartily, but nevertheless continues thin, and is subject to frequent flushing and irregularity of the bowels, head-ach, and restlessness. His mind partakes of the general irritability of the system, and peevish impatience takes the place of the placid good-humour natural to healthy childhood. In this state the ordinary diseases of infancy,--measles, scarlet fever, and whooping cough--are often attended with an unusual and dangerous degree of constitutional disturbance; and when inflammation takes place, the necessary depletion is borne with difficulty, and the system does not easily rally.