Domestic medicine : 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 / by William Buchan.

  • Buchan William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine : 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 / by William Buchan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    28/552
    UI< CHILDHJiU. the mind its most early bias. They liave 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 msu nagement 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 he 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, how- ever, with the kennel or the stables : a gentleman of the first rank is not ashamed to give directions concerning the manage- ment of his dogs or horses, yet would blush were he surprised in performing the same office for that being who derived its existence 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, whilejnen of the first charac- ter 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 bis attendance can only serve to divide the blame, and ap- pease 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 Avhen sick, but likewise to give useful directions for their manage- ment 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 put- ting proper questions to nurses. Besides, the diseases of infants being less complicated, are easier cured than those of adults *. * The common opinion, that the diseases of infants are hard to discover and dif- ficult to cure, has deterred many physicians from paying that attention to them