Septenary of a Child’s Life; but I must here observe, that no essential
Difference, no very material Changes can be made from this, even in
the second and third Stages, without some Degree of Error. Eating and
Drinking are made too much the Business and the Pleasure of Life, to be
consistent with either our Health or our Reason: Parents therefore who
aim at acting on right Principles, must for the sake of these, teach
their Children to be regular and temperate in the use of those. It is
right that they begin early, that they set out well; but it is doubly
so, that they keep them in the same Road; and as their Childrens Reason
gathers Strength, convince them that they must never quit it, if they
wish to live a long or happy Life: and that, of all human Gratifications,
an inordinate Attachment to Eating and Drinking is the meanest, and most
unworthy a Man.
Mr. _Locke_ proposes, as a great Means of preserving Health, that Boys
(for it is for them only that he writes) have Holes made in their Shoes
on purpose to let in the Wet; which (says he) being rendered familiar
to them, will prevent their catching Cold. It is certain this Gentleman
acts here upon a right Principle; but whether the Practice be altogether
eligible, is a Doubt. Nothing is so hurtful to the Head, the Eyes, and
the Breast, as catching Cold in the Feet; and therefore I cannot but
concur with this ingenious Writer, in recommending the Use of cold
Water in order to make Children hardy. I have before advised, that young
Children have their Limbs washed daily with cold Water; now as many
things may be rendered familiar and easy by Custom, if, as they advance,
their Feet were daily immersed in cold Water too, it would undoubtedly
be of vast Service, and greatly tend to confirm their Health. But if
this be never practised, or the Practice set aside, which is nearly the
same thing, it demands double Care of the Parents to prevent their being
liable to Colds.
To this End, Children’s Feet should be washed in Water a little warm’d;
for it is extremely dangerous to make a sudden Derivation of the Blood
up to the Lungs or Head, which is the natural Effect of cold Water. And
it is for this Reason that People are never suffered to walk into a cold
Bath, but are thrown forwards, that the Immersion may be total at the
same instant. Nay, Mr. _Locke_ himself was so sensible of this, that tho’
he advises washing the Feet daily in cold Water, he would have it begun
with in the Spring, and the Water luke-warm, and made colder and colder
by Degrees: “For (says he) it is to be observ’d in this, as in all other
Alterations from our ordinary Way of living, the Changes must be made by
gentle and insensible Degrees.”
The next Mean is, that Children have always dry Shoes. There is a
great deal of Mischief attends the mistaken Delicacy of Shoes. Those
who always tread on Carpets, who never go abroad without a Coach or
a Chair, may perhaps wear with Safety the thinnest that can be made;
but to see People in inferior Life, or those engaged in real Business,
trampling thro’ dirty Streets, and soaking their Paper-soals in continual
Puddles, is surely every way absurd: but as this Practice is evidently
detrimental to Health, as it frequently occasions Coughs, sore Eyes,
Head-ach, Rheumatism, and other Disorders, it is highly incumbent on
Parents to keep Children free from these Dangers by using them, in Winter
especially, to such Shoes as will keep them dry. On this Head it will
not be amiss to give a Caution against Shoes that pinch. Parents must
be attentive to this both in Boys and Girls, for many by this Means are
made so tender-footed, and have such painful Corns, that they are a kind
of Cripples their whole Lives: and are not only very uncomfortable to
themselves, but are often thereby greatly disabled from doing their
necessary Business.
I must not here omit, so far as relates to Health, to mention Sleeping,
and the Circumstances attending it. “Of all (says Mr. _Locke_) which
looks soft and effeminate, nothing is more to be indulged Children
than Sleep. In this alone they are to be permitted to have their full
Satisfaction, nothing contributing more to the Growth and Health of
Children than Sleep.” I have already with regard to Infants shewn, that
they ought not to be disturbed from their Rest; and even past that
Age Sleep affords them great Nourishment. Nothing certainly is more
injudicious and unnatural than the Custom many Parents have of keeping
their Children up late. If they wish them to be healthy, temperate, or
wise, they must create in them a Habit of early going to Bed and early
rising. As the many Conditions in Life oblige, or at least lead People to
act differently, so it is extremely hard to fix precise Rules herein; but
in general, ’till Children approach nearly to Men and Women, they would
do best not to sit up to see, much less to eat, a Family-supper at nine
o’Clock.
Lying on soft Beds is undoubtedly wrong; the _French_ have a good Custom
of putting a Matrass above the Feather-bed, which prevents their sinking
into a Softness very prejudicial to Health. Soft Beds absorb too much of
our Juices, cause a greater Waste than we can spare, enfeeble our whole
Frame, and have a remarkable Tendency to give a Pain of Weakness in the
Small of the Back, by heating the Reins.
Mr. _Locke_, amidst great good Sense, has some Notions a little rigorous,
which probably are never followed, nor do they seem altogether needful.
He proposes that a Child’s Bed be designedly ill made; that is, sometimes
high, sometimes low, sometimes rough, sometimes smooth; for my part, I
am desirous to banish every ill-judged Tenderness, every false Fondness;
but as I write for the Use of both Sexes, and all Conditions, I cannot
confine my Ideas to a Tent or a Cabin. Let Children by all Means lie
on Matrasses instead of Beds, for the Reasons already given; let them
lie with a Bolster only, and no Pillow, for it is not good for them to
have the Head high; let them lie either on one Side or the other, and
not on the Back; and let them lie pretty straight in the Bed, yet not
fully stretched out, for that would impede the due Action of the animal
Functions, and render Sleep less profitable to them. With regard to the
Form of their Beds, I think, Decency requires that they be orderly and
regular; nor is there any Fear that a Change of Bed will affect them, for
most young People sleep sound wherever they are laid.
It has been generally said, that we should keep our Heads cool; and
many on that Principle, even tho’ their Heads are shaved, lie without a
Night-cap. I will not take upon me to determine the Matter, but observe,
that the Night-air seems to require some Guard; and many are of Opinion,
that lying with the Head warm is most healthful; and particularly good
for the Hair, the Eyes, and the Teeth.
Another Observation I shall here make, is, the Error of sleeping in small
Rooms, and by Choice in the lower Part of a House; it is certainly right
that we should have Space for a due Circulation of Air that it may not
become thick and foul, which is very common in close Bed-chambers; nor
should we lie surrounded with Curtains, for that is confining ourselves
to the Air within the small Compass of our Beds. Parents would do well
to let Children lie with the Curtains undrawn; and even where they have
tender Constitutions, drawn only at the Sides of the Bed; but never all
round, unless really sick: for this Practice, however common, is highly
erroneous.
Notwithstanding the general Rules laid down concerning Exercise, I must
here observe, that as Children advance in Life, that is, when they
approach to Men and Women, great Regard should be had to the Exercise
suitable to their Circumstances and Constitution; but these are too many
to admit of enlarging upon here. I will in brief observe, that those
who are hale receive the greatest Advantage from walking; the tender,
especially the Hectical, and those who have weak Nerves, cannot bear
this Exercise to any Degree, but gain Strength and Vigor from riding on
Horseback; and indeed it often happens, where walking cannot be borne
without great Fatigue, and waste of Strength and Spirits, riding, on the
contrary, not only gives Pleasure, but increases both. Where Infirmity is
so great, which doubtless will sometimes happen, that neither of these
Exercises can be pursued, then a Coach, or some ether Vehicle, should
supply their Place; for it is of great Consequence not totally to disuse
Exercise: but Parents must remember this is too indolent in a State of
Health; and is not by any Means to be encouraged by Choice. Besides
these, there are many others under the Name of Sports and Pastimes,
which if well regulated, and Care be taken that those engaged in them do
not injudiciously drink cold Liquors, or otherwise expose themselves to
inclement Seasons, are very salutary; such as Fencing, Dancing, Bowling,
Digging, Gardening, and many others; all in their Nature good, and at
times not to be shunned, especially by those whose Life would otherwise
be inactive, those particularly who are devoted to Study.
There are yet some farther things relative to Health, which Parents must
not disregard. Constitutions are so variously formed, that the same
Employment which suits one Child, will not another. If one is closely
confined to Study it will impair his Health, and either shorten his Days,
or make him miserable: if another is engaged in a laborious Business,
his tender Frame, perhaps, sinks under it: if a third is indulged in an
easy Occupation, where Action would have suited his Frame, he becomes
indolent, insipid, and infirm, a Burden to himself and others. Lastly,
there are Occupations in Life whose Fumes are known to affect us; and
some Regard should be had even to these, since the Health of our Children
is concerned: not that I here recommend the Observance of each Nicety,
or would have Children afraid of every Vapour that rises around them, or
of every Employment that is accompanied with Labour: no; that would be
making Life too painful, and fix in our Children an unmanly Timorousness,
which would make them puny, frivolous or hurtful; and would be swerving
from the Opinion of the greatest Men that have studied and wrote on
these Subjects: For _Hippocrates_, _Celsus_, and all those who were best
acquainted with what Physicians call the Non-naturals, maintain, that,
besides Temperance and Air, Exercise, and that too of the most laborious
Kind, particularly Husbandry, is indispensably necessary for Health.
What then in general I here advise, is, that Parents, in settling their
Children, have an Eye to their Health, at the same time that they study
their Interest and Prosperity.
Having thus with real Pains, and an unfeigned Desire to promote the
Welfare of Mankind, pointed out the general Means of preserving Health,
and, I hope, set in a true Light those Errors which usually tend to
impair or destroy it; if Parents seriously adhere to the one, and
avoid the other, their Children will receive many and great Advantages
therefrom. It may be urged, that the Treatment which suits one Child will
not another; and that general Rules are always subject to particular
Exceptions: I grant it. Still this does not justify those Parents who
submit to no Rules at all. I have said before, that all Laws give Parents
the sole Power of governing their Children; I may also maintain that
the same Laws oblige them to do every thing to promote their Welfare.
Those who are unacquainted with the Duty of a Parent, must learn; those
who know, must practice. Let this Admonition then rouse the Attention
of Parents; and let these Precepts serve as the Foundation, whereon
to build the solid Health of their Children. The Constitution is like
the Countenance, somewhat different in every one; where therefore any
Deviations from Rule are the Effect of Judgment, I sincerely applaud
them; and where any Principle here laid down proves erroneous, I
chearfully submit to the Removal of it.
Many of my Readers will still perhaps expect, that something should be
said concerning the manner of treating Children in Sickness; but they
must remember, that I set out with no farther View than the preserving
Health, by avoiding every Irregularity and Excess: and when Diseases
happen, which cannot be obviated, nor even foreseen, it is not the
reading a single Volume that will qualify Parents to undertake the Cure
of them: no; they must apply to those who make it their Study and their
Profession; to those whose Judgment, whose Integrity, and whose Diligence
they can confide in. To this End I will here endeavour to point out to
Parents the most rational Way of proceeding.
One would imagine, that nothing was easier to determine than this Matter;
for what can be more natural in Sickness, than sending for a Physician?
He who from his Youth has laboured to acquire Knowledge, who has devoted
his Life to Study, who has searched into Nature, and discovered the most
hidden Causes; who has sacrificed many even of the innocent Pleasures
of Life, that he might become useful to Mankind; and who, to accomplish
this, has spent perhaps a good younger Son’s Portion. Can any thing, I
say, be more natural or more rational than this Proceeding? And yet, who
is there that has any Knowledge of the World, that is acquainted with
_London_ particularly, that does not daily see a very different Practice?
Who is there that does not know, that the Apothecary, the Nurse, the
Quack, and many others, oftentimes baffle the Physician, or keep him out
of Play.
Every Nation is distinguished for some Peculiarities of it’s own. In
_France_ the Physicians have but little Dignity, and their Fees are low;
yet nobody in Sickness presumes to act without them; they are always
call’d first: in _England_, the Reputation of Physicians is deservedly
great; but their Fees are high, and they are usually call’d in last. As
Sickness is in it’s Nature every Way expensive, as the Doctor’s Fee is
always Gold, we cannot but be sensible, that there are many People in
the Nation, who either from a Desire to contract the Expence, or from a
Want of Ability to give the customary Fees, do not, at least ’till Danger
threatens, send for a Physician. And it is for these, and other Reasons,
that some Medium between the Patient and the Physician seems necessary:
which Medium is no where to be found, but in the Apothecary.
Let us now enquire a little into the Nature of the Apothecary’s Business,
and see of what Use he is to Mankind. Pharmacy, the Apothecary’s Art, is
branch’d out of Physic; for as now the Apothecary sometimes prescribes,
so originally the Physician was Apothecary too. An Apothecary’s Education
is not so deep, nor his Application to Study usually so close, as the
Physician’s: yet as Genius is not confined to the Physician, but is
by Nature as capable of residing in the Apothecary; some Degree of
Learning, an Acquaintance with proper Books, which are equally open to
both, and constant Observation on Diseases, will certainly furnish him
with a considerable Stock of useful Knowledge. Experience is the Mother
of Wisdom. While the Physician is labouring at Theories, the Apothecary
is perhaps deeply immers’d in Practice: and as all allow that nice
Observation is of vast Use in Physic, while the one is searching into
Causes, the other, if he improves as he ought the Opportunities he is
furnished with, gains a Knowledge of Effects. Hence it appears, that an
Apothecary is capable of being, not merely an useful, but a valuable
Man to Society; and perhaps equally so, both to Patient and Physician.
Physicians could not keep up their Dignity, nor act with Safety without
this Medium. Who is it they confide in that the Drugs are good, and the
Letter of the Prescription faithfully adhered to, but the Apothecary? Who
is it that gives the Patient that close Attendance he frequently wants,
but the Apothecary? Who is it that has the Trouble of applying Leeches,
of applying and dressing Blisters, of administering Vomits, _&c._ of
watching the various Changes that arise, and of running in Pursuit of the
Doctor to check some threatening Symptom, but the Apothecary? And who is
it, in fine, that on every Emergency, in every real or fancied Danger, is
called out of his Bed to administer some speedy Relief, or appease some
groundless Fears of the Patient, or their Friends, but the Apothecary?
Still all this, tho’ literally true, tho’ it proves the Apothecary (where
a good one) to have some real Importance, yet it does not put him upon
a Level with the Physician, much less justify the shutting him out from
Practice. Those who deny that Apothecaries can sometimes cure Diseases,
flatly contradict what every Day’s Experience proves; and those, who,
to magnify them, depreciate the Physicians, are guilty of an Injustice,
which can have no other Source than Ignorance, or an evil Mind: for, to
put Things upon a fair Footing, the Apothecary should be considered as an
Auxiliary; or, as I have before expressed it, a necessary Medium between
Physician and Patient.
Health is a nice Affair; and Life precious to every Individual. The
best Advice then I can give to Parents is, that they do not, where
these are at Stake, hazard either one or the other by Indolence, or an
ill-tim’d Frugality. Those who are rich, let them at once send for the
Physician, especially if it be a Matter of Moment; and surely Prudence
points out this to us: so those who cannot reach the best, let them
take the next best; that is, where calling in a Physician would too
sensibly affect their Circumstances, Prudence demands, that they employ
a good Apothecary. And even these, tho’ they consult their Apothecary
first, should strain a Point where Danger threatens; and neither attach
themselves too closely to the Man who is fond of his own Judgment, nor
condemn another’s Tenderness in proposing farther Advice. But I may on
this Point say farther, that it is sometimes the greatest Proof of Wisdom
in an Apothecary to desire the Advice of a Physician; for tho’ Diligence,
Integrity, and many other Qualifications are highly necessary in this
Profession, yet none is equal to that Penetration, which gives him the
Power of seeing Danger before it is too late to apply a Remedy.
As for the Calumnies, the Sneers, and the Misrepresentations of ignorant
or designing People, such as Apothecaries and Physicians being in league
together, and playing into one another’s Hands; the Eleven-pence in the
Shilling; the cramming People with Physic they do not want; and much
more of the like Nature; these are things that scarcely deserve any
Notice. I have now been above thirty Years in the Business; have seen and
done far from an inconsiderable Share; have attended with Physicians of
every Rank, from those who first enter’d into Practice up to those who
have reach’d the Summit; yet cannot charge either any single Physician,
or myself, with even an Attempt to enter into an Association to the
Prejudice of Mankind. On the contrary, I have seen some who have laboured
with disinterested Zeal for their Benefit; not merely because they could
not have their Fees, but because they would not take them. Here I cannot
help observing how much the World is misled by Appearances; because
People see an Apothecary with a good Suit of Cloaths on, they conclude
he is above Want; and because they see another in a Chariot, they
pronounce him rich: so too because a very few Physicians make Fortunes,
they conclude, that all of the Profession are Wealthy. But how fallacious
is all this! There is no Profession, no Trade in the Kingdom which we
call genteel, that has so few rich Men in it as the different Branches of
Physic. Many a Man in it, sensible that the World would have no Opinion
of his Skill, if he appeared to Disadvantage, keeps up a Port with aching
Heart; many a Chariot is in daily Danger of breaking down; and many owe
their Stability more to their own Patrimony, to their Wives Portion, or
some other fortunate Event, than to the Produce of their Business.
Two Things with respect to Sickness Parents are to guard against; one
is, the Neglect of calling for Help in time; the other, that amazing
Attachment to Nurses, and what they call good old Women. I esteem it a
Misfortune in a Family, where a Physician or an Apothecary appears as
regularly as the Baker; and to prove that I do so, I have said before,
that our Food may often be made our Physic; and have pointed out many
Ways to prevent Diseases: still it is a Fact, that all Errors are best
rectified at the Beginning; and the sooner a Distemper is attacked,
the sooner, in all Probability, will it be conquered. Good Women are
extremely apt to treat physical People with Contempt; and this chiefly
to magnify their own Skill. If they have any Knowledge, as some of them
doubtless have, to whom principally do they owe it? Is it not from
conversing with physical People, and seeing how they proceed? most
certainly. And yet these same good Women shall wonder that any body
sends for a Doctor or an Apothecary to a sick Child! What, they cry, do
these People know about Children? A good old Woman is better than all
of them. She must be a very good old Woman indeed, that knows more than
Men who have made the Knowledge of Diseases the whole Study of their
Lives. But supposing that Reason and Resolution get the better of this
Weakness; Parents have still more to do; it is not enough that Medicines
are prescribed, they must be sure that they are taken. For besides the
Repugnance in the Child, there is a Difficulty perhaps in the Nurse; and
if she thinks it wrong, it will be hard to set her right; and harder
still, to prevail on her to give them to the Patient. Parents, in this
Case, must either resolve not to ask Advice, or resolve to see the
Medicines taken.
Nurses have a Province of their own, in which they are very valuable,
that is, a diligent attentive Care; for in vain do Parents seek Advice,
in vain do Physicians prescribe, if Nurses are negligent, unwatchful,
or careless. But while I do them the Justice they deserve, while I
acknowledge the Merit of their Station, and recommend that it be
rewarded, I cannot help repeating to Parents, not to suffer them to
baffle superior Knowledge. If any Change happens to the Patient, or a
Difficulty arises unforeseen, let them suspend for a Time the Execution
of the Orders given them; but let them not frustrate the Physician’s
Intention, by throwing Medicines away, giving them by Halves, or giving
something of their own added to it, or in it’s stead; and then concealing
what they have done: all these things are grievously wrong, and every way
unjustifiable, as they frequently disappoint the Patient, or disgrace
the Physician. If a Nurse has made any useful Observation on the Patient
(which all good Nurses sometimes will) there is not a Doctor in the
Kingdom, if a Man of Sense, but will hear her, and turn it to Advantage;
but if her Conceit leads her to set aside or overturn what is proposed,
however merry it may make herself, every thinking Person in the World
must condemn so capital an Error.