Galen, in like manner, approves of the honey. He directs the body of a
new-born child to be sprinkled with salt; and afterwards rubbed every
day with oil. After the milk-diet is given up, the first food to be
administered, he says, should be bread, and afterwards pulse and flesh.
He forbids the use of wine, because the temperament of a child is hot and
humid. He approves of the hot bath, but condemns the use of the cold for
young children. (Hyg. pluries.)
Aëtius recommends the child to be brought up upon milk for twenty months.
Moschion says, from eighteen months to two years will be sufficient.
Avicenna, like our author, mentions two years. It is stated by Selden,
that the Hebrew women gave suck to their children for two years. This
practice is enjoined in the Koran. Aëtius is not so strict in regard
to regimen as Galen; he allows us to vary the milk-diet, by giving
occasionally soft eggs, mead, or sweet wine diluted with water. (iv, 28.)
Moschion, Averrhoes, and Avicenna approve of exercising the child in a
cradle, and of lulling him with music. When the cord falls off, Avicenna
advises that the part should be sprinkled with the powder of burnt lead.
Averrhoes disapproves of sprinkling the child’s body with salt, as
recommended by Galen. (Collig. ii, 6.) He agrees with Galen, however, in
condemning the use of wine. He directs exercise for the child every day;
after exercise, friction, and after friction, the bath. He forbids the
use of the cold bath, however, because it retards the growth. When the
child does not sleep, Avicenna and Averrhoes recommend poppy in his food.
(Cant. ii, 1.)
Haly Abbas directs us, when there is any malformation of the head,
to reduce it to its proper shape, and bind it firm. Like Galen, he
recommends that the body of a new-born child should be sprinkled with
salt and powdered roses, to harden the skin. He directs us to give
the child, for the first two days, sugar, triturated with the oil of
sesame. He recommends the frequent use of the tepid bath. He properly
directs the nurse not to expose the child’s eyes to the strong light of
day, nor to allow him to sleep in a strong sun, for fear of injuring
his eyes. When a child cries, it is the duty of the nurse, he says, to
find out the cause, as a child never cries except when something hurts
it. The most common causes, he adds, are, heat or cold, fleas or gnats,
hunger or thirst, retention of urine or of the fæces. For retention of
the urine, he recommends melon-seed with julep both to the child and
the nurse; and when the child’s bowels are constipated, he directs the
nurse to take laxative herbs, oil of olives, prunes, and so forth. It is
clear, therefore, that he was aware that a child may be operated upon by
medicines given to the nurse. (Pract. i, 20.)
The directions given by Alsaharavius are very similar. He remarks that
violent crying may occasion a descent of the bowels.
Syrasis, one of the commentators on Avicenna, recommends the tepid bath
for young children, and food after it. He directs the nurse to exercise
the child before putting him into the bath.
From what we have stated, it will be seen that the ancient physicians
did not approve of the cold regimen, absurdly proposed by certain modern
philosophers as the most proper for infants.
According to Athenæus, the sons of Roman freemen were prohibited from
drinking wine until they were thirty years old. (Deipnos, x, 23.) Plato
enjoins complete abstinence from wine until the age of eighteen, and
great moderation until thirty. (Leg. ii.)