SINCE some only, not all Children, happen to bring Infirmities with them into the World; and because such Indispositions as are chiefly meant here, discover themselves presently at the Time of Birth, and require immediate Cure; I shall concisely enter upon, and briefly comprehend them All here, as they most commonly fall out, in this present Chapter.
IN order to which, I shall previously observe, that such Inconveniencies happening to the Infant, may have a double Origin, and proceed either from a Defect in Nature, or the Effect of a difficult Birth: The First may take Rise from various Causes, such as of the Parental Seed, the Forming Faculty, the Maternal or Uterine Constitution, an illegitimate Time of Birth, and the like; as the Latter may also arrive, not only from a Difficult, or Preternatural Labour, &c. but also from the ignorant, rough Usage, or barbarous Treatment of the Midwife. However, not to insist too long on these Things, it very often, and too commonly happens.
I. THAT, The Child suffers so much in the Birth, that (when born) it is hard to know, whether it be dead or alive, not one part of the Body being perceiv’d to move; which however may be thus well known, viz. by laying my Hand upon its Breast, I shall feel the Motion of the Heart, if alive, tho’ never so weak; as I shall also perceive a small Pulsation of the Arteries, by touching the Navel-String near the Belly.
IN which Case, I would immediately order the Infant to be laid in a Warm Bed or Blanket, and quickly carried to the Fire; where its Mouth is to be open’d, as its Nose is to be clean’d and unstopp’d with small Tents dipp’d in warm White-Wine, and Linnen wet with the same applied to its Breast and Belly; spurting always in the mean time, a little of the same Wine into its Mouth and Nose, until it begin to stir: Or then I would distil a drop of Aqua-Vitæ, from time to time upon its Tongue, bathing its Pulses and Nostrils with the same, while I anointed its Mouth with Honey.
II. IT sometimes only happens, that the tender Face is bruised Black or Blew, Pale or Livid; which may also as well proceed from the Bones of the Pelvis, or from the Child’s being Born Face-upwards, as from the Midwife’s hard Usage. In this Condition, I would only order it to be frequently anointed with the Oil of Sweet Almonds, drawn without Fire, that is, by Expression; upon which it soon recovers its Natural Colour.
III. AGAIN sometimes the Infant is born with a Knob or Tumour on the Crown of its Head, occasion’d by its hard Pressure against the Orifice, or by its strict Compression in the same: In which Condition, I would immediately foment it with warm Wine or Aqua-Vitæ, and apply a Compress to it, either wet in the same, or in the Oil of Roses and Wine beat together; and the same Fomentation and Compress may serve for any other Part of the Body, which may be swell’d by rough Usage, or otherways, in a difficult Birth. But in Case of Suppuration, it must be open’d in a proper place with a Lancet, applying afterwards a Plaister of Betony. As also in Case of a Fracture, or any sort of Dislocation, the Parts must be join’d and reunited, and duly retain’d in their Natural Position by convenient Boulsters or Splinters, until they be firmly closed and reconjoin’d. Moreover
IV. IN Difficult Births, it very commonly falls out that the Head is pressed into an oblong Form by the Bones of the Pelvis, because the Scull not being made of one piece, is not equally hard or firm; the Sutures being only surrounded with Membranes, especially the Top of the Head is so Membranous and soft, that the Bones forming the Scull may be easily pressed one upon another; from whence we have this oblong Figure of the Head. However, in short, this may be corrected and reduced to its Natural Shape, by frequent, but cautious and skilful, Handling.
V. WEAK Children, and such as come præmaturely, or before their Time, into the World, have the Mould and Sutures very open, and the Bones far distant: In which Condition they are only to be softly bound about with a small Cross-Cloth, committing the rest to Nature; which in time, and by degrees, will close up and consolidate these Sutures; and sooner or later, according to the innate Heat and Moisture of the Infant, unite and join the Bones of the Head.
VI. SOMETIMES also it happens that the Child is Tongue-ty’d, by the too strait Astriction of its Bridle; so that this Member cannot freely extend or move itself, thro’ the Capacity of the Mouth; which in the Infancy impedes or hinders its Sucking, as in riper Years it does the Faculty of Speaking: In this Case, the Tongue, being supported or held up, on each side of the String, by a small forked Instrument, ought to be cut a-cross by sharp Scissors as much as is needful; which however must be done with Caution, not to hurt the Veins under the Tongue.
VII. THE Infant is also sometimes troubled with a small round Tumour under the Tongue, fill’d with vitious Blood, or pituitous Matter; which Aëtius and Paulus Ægineta call’d Ranula Linguæ; Which Case may be managed, and the Tumour dissolved by a little Ammoniac Salt, or such other proper Remedies; but if Occasion require, the same may be open’d by a Lancet.
VIII. IT also happens, tho’ but seldom, that the Child is born with a close Fundament; and that sometimes shut up by the single Skin, and sometimes by a fleshy Substance: In the first Condition, there appear some livid Marks of the Meconium thro’ the Skin, which feels soft to the Touch. Upon which occasion, an Apertion must be made with a small Incision-Knife, a-cross, not long-ways, that it may the better receive a round Form, and not so easily grow again together; which however must be done with great Caution, that the Sphincter of the Rectum may not be hurt: And the Meconium being afterwards voided, whether by a Suppository, Clyster, or otherways; the Orifice is to be stopp’d up with a Linnen-Tent, anointed at the beginning with Rose-Honey, but afterwards with some drying and cicatrizing Ointment, such as Unguentum-Aleum, Pompholyx, &c. Dressing it always as often, and as soon, as the Excrements are evacuated, lest the Apertion should turn to an Ulcer.
BUT in the other Case, where the Fundament is stopped up with Flesh, that neither any Mark nor Appearance of the Rectum is seen or felt, whereby its true Situation may be known, or the proper place where the Aperture ought to be made; The Operation is much more difficult, and the Infant but seldom escapes the fatal Consequence of this Misfortune: Which Difficulty notwithstanding, we are diligently to do our Best upon such Occasions; to which End, an Apertion must be made within half an Inch of the Child’s Rump, being the certain place of the Rectum; which in the interim must be perform’d with the greatest Care and Judgment by a small Incision-Knife with one Edge, turning the Back upwards, and thrusting it so forward, until the Aperture be made big enough for the Excrements to pass thro’, always prudently regarding the Sphincter as above; upon which the Wound, &c. are to be dressed and order’d, as in the preceding Case.
IX. IN like manner, it also may happen that the Infant is born with its Urinary Passage shut up; upon which Occasion, a convenient Apertion must also be made with a proper Lancet: Which Operation must likewise be perform’d with great Prudence and Ingenuity.
X. MOREOVER, It also sometimes falls out, that the Child is infected with the Venereal Lues, from the Predominancy of that Distemper in the Mother; which Case easily discovers itself by many Pustules and Ulcers appearing at the Birth in diverse Parts of its Body, especially about the Head, Belly, Thighs and Clunes: Upon which the Cure may be pertinently protracted to a more advanced Age, tho’ prudent Measures may be taken, to keep the Distemper under, but if the Condition be Malignant, the Remedy is commonly prevented by Death.
XI. FINALLY as to the small or puny Faults of Nature, such as a distorted or wry Mouth, crooked or flat Nose, thick or flabby Lips, rough or ugly Visage, or the like Blemishes,——
THE Child’s Body being tractable like a piece of Wax, or the Potter’s Clay, These may be Judiciously corrected and Ingeniously amended, and a more Delectable and Amiable Form given to[186] every Part; as in Case of any Blemish of the Eyes, whether they be Discoloured, or Sparkling, Dim or Short-sighted, Squint or Goggle, Rolling or Goat-eyed; a Lovely black Colour, and a graceful Beauty, may be also artfully given them[187].
NOW (I think) These are all the most common Symptoms or Indispositions which the Child brings with it into the World; which being thus briefly discuss’d, I come at length to——