A dissertation on the means of preserving health, in Charleston, and the adjacent low country : read before the Medical Society of South-Carolina, on the 29th of May, 1790 / by David Ramsay, M.D. ; member of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh.

  • David Ramsay
Date:
MDCCXC [1790]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dissertation on the means of preserving health, in Charleston, and the adjacent low country : read before the Medical Society of South-Carolina, on the 29th of May, 1790 / by David Ramsay, M.D. ; member of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    dhre death. Much of the mortality among chil. dren, eipecially on plantations, is owing to this caufe, Overlaving, which is commonly faid to be the occafion of their death, takes place much feidomer than has bren fuppofed. The locked jaw of infants frequently arifes from the irritation excited by the mixture of milk with meconium. If there is any one direction of primary confequence for preferving the health, and even the lives of infants, it is to empty their ftomachs and bowels well before they are fuffcred to fuck plentifully. A due attention to this matter would annually fave many lives. For the prefervation of health and prevention of difeafes among adults, much is to be avoided and much is to be done. In the former clafs feveral particulars are to be reckoned. The firft I fhall imntion is lying long in bed in the morning. The cooleft period of the day is a little before fun rifing. This naturally proves a temptation to ipend thofe precious moments in f]eep. If this is indulged, the body lies imirerfed in the air which Jias been fouled by its perforation through the flight, and in a fituation which tends to relax it nearly as much as if it was in a vapor bath. By proper improvement of the morning, new life, v gor and fpirits are imparted for bearing the noon- tide heat; but by continuing to fleep, or even to lull, this opportunity of recruiting is loft—the languor and debility which refuked'from the pre- ceding day continues to increafe, till a change of feafon brings relief. The cool morning air acts like die cold bath in invigorating the body, and has