Observations on the mortality and physical management of children / by John Roberton.

Date:
1827
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the mortality and physical management of children / by John Roberton. 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.

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    system. Their naturally extreme sensibility, while it renders the hopes and consolations of a sound faith essential to their ordinary happiness, disposes them, when uninstructed, to adopt fan- ciful and unscriptural views, which either des- troy their own peace, or, when joined to an ardent, ambitious temper, originate the most lamentable fanaticism, or mischievous imposture. It is an invaluable remark of a foreign writer, that “ the more feeble the body is, the greater influence it has on the mind; and the stronger it is, the more obedient it is to its [the mind’s] commands.” Here, on the one hand we have a powerful motive for invigorating the body, that it may readily obey. And on the other hand for regulating and fortify- ing the mind that, instead of being the slave of morbid fancies and feelings, it may possess efficient power to command. “ Train up a child in the way he should go ; and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” is a general admonition of Divine Wisdom. The parent who is conscious of having transmitted to his children a predisjoosition to diseases which may be a stain on successive generations, and the cause of gloomy misery, or of appalling crimes ; and who disregards this admonition—who neg- lects any thing which prudence, example, system, enforced by authority can do to avert such con-