Buchan's Domestic medicine modernized; or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicine : containing, ... observations on the comparative advantages of vaccine inoculation, ... an essay, enabling ruptured persons to manage themselves ... a family herbal: and such useful discoveries in medicine and surgery as have transpired since the demise of the late William Buchan.
- Buchan William, 1729-1805.
- Date:
- 1809
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Buchan's Domestic medicine modernized; or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicine : containing, ... observations on the comparative advantages of vaccine inoculation, ... an essay, enabling ruptured persons to manage themselves ... a family herbal: and such useful discoveries in medicine and surgery as have transpired since the demise of the late William Buchan. 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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![deflni(5llvc both' to the mullier {ind child. Women of df-licatc ron- ftitutions, I'uhjcdl to hyltcric fits, or other nervous afi'ectioiis, in«!:e ■very bad niirl'es ; and theCe complaints arc now lb coiumon, u ai it is rare to find a woman of fafliion free from them; iu< n \\ -men, therefore, fuppoling them willing, are often unable to luckie ihcir own children. Almol'c every mother would be in a condition to give fuck, did mankind live agreeable to Nature; but whoever conful. t-, how far many mothers deviate from her dictates, will not he fiirn iied to find fomeof them unable to perform that necelTary ofiice M dhe.'-s ■who do noteat a fufficient C|uantity of folid food, nor er.jov ifit be- nefit of free air and exercii'e, can neither have wholelon.e ju;-es themfelves, nor afford proper nourifhment to an infant, lienee children who are fuckled by delicate women, either die young, or continue weak and ficklv all their lives.' When we fay iJtal mothers are not always in a condition to fuckle their own children, we would not be underftood as difcou- raging that pra6lice. Every mother who can, ought cerlainlv to perform fo tender and agreeable an office. But fuppofing it to be oat of her power, Ihe may, neverthelefs, be of great fervice to her child. I’he bufinefs of nurfing is by no means confined to giving fuck. To a woman who abounds with milk, this is the eafieft part of it. Numberlefs other ofiices arc neceffiiiy for a child, which the mother oua:ht at leafi to lee done. O Many advantages would arife to fociety, as well as to individtiEls, from mothers fiickling their own children. A mother who abandons the fruit of her womb, as foon as it is born, to the foie care of an hireling, hardly deferves that name. A child, by being brought up under the mother’s eye, not only fectirgs her afieiftion, but may reap all the advantages of a parent’s care, though it be fuckled liv ano- ther. How can a mother be better employed than in fup.n intendii]g the nurfery? This is at once the molt delightful and important office; yet the moft trivial bufi.nefs or inlipid anuifements arc often prefer- red to it!—a Urong proof both of the bad talte and wrong educa- tion of modern females. It is, indeed, to be regretted that more care is not beffowed in teaching the'pro[)er management of children to thole whom Nature has deligned for mol hers'; this, inflead of being made the principal, is feldom confidered as'anv part of female education. Is it any won- der, when females fo educated come to be mothers, that they (hould be quite ignorant of the duties belonging to that cliaraCtei f Howe- ver Itrange it may appear, it is certainly true, that many mothers, and ibofe of fadiion too..,are as ignorant, when they have brought a child into the world, of what is to be done for it, as the infant itfclf. Indeed, tile moll ignorant of the lex are generally reckoned molt knowing in the buliriefs of nurfing. Hence, feufible people become the dupes of ignorance and luperltilion ; and the nurfing of children, inflead of being condndled by reafon,is tlicrefult of whim and ca^irice. ’I’acitus, the celebrated Boman hilloiian, complains greatly of the degeneracy of the Roman ladies in his time, with regard to ihe care](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21695295_0024.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
