OF CHILDREN.

11

If a child be gorged with food at all hours, and enticed to take it, bymaking it sweet and agreeable to the palate, is it any wonder that sucha child should in time be induced to crave more food than it oughtto have?

Children may be hurt by too little as well as too much food.After a child is weaned, it ought to be fed four or five times a day,Dut should never be accustomed to eat in the night ; neither shouldit have too much at a time. Children thrive best with small quantitiesof food frequently given. This neither overloads the stomach, norhurts the digestion, and is certainly most agreeable to nature.

Writers on nursing have inveighed with such vehemence againstgiving children too much food, that many parents, by endeavouringto shun that error, have run into the opposite extreme, and ruinedthe constitutions of their children. But the error of pinching childrenin theirfoodismore hurtful than theotherextreme. Nature has manyway s of relieving herself when overcharged ; but a child who is pinch-ed with hunger will never become a strong or healthy man. Thaterrors are frequently committed on both sides, we are ready to ac-knowledge ; but where one child is hurt by the quantity of its food,ten suffer from the quality. This is the principal evil, and claims ourstrictest attention.

Many people imagine, that the food which they themselves love can-not be bad for their children; but this notion is very absurd. In themore advanced periods of life, we often acquire an inclination for foodwhich when children we could not endure. Besides, there are manythings that by habit may agree very well with the stomach of a grownperson, which would be hurtful to a child ; as high-seasoned, salted,and smoke-dried provisions, &c. It would also be improper to feedchildren with fat meat, strong broths, rich soups, or the like.

All strong liquors are hurtful to children. Some parents teachtheir children to guzzle ale, and other fermented liquors, at everymeal. Such a practice cannot fail to do mischief. These childrenseldom escape the violence of the small-pox, measles, hooping cough,or some inflammatory disorder. Milk, water, butter-milk, or whey,are the most proper for children to drink. If they have any thingstronger, it may be fine small beer, or a little wine mixed with water.The stomachs of children can digest well enough without the assis-tance of warm stimulants ; being naturally hot, they are easily hurtby every thing of a heating quality.

Few things are more hurtful to chfldren than unripe fruits. Theyweaken the powers of digestion, and sour and relax the stomach, bywhich means it becomes a proper nest for insects. Children indeedshew a great inclination for fruit, and I am apt to believe, that ifgood ripe fruit were allowed them in proper quantity, it would haveno bad effects. We never find a natural inclination wrong, if pro-perly regulated. Fruits are generally of a cooling nature, and correctthe heat and acrimony of the humours. This is what most childrenrequire; only care should betaken lest they exceed. Indeed the bestway to prevent children from going to excess in the use of fruit, oi''ting that which is bnd, is to allow them a proper quantity of what is