The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. LXVII. Of the paine that children have in breeding of teeth.

CHildren are greatly vexed with their teeth, which cause great paine when they begin to break, as it were, out of their shell or sheath, and begin to * 1.1 come forth, the gummes being broken, which for the most part happe∣neth about the seventh month of the childs age. This pain commeth with itching and scratching of the gummes, an inflammation, fluxe of the belly, whereof many times commeth a feaver, falling of the hair, a convulsion, and at length death. The cause of the paine is the solution of the continuity of the gummes by the com∣ming * 1.2 forth of the teeth. The signes of that pain is an unaccustomed burning, or heat of the childes mouth, which may bee perceived by the nurse that giveth it sucke, a swelling of the gummes and cheekes, and the childes being more wayward and cry∣ing than it was wont, and it will put its fingers to its mouth, and it will rubbe them on its gummes as though it were about to scratch, and it slavereth much. That the * 1.3 Physitian may remedy this, hee must cure the nurse as if she had the feaver, and shee must not suffer the childe to sucke so often, but make him coole and moist when hee thirsteth by giving him at certaine times syrupus alexandrinus, syrup. de limonibus, or the syrupe of pomegranats with boiled water; yet the childe must not hold those things that are actually cold long in his mouth, for such by binding the gums, doe in some sort stay the teeth that are newly comming forth; but things that lenifie and mollifie are rather to bee used, that is to say, such things as doe by little and little re∣laxe the loose flesh of the gummes, and also asswage the paine. Therefore the nurse shall often times rubbe the childs gummes with her fingers, anointed or besmeared with oyle of sweet almonds, fresh butter, hony, sugar, mucilage of the seeds of psili∣um, or of the seeds of marsh mallowes extracted in the water of pellitory of the wall. Some thinke that the braine of a hare, or of a sucking pig rosted or sodden, through a secret property, are effectuall for the same: and on the outside shall be applied a ca∣taplasme of barly meale, milke, oyle of roses, and the yelkes of egges. Also a sticke of liquorice shaven and bruised and anointed with hony, or any of the forenamed syrupes, and often rubbed in the mouth or on the gummes, is likewise profitable: so * 1.4 is also any toy for the childe to play withall, wherein a wolves tooth is set, for this by scratching doth asswage the painfull itching, and rarifie the gummes, and in some weareth them that the teeth appeare the sooner. But many times it happeneth that

all these and such like medicines profit nothing at all, by reason of the contumacy of the gums, by hardnesse or the weaknesse of the childes nature: therefore in such a cause, before the forenamed mortall accidents come, I would perswade the Chirur∣gian to open the gummes in such places as the teeth bunch out with a little swelling, with a knife or lancet, so breaking and opening a way for them, notwithstanding that a little fluxe of blood will follow by the tension of the gummes: of which kind of remedy I have with prosperous and happy successe made tryall in some of mine owne children, in the presence of Feureus, Altinus, and Cortinus, Doctors of Phy∣sick, and Guillemeau the Kings Chirurgian, which is much better and more safe than to doe as some nurses doe, who taught onely by the instinct of nature, with their nailes and scratching, breake and teare, or rent the childrens gummes. The Duke of Nevers had a sonne of eight moneths old, which died of late, and when wee, with * 1.5 the Physitians that were present, diligently sought for the cause of his death, we could impute it unto nothing else, than to the contumacious hardnesse of the gums, which was greater than was convenient for a childe of that age; for therefore the teeth could not breake forth, nor make a passage for themselves to come forth: of which our judgement this was the tryall, that when we cut his gummes with a knife, we found all his teeth appearing as it were in an array, ready to come forth, which if it had bin done when he lived, doubtlesse he might have beene preserved.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The time of breeding of the teeth.
• * 1.2

  The cause of the paine in breeding teeth. The signes.
• * 1.3

  The cure.
• * 1.4

  What power scratching of the gums hath to asswage the pain of them.
• * 1.5

  A history.