Nine books of physick and chirurgery written by that great and learned physitian, Dr Sennertus. The first five being his Institutions of the whole body of physick: the other four of fevers and agues: with their differences, signs, and cures.

CHAP III. Of the Diet of Infants, and thence forward untill 21. yeares of Age.

WHen a Child is brought forth into the World, before the teats are given him, we ought to give him some pure honey, or Corall with Sugar, or the Sugar of pennidice, with: Oile of sweet Almonds, whereby the Dregs may be drawne through the Paunch, and an Epilepsie be prevented.

Afterwards let the Infant be nourished with Milke, * 1.1 and that from his Mothers Breast, as having most agreement with the Infant, and it is generated of the same blood, by which before the little one was formed, and nourished in the Wombe, unlesse perhaps the Mother be sick or ill disposed; the Infant is to bee nourished with Milke, untill it be two years old, or certainly till the eighteenth Month, & tis to be ac∣customed in the meane time to other meats by little & little; yet such as may be easily concocted, commonly their is prepared for them Papp made of Bread, and water or Milke, yet by rea∣son of its clamminesse, it seemes not to so good to many, and therefore more wholesome may bee made with crums of Bread, or certainly with bread first dried in an Oven.

Afterwards the Infant by degrees is to be accustomed to more solid meats, * 1.2 but the first three years, his food is to bee moister, and the Infant is to be nourished with good meats, and should use Bathes often, but not presently after eating and drinking; neare the end of seven years Age, the use of Bathes ought to be more seldome, Infants and Boyes should not drink Wine.

By how much the more a boy growes in yeares, by so much the more both the mind and body are to be imployed, yet the exercises ought not to bee immoderate, least that any member should be turned awry, or least the body should bee dryed too soone with two much motion, and the growth of the body should be hindred; of sleep, by how much the more Age increaseth, so by little and little we ought to abate it.

In the second and third Septinaries more solid meats are to be afforded, * 1.3 yet not over much drying: Exercise also ought to be somewhat lesse then the strength might tolerate, and in the third Septinary order of Diet convenient for every course of life is to be begun, for those which are given to a labori∣ous kind of life ought to seed more plentifully in the third

Septinary, and with those meates, which being taken in no great quantity, nourish much, and strengthen them for grea∣ter labours.

But those wich apply their mindes to learning at this age ought to be carefull of the animall spirits, * 1.4 and diligently to endeavour that they may be plentifully generated being pu∣re, and cleare, which may be if they live in a subtile Aire, pure thin, by dyet and meats that are not thick, but which may afford matter for pure and lauadble blood, and endea∣vour to evacuate all excrements in due time, not to accumu∣late crudities, nor weaken their bodies with untimely stu∣dies, nor is the use of Venery to be granted till the end of this Age.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Infant is nouri∣shed with the mo∣thers Milk.
• * 1.2

  Diet the first three yeares.
• * 1.3

  Dietin 7. and 3. S••ptinary.
• * 1.4

  Diet of. Schollers.