De morbis puerorum, or, a treatise of the diseases of children;: with their causes, signs, prognosticks, and cures, for the benefit of such as do not understand the Latine tongue, and very useful for all such as are house-keepers, and have children. With the contents of the several chapters, as also an alphabetical table of all the diseases mentioned herein. By Robert Pemell practitioner in physick, at Cranebrooke in Kent. May the 29. 1653.

CHAP. 14. Of the Consumption, or Leannesse of the Rickets.

CHildren do many times wax lean without any manifest cause, and although they suck much, or feed well, yet they are not therewith nourished.

The cause.

Now the causes are many; as the corruption of the milk, for being either too hot or too cold, it turns into ill humours, and so hinders the breeding of good blood; or it may come for want of suck, from whence we see many times that when a childe con∣sumes and pines away with sucking one Nurse, if it suck an other, it soon thrives and growes.

Again, worms may be the cause, both such as are bred in the belly, as also in other parts; or it may come by reason of a Feaver, or from a flux of the belly.

The signs.

The signs are manifest.

The Prognosticks.

If the child consume for want of milk, or a good Nurse, this may soon be cured by getting a better Nurse.

If it come from worms in the belly or other parts, it is not easily cured. The Consumption in most children is dangerours if it be not taken in time, and kills many.

The cure.

If the fault be in the milk, that must be rectified by good dyet of the Nurse, or if that do not help, then the Nurse is to be changed.

If worms be the cause, then means must be used to kill worms, as you may see in the Chapter of worms.

If leannesse come from a Feaver, or without any manifest cause, make this following Bath.

A Bath.

Take the head and feet of a Wether; boyl them till the bones fall asunder; then bath the childe with this liquor twise a day, and after bathing anoint with this following oynment.

Take of fresh Butter, oyl of Roses and of Violets, of each one ounce, Hogs-grease, or the fat of raw Pork half an ounce, wax a quarter of an ounce; make an oyntment, and anoint the body with it warm twise a day.

Or,

Anoint the body with oyl of sweet Almonds and fresh butter mixed together; or else anoint the body with the oyntment called Resumptivum, or Resumptive oyntment.

Or,

If it come from great drynesse of the stomach, bathe the sto∣mach with milk warm, and use this following.

Take of fresh Butter, Hens grease, of each half an ounce, Saffron in powder five or six grains, oyl of Violets, or Worm∣wood three ounces, mix them together, and anoint the stomach morning and evening warm.

If it come from a flux of the belly, then use the means to stay the loosenesse as in the Chapter of the flux of the belly.

Concerning the Rickets, there is a learned Treatise set forth lately by three or four Doctors, and since translated into English, where you have that disease accurately and exactly handled, unto which I refer the Reader.