THE UNHAPPY CONSEQUENCES OF CONSULTING A SURGEON ABOUT THE TURN OF A CHILD'S SHAPE, ACCORDING TO MRS. SEYMOUR, WRITING IN 1754

[摘要] A caveat meant for parents, and often mentioned in eighteenth century books written by lay authors about child rearing practices, was to shun physicians, especially surgeons. The following is an excellent example of this distrust of surgeons:We see Persons with high Hips, and Persons who have high Shoulders; some are large boned, and some have them small, and all this yet with Regularity, while in an Infant these Things are often visible; and to a judicious Person they would only shew (sic), that such or such would be the general Tur of the Person's Shape when grown up, being in themselves nothing tending to Distortion, and being unalterable. If the Mother thinks no more of these, or if she thinks nothing of them at all, some ignorant Female Friend, who sees the child undressed, takes Notice of them: It is a sweet Baby, says she, it is a Pity any thing should grow out of Shape; and if it were her Case she would have Advice in time. This Opinion of Advice in time, is the Destruction of half the Shapes in the World. I am so much the Friend of Physicians, that I think, in Diseases, Advice cannot be sought too soon; but here the only Safety is not to seek it at all: The first Step is the Beginning of Destruction. The Town is over-run with Surgeons, and they must live: If the mother should send for a Physician it is out of his Province; and it is fifty to one that he is not Anatomist enough to know whether there may be any Fault or not.

[学科分类] 儿科学