Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’

This chapter focuses on the specific forms of health care given to newborn babies in early modern England, a hitherto almost entirely neglected category in histories of health. Drawing on printed health advice and correspondence the chapter charts the various stages of the care offered to newborns,...

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Hovedforfatter: Astbury, Leah
Format: Online
Sprog:engelsk
Udgivet: Manchester University Press 2021
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Online adgang:633230
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author Astbury, Leah
author_browse Astbury, Leah
author_facet Astbury, Leah
author_sort Astbury, Leah
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This chapter focuses on the specific forms of health care given to newborn babies in early modern England, a hitherto almost entirely neglected category in histories of health. Drawing on printed health advice and correspondence the chapter charts the various stages of the care offered to newborns, which was based on very specific management of the six non-naturals appropriate to their uniquely hot, damp constitutions, and fragile, malleable bodies. This care was determined particularly by attentive observation and physical ‘searching’ of the body. It was crucial to ensure first that all forms of ‘excretion’ were possible: whether via the mouth or the anal passage; whether excreting excessive moisture from the throat, stomach and brain through crying or removing excrements from the skin through wiping and bathing. Gentle forms of exercise were necessary and procured through crying, bathing or gentle rubbing of the skin. Excessive crying however endangered its health and carers were given advice on calming and soothing babies whilst sleep was of utmost importance, not only in terms of duration but also the baby’s position whilst sleeping.
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language eng
publishDate 2021
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publisherStr Manchester University Press
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-300332025-07-21T15:57:53Z Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’ Astbury, Leah non-naturals health advice child-care newborn babies early modern england sleeping regimen passions of the soul excretion exercise Feces Hygiene Medical writing Midwife Nursing Pregnancy Swaddling Uterus thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine This chapter focuses on the specific forms of health care given to newborn babies in early modern England, a hitherto almost entirely neglected category in histories of health. Drawing on printed health advice and correspondence the chapter charts the various stages of the care offered to newborns, which was based on very specific management of the six non-naturals appropriate to their uniquely hot, damp constitutions, and fragile, malleable bodies. This care was determined particularly by attentive observation and physical ‘searching’ of the body. It was crucial to ensure first that all forms of ‘excretion’ were possible: whether via the mouth or the anal passage; whether excreting excessive moisture from the throat, stomach and brain through crying or removing excrements from the skin through wiping and bathing. Gentle forms of exercise were necessary and procured through crying, bathing or gentle rubbing of the skin. Excessive crying however endangered its health and carers were given advice on calming and soothing babies whilst sleep was of utmost importance, not only in terms of duration but also the baby’s position whilst sleeping. 2021-02-10T12:58:18Z 2017-07-01 23:55:55 2019-12-03 08:32:13 2020-04-01T13:29:13Z 2017 chapter 633230 OCN: 1030818964 http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/31266 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/30033 eng Social Histories of Medicine open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/31266/1/633230.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/31266/1/633230.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/31266/1/633230.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/31266/1/633230.pdf Manchester University Press 10.7765/9781526113498 10.7765/9781526113498 bcb4ab08-c525-4e6c-88e5-a0cf0a175533 Conserving health in early modern culture: Bodies and environments in Italy and England Wellcome Trust Wellcome 24 open access
spellingShingle non-naturals
health advice
child-care
newborn babies
early modern england
sleeping
regimen
passions of the soul
excretion
exercise
Feces
Hygiene
Medical writing
Midwife
Nursing
Pregnancy
Swaddling
Uterus
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history
thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history
thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine
Astbury, Leah
Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’
title Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’
title_full Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’
title_fullStr Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’
title_full_unstemmed Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’
title_short Chapter 3 ‘Ordering the infant’
title_sort chapter 3 ordering the infant
topic non-naturals
health advice
child-care
newborn babies
early modern england
sleeping
regimen
passions of the soul
excretion
exercise
Feces
Hygiene
Medical writing
Midwife
Nursing
Pregnancy
Swaddling
Uterus
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history
thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history
thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine
topic_facet non-naturals
health advice
child-care
newborn babies
early modern england
sleeping
regimen
passions of the soul
excretion
exercise
Feces
Hygiene
Medical writing
Midwife
Nursing
Pregnancy
Swaddling
Uterus
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history
thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1D Europe::1DS Southern Europe::1DST Italy
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology
thema EDItEUR::3 Time period qualifiers::3M c 1500 onwards to present day
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHT History: specific events and topics::NHTB Social and cultural history
thema EDItEUR::M Medicine and Nursing::MB Medicine: general issues::MBX History of medicine
url 633230
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