NOTE B.

Gov. Brooks married Miss Lucy Smith, of Medford, who died early in life; and he did not marry again. She left one daughter and two sons, who were reared and educated by the father with the greatest parental care and affection. The daughter married the Rev. George Oakley Stewart, of Quebec, and resided there until her decease. She left three children. The sons of Gov. Brooks, Alexander Scammell and John, devoted themselves to the service of their country. The former is a Major in the Artillery of the United States Army, and inherits his paternal estate. He married Miss Sarah Turner, of Boston, and has two children, Lucy and John. The latter was a Lieutenant in the Navy, and died in the midst of victory, heroically fighting for his country in the glorious battle of Lake Erie.

NOTE C.

Gov. Brooks bequeathed to the Massachusetts Medical Society the whole of his medical library, which contains many very valuable works.

NOTE D.

When President Washington visited Massachusetts, in the year 1789, he appeared solicitous to show Gen. Brooks that he held his character in high estimation, and cherished a strong personal regard for him. Among other attentions, he reviewed his Division of the Militia, and expressed the highest approbation of its discipline. And, when he was about to depart for Salem, he requested to take Gen. Brooks' house in his course. This deviation from his direct route, was accordingly made, that he might take leave of his friend and compatriot in arms. We had this narrative from a gentleman who was, at that time, officially, in constant attendance upon President Washington.

ARTICLE V.

A DISSERTATION

ON THE

PROPHYLACTIC MANAGEMENT OF INFANCY

AND EARLY CHILDHOOD.

BY JOSEPH H. FLINT, M.D.

Read before the Massachusetts Medical Society, at their Annual Meeting, June 7, 1826.

IT has been computed that "one fourth of those who are born die before the age of five years." This disproportioned mortality is usually ascribed to the peculiar "irritability and sensibility" of infancy and early childhood, predisposing it to the ravages of acute diseases.

However plausible, and at first view satisfactory, may be this explanation, it is a fact that the young of all other animals, in a natural state, are comparatively vigorous and healthy. And making every allowance for diseases incident to the hu

man family alone, still it will be found, I apprehend, that most of the disorders of early life, and many of those which occur at a later period, derive their origin from mismanagement. And just in proportion as the laws of Nature are violated, and her plain and salutary requisitions neglected or disregarded, is this peculiar "irritability and sensibility" fatally developed. It has been justly remarked "that when mismanagement in infancy does not actually destroy life, it often very essentially impairs the health,-the foundation of a future good or bad constitution being frequently laid at this period."

The prophylactic management of infancy and early childhood, consists in a proper regulation of the dress, diet, and exercise.

Re

The skin from its continuous and relative sympathies, may be considered a vital organ. flected, it constitutes the mucous membranes ; which accounts for its important connexion with the respiratory and digestive functions. And through the medium of the nerves with which it is so largely endowed, it sympathizes relatively with all the other vital organs. As we advance in age the skin becomes more and more firm-but it is not until about the thirtieth year that it acquires its greatest power of resistance to the impression of external stimuli. During this whole period, but more especially in infancy when the cutaneous

susceptibility is the strongest, in so far as the functions of the skin exert an influence on other organs important in the economy of health, an equable excitement should be preserved by a careful adaptation of the dress to the natural succession of seasons, and other causes of injurious excitement which the customs of society have so greatly multiplied.

It

"If during the greatest part of life the skin be so fruitful a source of disease, and the various alterations it experiences produce so frequent disorders in the internal organs, it is only owing to the varied causes of excitement to which it is every instant subjected." Here allow me to remark that the fashionable attire of the present day gives to the children of opulence no advantage over the "shreds and patches" of poverty. affords but a scanty protection in their frequent transitions from more than tropical heat to hyperborean cold. It is neither a security against the diseases consequent upon exposure to alternations of heat and cold; nor the still more fatal ones which are the effect in a great measure, of the enervating heats of summer upon the functions of the skin. Unguarded exposure to cold when the body is heated-or to heat when it is chilledinduce diseases with which we all are familiar, and so speedily as to leave no room to doubt their cause. The cholera of India, on the other hand,