A practical treatise on the management and diseases of children / by Richard T. Evanson and Henry Maunsell.
- Evanson, Richard Tonson, 1800-1871.
- Date:
- 1843
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A practical treatise on the management and diseases of children / by Richard T. Evanson and Henry Maunsell. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![well, but the nipple may be naturally so small, or may be so com- pletely obliterated by the pressure of tight stays, as not to admit of its being laid hold of by the child. These are actual, physical hindrances to nursing. Again, Avomen may, and in the higher classes frequently do, possess such extremely sensitive and excitable temperaments as will render it imprudent for them to suckle their own children. Frightened and excited by every accidental change in the infant's countenance, and inordinately moved by the common agitations of life, such persons are kept by their own tenderness, and over-anxious desire to do their duty, in a state of continual fever, which materially interferes with the formation of milk, both as to quantity and quality. Women, also, who become mothers for the first time at a late period of life, have seldom the flexibility of disposition, or the phj'-sical aptitude for secretion of milk, required to constitute a good nurse. Another disqualification for nursing we must notice, although we hope and believe that it is rarely observ- able among our countrywomen : if women of fashion are not con- tented to give up their engagements in society in favour of their domestic duties, it is better for them not to undertake the latter — In this matter, says Wendt, it is better to do nothing than only half. We have already stated, that the child should be put to the breast / as soon as the latter contains anything for it to extract; this gene- rally happens when the mother's system has been relieved, by sleep »^ and ten or twelve hours' rest, from the fever which is always more or less attendant upon labour. Unless there has been wme secretion of milk, it is better not to apply the child, as it becomes disappointed by continued ineffectual attempts at obtaining nourishment, and there may subsequently be some difficulty in getting it to engage seriously in the business of sucking.* As soon, however, as it has fairly commenced, it will require no other food; and if the mother be a good nurse, she should be able to support her infant indepen- dently of artificial nutriment, during at least two-thirds of the period of infancy, — that is to say, until the seventh or eighth month. About that time the teeth usually begin to appear, indicating that the digestive system is assuming a capability of doing more work than it was adequate to at first; and, accordingly, we should then, taking the hint from nature, begin gradually to train and exercise its powers. The suckling of the infant, which during the first months should be performed at regular intervals of about four hours, should now be repeated not more than three or four times during the day and night; and twice during the same period some artificial food should be given. This at first may consist of soft bread, steeped in hot water, with the addition of a little sugar and fresh cow's milk ; * We have heard the propriety of the advice given above, called into question. Practical men will, however, have no difficulty in understanding the advantage of preventing the disappointment to the child, and the injury to the nipple itself, some- limes occasioned by protracted drawing at an absolutely empty breast: this is the ntmost extent of delay which we wished to recommend, and to this recommendatioa we must still adhere. [Note to 2d Edition.] 4](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21118346_0041.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
