Chavasse's advice to a wife : on the management of her own health and on the treatment of some of the complaints incidental to pregnancy, labour, and suckling.

  • Q52148313
Date:
[1898?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Chavasse's advice to a wife : on the management of her own health and on the treatment of some of the complaints incidental to pregnancy, labour, and suckling. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    have previously alluded to the mistake into which mothers and nurses are led by the appearance of a swollen breast: it is not evidence that the gland can secrete freely, and it is in this turgid state that the excessive irritation tells most severely. This hypersemic [plethoric] condition seems to be a step towards inflammation, and the irrita- tion supplies that which is wanting to complete the process. If a woman will only remove the child from the breast directly the act of sucking produces pain, she may be pretty sure to avoid abscess. So long as the milk can be obtained there is no pain.” The above most valuable advice deserves great attention, and ought to be strictly followed. 888. How is a patient to know that she is abovt to have a gathered bosom ?—There are two forms of gathered breast; one being of serious, and the other of trifling, importance. The first, the serious one, consists of a gathering in the deep structure of the gland of the breast itself; the latter, of a gathering merely of the superficial part of the bosom, and which should be treated, in the same manner as any other external gathering, with warm poultices. 889. In the mild or superficial kind of gathered bosom, the mother may still persevere in suckling her child, as the secreting portion of the breast is not at all implicated in the gathering ; but in the severe form she ought, on no account whatever, to be allowed to do so, but should instantly wean her child from the affected side. She might still continue to nurse from the healthy breast. 890. The important form of a gathered breast I will now describe. A severe gathered bosom is always ushered in with a shivering fit; the more severe the gathering, the longer is the shivering fit. Let this fact be impressed deeply upon my reader’s mind, as it admits of no excep- tion. This shivering is either accompanied or followed by sharp lancinating pains of the bosom. The breast now greatly enlarges, becomes hot, and is very painful.