Management and diseases of infants under the influence of the climate of India / [Frederick Corbyn].

  • Corbyn, Frederick
Date:
[1828]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Management and diseases of infants under the influence of the climate of India / [Frederick Corbyn]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    33/540 (page 11)
    in a fine\healthy young woman. They have, in fact, an extraordinary power of drawing back the suck, and pro- ducing it at pleasure, a trick most probably practised in order to alarm and excite the anxiety of the parents, with a view of promoting their pecuniary objects. Among other strange circumstances, I] remember being told by a lady, who had lost many children, that she had come to a de- termination not to nurse again, as she ascribed the death of her dear infants to her own milk. The lady was par- ticularly healthy and stout. I therefore strongly remon- strated against such an erroneous conclusion. The dhye who had been entertained, appeared to be all that: could be desired ; but no sooner was the child born, than every artful trick began to be played off; and the lady was com- pelled, against her own wish, to nurse. Her infant thrived, and became exceedingly stout and healthy. Those who understand medicine,and the character and natureof milk, will confirm the assertion, that the milk of the mother, when a child is first born, is quite different to that at any other period; in short the first milk is quite medicinal, and has an extraordinary influence onthe infant’s consti- tution, which is one of the most important points always to bear in mind: so that ifa lady determine not to nurse, she ought at least for the first ten or twelve days to give this medicinal nourishment. Among other instances of the sophistry found in this class of natives, I have been informed, (of the fact I am not certain,) that it is cus- tomary among them to give opium to infants, when they are restless and troublesome at night. Mothers: should. pay attention to the report. As the danger arising from the bad conduct of dhyes is so great, I trust that ladies in India will see the necessity of nursing their own children. It is often the case,that. becom- ing a nurse will strengthen that constitution which was previously weakly ; and if attention be paid to light bans daging, and to bracing the stays well up after confinement, it will be found that the elegance of figure will not be in- jured. I know a lady,who several months after her confine- ment omitted wearing stays. She of course found her- self losing shape ; but on resuming them, she recovered c2