She had a good time, and a plentiful supply of milk for
the child, which she continued to suckle till the following January, a
period of three months, when her milk suddenly disappeared. This
circumstance puzzled the medical attendant, for he could not trace it
to any physical ailment; but the milk never returned, and a wet-nurse
became necessary. In the following spring the husband of this lady
failed, an adversity which had been impending since the date when the
breast-milk disappeared, upon which day the deranged state of the
husband's affairs was made known to the wife,--a fact which at once
explained the mysterious disappearance of the milk.
Unwholesome articles of diet will affect the mother's milk, and
derange the infant's bowels. On the 25th May, 1836, I was called to see
an infant at the breast with diarrhoea. The remedial measures had but
little effect so long as the infant was allowed the breast-milk; but
this being discontinued, and arrow-root made with water only allowed,
the complaint was quickly put a stop to. Believing that the mother's
milk was impaired from some accidental cause which might now be passed,
the infant was again allowed the breast. In less than four-and-twenty
hours, however, the diarrhoea returned. The mother being a very healthy
woman, it was suspected that some unwholesome article in her diet might
be the cause.
Pages:
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178