The regimen was accordingly carefully inquired into, when
it appeared that porter from a neighbouring publican's had been
substituted for their own for some little time past. This proved to be
bad, throwing down, when left to stand a few hours, a considerable
sediment; it was discontinued; good sound ale taken instead; the
infant again put to the breast, upon the milk of which it flourished,
and never had another attack.
In the same way aperient medicine, taken by the mother, will act on
the child's bowels, through the effect which it produces upon her milk.
This, however, is not the case with all kinds of purgative medicine,
nor does the same purgative produce a like effect upon all children. It
is well, therefore, for a parent to notice what aperient acts thus
through her system upon that of her child, and what does not, and when
an aperient becomes necessary for herself, unless she desire that the
infant's bowels be moved, to avoid the latter; if otherwise, she may
take the former with good effect.
Again; the return of the monthly periods whilst the mother is a nurse
always affects the properties of the milk, more or less, deranging the
stomach and bowels of the infant. It will thus frequently happen, that
a few days before the mother is going to be unwell, the infant will
become fretful and uneasy; its stomach will throw up the milk, and its
motions will be frequent, watery, and greenish.
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