The Maternal Management of Children, in Health and Disease. | Page 8

it will be deficient in quantity, at another,
so depraved in its quality, that serious disturbance to the infant's health,
will ensue. The young and inexperienced mother, who is a parent for
the first time, and altogether ignorant of the duties of her office, and at
the same time most anxious to fulfil them faithfully, is but too
frequently an instance in point; although at a future period she will
generally make a good nurse. The following is an illustration:--
In December, 1838, I attended a young married lady in her first

confinement, and in excellent health. She gave birth to a fine, plump,
healthy boy. Every thing went on well for three weeks, the mother
having an abundant supply of milk, and the infant evidently thriving
upon it. About this time, however, the child had frequent fits of crying;
the bowels became obstinately costive;--the motions being lumpy, of a
mixed colour, quite dry, and passed with great pain. It became rapidly
thin, and after a while its flesh so wasted, and became so flabby, that it
might be said literally to hang on the bones. The fits of crying now
increased in frequency and violence, coming on every time after the
little one left the breast, when it would commence screaming violently,
beat the air with its hands and feet, and nothing that was done could
appease it. Having lasted for half an hour or more, it would fall asleep
quite exhausted; the fit recurring again, when again it had been to the
breast.
It was very evident that the infant's hunger was not satisfied, as it was
also but too evident its body was not nourished by the parent's milk,
which, although abundant in quantity (the breast being large and full of
milk), was at this time seriously deteriorated in its nutritive quality.
This was caused, I believe, from great anxiety of mind. Her nurse
became suddenly deranged, and the whole responsibility and care of the
child thus devolved upon the mother, of the duties connected with
which she was entirely ignorant.
A wet-nurse was obtained. In a very few hours after this change was
effected, the screaming ceased, the child had quiet and refreshing sleep,
and in twelve hours a healthy motion was passed. The child gained
flesh almost as quickly as it had previously lost it, and is now as fine
and healthy an infant as it promised to be when born.
Whenever there has existed previously any nervous or mental affection
in the parent, wet-nurse suckling is always advisable; this, with
judicious management of childhood, will do much to counteract the
hereditary predisposition.
THE MOTHER WHO ONLY NURSES HER INFANT WHEN IT
SUITS HER CONVENIENCE OUGHT NOT.--The mother who
cannot make up her mind exclusively to devote herself to the duties of

a nurse, and give up all engagements that would interfere with her
health, and so with the formation of healthy milk, and with the regular
and stated periods of nursing her infant, ought never to suckle. It is
unnecessary to say why; but I think it right, for the child's sake, to add,
that if it does not sicken, pine, and die, disease will be generated in its
constitution, to manifest itself at some future period.
The child, then, under all the foregoing circumstances, must be
provided with its support from another source, and a wet-nurse is the
best.

2. WET-NURSE SUCKLING.

Ill health and many other circumstances may prevent a parent from
suckling her child, and render a wet-nurse necessary. Now, although
she will do wisely to leave the choice of one to her medical attendant,
still, as some difficulty may attend this, and as most certainly the
mother herself ought to be acquainted with the principal points to
which his attention is directed in the selection of a good nurse, it will
be well to point out in what they consist.

CHOICE OF A WET-NURSE.

The first thing to which a medical man looks, is the general health of
the woman; next, the condition of her breast, the quality of her milk its
age and her own; whether she is ever unwell while nursing; and, last of
all, the condition and health of the child.
IS THE WOMAN IN GOOD HEALTH?--Her general appearance
ought to bear the marks of a sound constitution, and ought to be free
from all suspicion of a strumous character; her tongue clean, and
digestion good; her teeth and gums sound and perfect; her skin free

from eruption, and her breath sweet.
WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF THE BREAST?--A good breast
should be firm and well formed; its size not dependent upon a large
quantity of fat, which will generally take away from its firmness,
giving it a flabby appearance, but upon its glandular structure, which