Remarks on the Subject of Lactation

on the Subject of Lactation, by
Edward Morton

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Title: Remarks on the Subject of Lactation
Author: Edward Morton
Release Date: August 16, 2007 [EBook #22344]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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REMARKS ON THE SUBJECT OF

LACTATION,
&c. &c.

REMARKS
ON THE SUBJECT OF
LACTATION;
CONTAINING
OBSERVATIONS
ON THE
HEALTHY AND DISEASED CONDITIONS OF THE
BREAST-MILK; THE DISORDERS FREQUENTLY PRODUCED IN
MOTHERS BY SUCKLING;
AND
NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIVE CASES;
PROVING THAT, WHEN PROTRACTED, IT IS A COMMON
CAUSE, IN CHILDREN, OF
HYDRENCEPHALUS, OR WATER IN THE BRAIN,
AND
OTHER SERIOUS COMPLAINTS.
BY
EDWARD MORTON, M.D. CANTAB.
FELLOW OF THE CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

AND MEMBER OF TRINITY COLLEGE; CANDIDATE OF THE
ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, LONDON; LATE
PHYSICIAN TO THE WESTERN DISPENSARY, AND TO THE
ROYAL METROPOLITAN INFIRMARY FOR CHILDREN, &c. &c.
LONDON:
LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN,
PATERNOSTER-ROW.
MDCCCXXXI.

LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES, STAMFORD
STREET.

TO
SIR HENRY HALFORD, BART., M.D., F.R.S., F.A.S.,
PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS,
LONDON, PHYSICIAN TO THE KING, &c. &c.
THE FOLLOWING PAGES
ARE,
WITH HIS PERMISSION,
AND WITH
A GRATEFUL SENSE OF THE HONOUR THUS CONFERRED
UPON THEIR AUTHOR, MOST RESPECTFULLY
DEDICATED.

PREFACE.
Several cases which I witnessed led me to believe, some years ago, that
inflammation of the brain, or its membranes, might be produced in
children, owing to their being suckled for an undue length of time.
Since that period, having enjoyed opportunities of observing infantile
diseases on a much more extended scale, and my attention being
expressly directed to the point in question, I not only became fully
convinced of the correctness of my previous conclusions, but was
induced to carry them still farther.
My opinions on this subject were briefly drawn up and published in the
Medical and Physical Journal for August 1827, and have not passed
altogether unnoticed by my professional brethren[1], some of whom
have done me the honour to speak of them in flattering terms, while no
one, I believe, has attempted to disprove the existence of the important
fact I was the first to announce.
[1] Vide Medico-Chirurgical Review, Gazette of Health, Dendy on
Cutaneous Diseases, &c.
The bare statement of that fact was, indeed, nearly all that my
approaching departure from England, at the time last mentioned, left in
my power: upon the present occasion I have offered arguments for, and
endeavoured to anticipate those against, the deductions I then made
public; and however imperfect may have been my success in either, the
welfare of society at large is too deeply involved in the establishment
of my opinions with respect to the custom I condemn, (if those
opinions be correct,) for me to hesitate while again committing them to
the press in a more extended form.
These considerations, I respectfully submit, will render any apology for
the appearance of the following pages unnecessary, and will, I trust,
secure for them a candid and favourable reception from the Profession
and the Public.
15, Eaton Street, Grosvenor Place, October 8, 1831.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Page Of the Breast-Milk, &c. &c. 1
CHAPTER II.
On Lactation, and the Disorders frequently produced in Women by that
process 14
CHAPTER III.
On the various Diseases which arise in Children from Lactation,
especially when protracted 24
Postscript 59
Notes 61

ERRATA.
Page 10, line 3, for two read a few.
" 52, " 19, dele comma between the words Tabes and Mesenterica.
Transcriber's Note: The above corrections have been applied to this text,
in addition headach has been corrected to headache on page 18, line 11.
Throughout the text the oe ligature has been represented as [oe].
CHAPTER I.
Of the Breast-Milk, &c. &c.
No sooner has the child been ushered into the world than the breasts of

the mother pour forth their milk for its sustenance. This bland fluid is
secreted from the blood, and varies, in quality and quantity, according
to the time which has elapsed from delivery, being peculiarly and
wonderfully adapted at every period to the wants of the individual for
whose use it is destined. Thus, that first secreted, called colostrum,
possesses a purgative quality evidently intended by the all-wise Author
of our being for the purpose of removing the meconium[A],--a process
which experience has sufficiently proved