Remarks on the Subject of Lactation

on the Subject of Lactation, by Edward Morton

Project Gutenberg's Remarks on the Subject of Lactation, by Edward Morton This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
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
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LACTATION ***

Produced by Bryan Ness, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.)

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 to be necessary for the welfare of the newly-born infant. Afterwards, ceasing to possess this aperient property, it is calculated solely for affording nutrition; and finally, at a certain period from delivery, it gradually becomes impoverished, loses its former healthy qualities altogether, and acquires others which are injurious to life. This important change, as above noticed, generally happens at a certain period after delivery; varying,