Remarks on the Subject of Lactation | Page 8

doses of castor oil). About twelve months afterwards, in consequence of an imprudent exposure to cold, he was attacked with Bronchitis, and Meningitis supervened. Leeches were applied to the head, and other depletory measures actively employed, which were followed by recovery.
CASE XLI.
---- Sloggat, aged thirteen months, died of Meningitis supervening upon Pneumonia--suckled until the time of its death.
CASE XLII.
John Scott, aged eleven months; admitted for Hooping-cough, with a well-marked affection of the head--still at the breast.
CASE XLIII.
---- Scott, aged fifteen months,--died of 'Hooping-cough, with convulsions,' being then at the breast.
CASE XLIV.
Isaac Berwick, aged one year two months, admitted for Hooping-cough, with an affection of the head--still at the breast.
CASE XLV.
Frederick Cousins, aged three years four months, brought to me labouring under Hooping-cough, with Meningitis, which latter terminated in effusion. Calomel was then given every two hours, the stronger mercurial ointment rubbed upon the temples, and blisters applied to the head. The mercurial influence being established, a profuse discharge of urine occurred; the pupils which had previously been permanently dilated, became once more obedient to light; sensibility was restored, and great weakness appeared to be the only urgent symptom. The cough, however, now returned, the head became again affected, and the child sunk. Upon opening the head, about four ounces of fluid was found in the ventricles[K]. This child was suckled sixteen months.
CASE XLVI.
Sarah Swann, aged four years six months, admitted for Hooping-cough with convulsions,--suckled one year.
CASE XLVII.
Henry Harris, aged two years three months, admitted for Hooping-cough, with an affection of the head,--suckled one year four months.
CASE XLVIII.
Maria Hughes, aged two years, admitted for Convulsions supervening upon Hooping-cough--suckled one year three months.
CASE XLIX.
Thomas Benson, aged one year six months, admitted for Pneumonia, with well-marked affection of the head--suckled one year four months.
CASE L.
Mary Kenner, aged six years, admitted for Hooping-cough, with well-marked affection of the head--suckled one year six months.
CASE LI.
John Ennis, aged one year seven months, admitted for Bronchitis, to which a decided affection of the head succeeded--suckled one year.
IV.
Case of Meningitis produced in consequence of the Child being suckled from its birth by a Woman who had at that time been delivered one Year.
CASE LII.
Ellen Willoughby, aged nine months, admitted for Meningitis; at present suckled by a woman who has been delivered one year and nine months.
* * * * *
With respect to the manner in which protracted lactation causes the complaint that forms the subject of these remarks, I formerly was undecided; but have now no doubt whatever of its arising secondarily from derangement in the functions of the abdominal viscera, occasioned by the depraved condition of the breast-milk.
It is universally allowed among medical men that irritations in the stomach and bowels will, through the agency of particular nerves, produce sympathetic irritation in the brain,--that peculiar action being thus elicited which terminates in the effusion of serum, constituting the disease named Hydrocephalus.--'The continued irritation of important or very sensible nerves is, perhaps,' says Mr. Burns, 'one of the most common causes' (of Hydrocephalus); 'hence it may follow dentition, and very often arises from a bad state of the chylopoietic viscera.'
It is also no less generally known that food of a bad quality or improper description will produce derangements in the digestive organs. Now, having already shewn that the milk when lactation is protracted becomes deteriorated, it plainly appears that such milk is capable of occasioning derangement of the chylopoietic viscera; and it being allowed that derangement of these viscera, from any source, may give rise to inflammation of the brain, I conceive it follows that protracted lactation must be admitted as one cause of such effect. This train of reasoning, therefore, from generally admitted data, seems to prove that Meningitis, or inflammation of the brain, in children can be produced by their being suckled for too long a period, and that it is so produced I assert from repeated experience.
An accidental perusal of Mr. Dendy's able work on the cutaneous diseases of children, published shortly after the appearance of my paper before referred to in the Medical and Physical Journal, has recently afforded me the pleasure of finding that the author had been led to entertain similar general views on the subject under discussion with myself; I have, therefore, taken the opportunity of adding that gentleman's testimony to my own, by quoting the following passage from his work above mentioned.
'It may be truly said, that the infantine disease excited by milk of a deleterious, or simply impoverished quality, "grows by what it feeds on;" and we shall witness the internal debility and the infantine disorder running their course together. Tabes is the natural consequence of this error; but its effect is evinced by the occurrence of other disorders. A defective degree of nutrition, as I have elsewhere stated, predisposes the system to become influenced by comparatively slight excitement;