BLEEDING AND CALOMEL PRACTICE.

199

effecting this, water and friction are by far the best instrumentalities. But for the full presentation of this subject, the reader is referred again to Physiology 107, 108, 109, 111

A most affecting instance of the destructive consequences of the bleeding and calomel practice, recently fell under the author's observation. Mrs. M., confined with her sixth child, recovered very rapidly for about a week, when, on her mother's coming to see her, she sat up most of a cold, raw April day, took a chill, and sent toward night in considerable haste for her doctor—a great lancet and calomelite. He put her, to use his own words to me, "under the usual treatment in such cases" -that is, bled and salivated. Meanwhile, the child had to be nursed, which alone reprobates this practice. 'But," continued he, "she was attacked with a severe rheumatic affection, which settled in her limbs-especially knees." His own story satisfied me, fully, that the poisonous CALOMEL produced these most excruciating rheumatic sufferings, under which she gradually sank; yet, having a powerful constitution, the wretched patient suffered beyond all endurance, but finally yielded to the deadly poison, and died, a martyr to calomel, universally lamented, and an irreparable loss to her husband and family.

66

The too early dismissal of her nurse, also doubtless contributed to this sad result. Mothers should not be too strong too soon. They often retard recovery by being too smart, and by sewing as soon and as long as they are able to sit up. Let your sewing go. Dismiss all family cares. Consider yourself fully entitled to a long holiday. And as soon as you are able to be “ up and doing," instead of working, RECREATE. I would not recommend that you keep your bed an hour longer than

is really necessary-of which fact judge for yourselves -but I insist upon your riding and walking out, seeking amusement, chatting pleasurably with friends, etc., instead of taxing your weak system with LAbor. This "keeping the bed nine days, till the parts unite,” irrespective of the patient's state of health, is a granny's whim. Some are able to be up and about in two or three days, while others require to keep their beds as many weeks or months. Nor can any other one judge for them, but each must decide for themselves. Yet in general there is more danger of getting about too soon than of keeping confined too long.

THE DIET OF RECENTLY-CONFINED MOTHERS.

On this very much depends. It should be much as that already recommended before confinement129_nutritious, yet easily digested. Wheat boiled, cracked, or coarse ground, and made into bread or puddings, in connection with sweet fruits, eaten freely, and perhaps milk and cream, will probably be found the best general diet. In meat, gravies, butter, I do not believe. They are too strong and too heating.

Porter, so much used by many English women, I regard as particularly injurious to both mother and child. It contains considerable alcohol, and this is rank poison to infants. It powerfully irritates and stimulates the child, whereas it requires sleep and quiet. Cocoa contains all the nutrition required, and has a very soothing and quieting influence on the mother and child—exactly what both require. This drink probably stands unrivaled. If the grease it contains is objectionable, let it cool and skim, and re-warm or drink cold; but as a drink for nursing mothers, it far surpasses tea or coffee

NURSING CUTTING THE NAVEL CORD.

201

neither of which they ought ever to take. Fresh air wholesome food, and as much exercise as can be taken without injury, are the panaceas of confined mothers.

441. THE NURSING AND MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS. The author does not claim to be a nurse. He is perfectly aware that women instinctively understand this subject better than men, and hence proposes only to of fer a few general suggestions, based in physiological principles too often overlooked by nurses. Yet though women have more of the child-caring instinct than men, they generally err in one essential respect—they OVERNURSE. They too often literally KILL WITH KINDNESS. This their excessive Philoprogenitiveness, too generally ungoverned by intellect, predisposes them to do. Their LOVE for the new comer exceeds their knowledge of the best mode of managing it, and hence they devise a thousand things for its comfort which are most detrimental. But, to begin with its proper treatment from birth:

TIME OF CUTTING THE NAVEL CORD.

? What harm can

Is not this generally done too soon accrue from leaving this connection unsevered for some minutes? On the contrary, would not a decided benefit result therefrom? The more of the mother's blood the child can retain the better. Now by leaving the umbilical cord uncut a few minutes, it is obvious that more blood will be propelled from the mother into the child, than will be withdrawn from the child to the mother. At least till all pulsation in this cord has ceased, it should not be cut. This is too apparent to require proof.

In Ireland, the custom prevails, of not only not sever

ing the connection at once, but of gently pressing the blood along from mother to child; and I have known several cases of children born nearly dead, evidently resuscitated by leaving this connection unsevered for some time; whereas if it had been cut immediately, they would have died. We commend this point to the careful consideration of midwives. Still, care must be taken

lest the child take cold.

WASHING.

This should be performed just as soon as possible after the navel cord is cut, and done as rapidly as a due regard to tenderness will allow, in water nearly bloodwarm, followed by rubbing with the hand. A case came under my own observation where the nurse was so long in washing and dressing a child, that it took a cold from which it did not recover for several weeks, and probably will never wholly get over it.

NEVER DO

P. 115, 118, 120

DRESSING.

To wait to put on the common under and outer lothes now used, is altogether wrong. WRAP THEM IN A WOOLLEN BLANKET. They are usually OVER-DRESSED. I would have them kept warm, but this CLOTHES CAN Their own internal heat must warm them, or they must remain cold. All that clothes can do is to retard the escape of heat-not to create that heat. But they are generally dressed too warmly; then the room is usually kept too warm, and they are often kept under an excess of bed-clothes-too much for them even if naked. And all in consequence of the extra Cautiousness and Philoprogenitiveness of mothers and nurses. This weakens their skin, induces too great perspiration, and exposes them to colds. Be per

# A DOSE OF SWEET OIL."

203

suaded not to over-clothe, and lay them on a bed instead of under bed-clothes, for that clothing which suffices. them when awake is all-sufficient when asleep.

Also put on no caps. They are especially injurious. Yet this practice is now generally obsolete.

66 A DOSE OF SWEET OIL,"

Must of course be administered immediately on their being dressed. This is both utterly unnecessary, and especially pernicious. The simple fact that the first nourishment received from the mother is aperient, is proof positive that no other purgation is needed. Since nature has thus provided for moving their bowels, why make any additional provision? The fact that nature always takes this work in hand, shows that art should not interfere. What proof can be stronger? needs to be done, nature will do, and the fact that she always undertakes it, is ample guarantee that it will be WELL done.

What

Besides, all such medicines only induce the very constipation designed to be removed. It is the nature of ALL aperients to tighten the bowels AFTERWARD. This is an absolutely necessary consequence of all purgatives. How especially palsying, then, to the weak and highly susceptible bowels of infants? It DISORDERS them ALWAYS, and in the very CONSTITUTION OF THINGS. They are always left worse than they would have been without any aperients. Let nature alone, and she will move the bowels in due time, unless the mother is very much disordered. Or if, in extreme cases, art should be required to quicken her movements-which I exceedingly doubt―tepid water is aid enough, and leaves no palsying influence behind. Not a few of the colics, and