times, that the greatest care must ever be taken in the selection of it, in its preparation, in the quantity given, and in the mode of giving it. In the choice of the food, the mother must be guided by circumstances: she must find out that which suits best; and so long as the child flourishes, she should from no trivial cause change

it.

The different kinds just pointed out may be tried in the order given till one is found to agree. The mode of making these preparations is detailed at length at page 50.: this has been done because the defective manner in which artificial food is prepared is not unfrequently the sole cause of its failure. It is only necessary further to observe upon this point, that the extreme cleanliness of the vessels in which it is made, and the most perfect sweetness of the vessel in which it is given to the child, is imperatively essential to its success. The quantity given must be small, lest the stomach be overloaded, which seldom fails, after a little while, to impair its tone, and gives rise to the distressing dyspeptic symptoms before alluded In reference to the mode of giving it, the child must be fed slowly; and, minding this precaution, the sucking-bottle may now be discontinued, and the spoon used in its stead: but more full instructions upon all the foregoing points will be found in the chapter on "Artificial Feeding."

to.

In about six weeks or two months after the artificial food has been in part commenced it may be given, if necessary, more frequently—three or four times in the twenty-four hours, and the breast of course less frequently. This will prepare the infant for weaning, which, under these circumstances, when the time arrives, will be easily accomplished.

Such is the plan of nursing to be followed by the mother until the infant is weaned entirely from the breast. The period when this ought to take place, as also the manner of accomplishing it, are detailed in the section 66 on Weaning."

RULES FOR THE HEALTH OF THE NURSINGMOTHER. A careful attention to health on the part of the mother is especially called for during nursing. Healthy, nourishing, and digestible milk can be procured only from a healthy and wellconstituted parent; and it is against common sense to expect that if a mother impairs her health and digestion by improper diet, neglect of exercise, and impure air, she can nevertheless provide as wholesome and uncontaminated a fluid for her child as if she were diligently attentive to these important points. Every instance of indisposition in the nurse is liable to affect the infant.

A nursing-mother who has always enjoyed a state of good health must adhere strictly to the

same kind of diet to which she has been accustomed, and by which her health was maintained prior to her confinement; and if, as will most likely be the case, she find her appetite increase, the extra demand must be met by an increase in that kind of food which is wholesome, nourishing, and simple in quality, and not in that which is rich and pampering to the appetite. The use of stimuli by a parent of robust and sound health is not required, and such an individual will find it better for her own health, as well as for that of her child, to adopt a barley-milk beverage. It is a very prevalent and most mischievous error to suppose that because a woman is nursing, therefore she ought to live fully, and to add an allowance of wine, porter, or other fermented liquor, to her usual diet. The only result of this plan is to cause an unnatural degree of fulness in the system, which places the nurse on the brink of disease, and which of itself frequently puts a stop to, instead of increasing, the secretion of milk. This practice of porter-drinking, &c. generally commences in the lying-inroom. The young mother is there told that it is essential to the production of a good and plentiful supply of breast-milk; and from a sense of duty this course is adopted, however disagreeable, as it generally is to many who submit to it. Now I am desirous that young mothers should understand that this advice, however well meant, is not

good advice-nay more, that, when followed, it is frequently productive of mischief.

Exercise and fresh air are essential to the production of healthy milk, as they also contribute to increase the quantity secreted. No one can have seen much of practice in this metropolis, and not have been fully convinced of this fact. Wet or fine, if the mother be but in good health, if she live in a large city, she should take the daily walk.

I need scarcely remind the nursing-parent of the importance of attending to the state of her skin; of the invigorating effects of the bath; to the proper regulation of the bowels; to the avoidance of all mental excitement, which frequently exercises a very prejudicial effect on the quality of the breast-milk; to the injurious influence of an indulgence in late hours, night and morning. These and many other points of observance connected with the health, it is unnecessary further to dwell upon or allude to here. The right plan of proceeding is plain enough; only pay attention to the ordinary laws of health, and the mother, if she have a sound and robust constitution, will make a good nurse; she will have milk sufficient in quantity, and wholesome and nourishing in quality, so long as her infant requires this kind of nutriment.

Many women, however, are healthy, but have not a robust constitution. So long, however, as they possess a frame free from disease, they may nurse with great advantage to their own health, and without detriment to that of the child. It behoves such persons, however, assiduously to employ every means likely to invigorate their health, the more especially as such care will tend to prevent that deficiency in the quantity of milk taking place which is very apt to occur sooner or later. I would recommend in these cases a plain, generous, nutritious regimen,—not of one description of food exclusively, but, as is natural, a wholesome, mixed animal and vegetable diet. A trial, too, may be made here of beer or wine, according to former habit. A pint of good sound ale or porter in the four-and-twenty hours will, in some, be found to have a favourable effect upon the health: when this is the case, let it be continued; on the other hand, if it produce discomfort and disturbance of the system, at once discontinue it. I find, however, more good to arise out of exercise and the bath than from any stimuli. Regular daily exercise in the open air is of great importance, having an extraordinary influence in promoting the secretion of healthy milk, as also has the tepid or cold salt-water shower-bath, taken every morning, immediately