Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-06-05


mixed cannot be so intimately COM
bined as they are in that wonderful lab
oratory, the lacteal glands of the
mother; but this is not all; even il the
mothers milk itself is extracted and
administered from bottle il is not the
same thing as nursing at the breast.
The warmth OF the maternal embrace,
the repose OF the maternal bosom, the
sacred Joy of mother and child at the
reunion which realizes the fact that the
babe is flesh OF her flesh and bone of
her bone-these are as much factors OF
the healthy function as the caseine,
sugar, oil and other approximate prin-
ciples of the milk, as much SO and as
indispensable.
All mothers really know the truth of
what we are saying, and all men may
know who will observe the difference
between a hand-raised baby, moaning
and fretting over its bottle, and hap
pier one drawing its sustenance from
its natural source, that life fountain,
Which is twice blest-
1t blesses her that gives and him that takes.
We feel that there can be no subject
calling so urgently for sanitary admoni-
tion and protest as the growing disposi-
tion of women to shrink from their
function of lactation as if it were n
burdensome and irksome task, rather
than the dearest blessing bestowed by
the Greater upon the sex.
We say that it is a growing evil; the
excuses for it used to be but two-the
demands OF fashionable society, and the
inability arising from ill-health; but
now there are numberless calls on
woman's time and labor which form
the pretext for neglecting this, which is
woman's paramount duty above all
others. They want to devote them
selves to art, and science, and literature,
to preach and lecture, and practice
medicine and law; they want to be
church workers and movers in human
itaran associations, to hold meetings
and organize themselves into associa-
tions-in short, they want to live in
public, desire which has always been
been incompatible with those homely
but solemn duties on which depend the
rising up of generation of healthy
and vigorous men and women of the
future. We have no right to preach to
them, it is not our vocation to approach
the subject from moral and religious
point of view; that we leave to the rev.
erend clergy, and we hope that they
realize their responsibilities in the mat
ter, but in its physical and vital bear
ing the question imposes an onerous
responsibility upon us as a public sani-
tary organization, our duty of enforc-
ing the truth in relation to it is per-
emptory, and in pursuance of that
duty, we will tell such mothers as are
evading the maternal offices that what
they are Withholding from their infants
is nothing short of their life's blood.
1t is a pregnant fact, that has been
observed in our large cities where,
more than elsewhere, this mothers
duty has been set aside, that while un-
der improved sanitary administration
the mortuary records have been slowly
aud surely ameliorated, this mitigation
Of the death lists has not extended to
the infant population; infant mortality
has not diminished but, If anything
increased. 1t will doubtless be answered
to this that in great cities there are
many causes besides this which are con-
ducive to mortality, and we are con-
strained to admit it, though we firmly
believe that this is among the most po-
tent. But let us turn to more decis-
i've instanee--the fondling hospitals. In
these science and charity have exhaust
ed their resources in the effort to find
some substitute for the natural Il0urisii-
ment OF which the poor victims are de-
frauded, and apparently in vain; for
the mortuary statistics of fondling hos
pitfalls haye been found so appalling that
humane and charitable persons who are
best informed upon the subject have
come to doubt whether it is expedient
to keep them in existence. The statis-
tics of infant morality in private life
and its causes are not SO accessible.
Marasmus. iniantle diarrhea, strumous
| disease, tabes mesenterica, are conven-
lent names under which hand-raised in
fants have their deaths reported, when
deaths by starvation would give the true
diagnosis expressed in plain English
Surely if the mothers of our land would
realize the TACT that thousands OF infants
Edie every year who might be reared to
ihealthy maturity under a more natural
regime, a salutary change would at
least in some instances, be made in the
habits unfavorable to lactation; even
where sickness is the excuse they would
seriously consider the cause of their in
ability, and ascertain whether it be moi
attributable to modes of life incompati-
BILE with moral and physical health.
But we are answered, ut is impossi-
bic, we have so many calls upon us, we
should become positively Of no account
in the community if we shut ourselves
up with our children all the time in
stead OF going among our equals,
Alas! the complaint is not confined tc
this highly civilized and enlightened
country-the women of China seem tc
have great deal to do besides theil
natural duties, and when these latter
become very exacting, they quietly droT
their babies in the river, and nothing il
thought of it, 1t is to be feared we arr
becoming very Chinese in this respect
have not yet learned TO utilize the rive
for this purpose, but the lady of fash
ion, the lady worker for church or tenn
perance organizations, the female lee
! tnrer doctor or LAWYER. turn their in