Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-21

aside from the expense Of the food, there
are the doctors bills to consider, and they
are likely to be large in every case in which
| the baby is watched with tender solic1tude.
| The infinite majority of mothers car
nurse their Infants if they choose to do so,
| but mother who has a consumptive taint
would be more likely to become consump-
| tive were she to nurse her infant. She
| would also transmit to the little one a ten
| dency to that same dread malady. So with
other physical imperfections. AS for moral
| infrmities, all that are pronounced have q
| bad influence upon nursing child
Mothers of Violent Tempers.
In the case of young mother of frivo-
lous nature, over-fond of society, and sure
to be restive and unhappy under the re-
| straint that she must necessarily bear if she
nurses her baby, she ought to be allowed
to entrust it, nourishment to others It
would be an objectionable sin for tippling
mother to nurse her little one. Women Of
violent tempers, and those who are un-
happily married, or are deeply despondent
from whatsoever cause, cannot properly
nourish children. Moral affections, as fright,
anger, grief, etc., have marked influence
upon the quantity and quality of the milk.
Let mother be for a few hours "out of
sorts" and the night following her baby is
likely to be restless and sleepless. In such
instances, also, there is frequently collie and
diarrhea. A violent fit of anger in the
mother may bring on convulsions in her
babe, and cases are on record In which
death even has been caused
A sound mind is quite as essential in a
nursing mother as a sound body. She who
is mentally weak, even if the signs of aber-
ration are the faintest, and scarcely more
than bare suspicious, should not nurse her
babe, for the duty would be too severe and
tend to still further weaken her mind;
moreover were the child to die the loss
might induce insanity. Calmness and equa-
nimity are high on the list OF nursing
mothers essentials. 1t is apparent then
that certain proportion OF mothers are
absolutely disqualified, and the question of
fitness is one that deserves the most careful
consideration.
Popular Delusion Dispe1led.
In consequence of absurd prejudices as to
foods it is quite the rule. to find mothers
making radical changes in their manner of
living as soon as they begin nursing; and
common result is that in the course of four
or five months the supply becomes scanty
or poor in quality, and mixed feeding or
weaving in necessary. The only general
rule that can be fixed for nursing mothers
is, that the diet be of good quality, nourish-
ing, fairly substantial, and moderate in
quantity. Before going further than this
in an attempt to establish rule, the
previous customs of each mother must be
taken into consideration. If one has been
''meat eater" and never fond of veget-
ables, then diet largely made up of them
would not be appropriate for her. Nor
should vegetarian be made to live almost
entirely upon flesh foods.
AS matter of fact, proved bv expert
ments, the food itself has little, if any, d.
rect influence. That is, If mother squeezes
bit of lemon upon her fried fish, or puts q
little vinegar upon her salad, ner conscience
need not reproach her, for there is no like
lihood whatever of her baby being affected
by an occasional indulgence of this sort