Remarks on the Subject of Lactation

Remarks on the Subject of Lactation, by Edward Morton, is described on its title as containing observations on the healthy and diseased conditions of the breast-milk, the disorders frequently produced in mothers by suckling, and numerous illustrative cases. The long title presents the work as proving that lactation, when protracted, is a common cause, in children, of hydrencephalus, or water in the brain, and other serious complaints. The contents list names, among others, a chapter On Lactation, and the Disorders frequently produced in Women by that process, and a chapter On the various Diseases which arise in Children from Lactation, especially when protracted.

The text says that no sooner has the child been ushered into the world than the breasts of the mother pour forth their milk for its sustenance. The text says what is first secreted, called colostrum, possesses a purgative quality evidently intended by the all-wise Author of our being for the purpose of removing the meconium. A note says it is unquestionable, notwithstanding the scepticism of some practitioners on the subject, that recovery may take place, under appropriate treatment, in cases of Meningitis, even after effusion has unequivocally occurred.