become pale; its look sickly and aged; the flesh soft and flabby; the
limbs emaciated; the belly, in some cases, large, in others, shrunk;
and the evacuations fetid and unnatural; and in a very few weeks, the
blooming healthy child will be changed into the pale, sickly, peevish,
wasted creature, whose life appears hardly desirable.

The only measure that can save the life, and recover an infant from
this state, is that which would previously have prevented it a healthy
wet-nurse.

If the effects upon the infant should not be so aggravated as those
just described, and it subsequently live and thrive, there will be a
tendency in such a constitution to scrofula and consumption, to
manifest itself at some future period of life, undoubtedly acquired
from the parent, and dependent upon the impaired state of her health at
the time of its suckling. A wet-nurse early resorted to, will prevent
this.

It will be naturally asked, for how long a period a mother ought to
perform the office of a nurse? No specific time can be mentioned, and
the only way in which the question can be met is this: no woman, with
advantage to her own health, can suckle her infant beyond twelve or
eighteen months; and at various periods between the third and twelfth
month, many women will be obliged partially or entirely to resign the
office.[FN#4]



[FN#4] See "Weaning," p. 51.