The old tradition used to be that a woman, on no account, must leave her bed before the ninth day. No matter how well she felt, the nine days must be spent in bed. There is no positive rule. One must be guided by her strength. Probably few women can expect to be about before four or five days. The cases where they can leave their beds earlier than that are exceptional.
Mammary abscess, or inflammation of the breast, often called “gathered” or “bealed” breast, is usually ushered in with a chill, succeeded by feverish symptoms. Darting pains are felt in the breast, which, as the disease progresses, extend to the arm-pits. The breasts swell, become hard and tender to the touch—even nursing is painful. If pus forms, the skin becomes dark red, the enlarged breast softens, accompanied by a throbbing pain. The patient is feverish, nervous, irritable, has irregular chills, night sweats, debility, etc.
Hot fomentations should be used promptly and thoroughly at the first threatening symptoms. Wring a cloth out of an infusion of phytolacca, and keep hot by applying the water bottle containing a small quantity of very hot water. If too much water is put into the bottle it is made uncomfortably heavy. If the fresh root cannot be obtained, use the fluid extract, ten drops to a pint of water. Keep the breast well drawn and persevere in the hot applications; suppuration can usually be prevented. Farmers know the value of phytolacca, and use it with their new milch cows in case of caked bag.
Aconite should be taken internally if there is alternate chill and fever, with thirst and throbbing pulse, one drop of tincture in ten tablespoons of water, a spoonful every half hour.
Bryonia, 2d.—Constant aching in the bones and soreness of the flesh. Dose, six pellets every hour.
Use only liquid food until the disease is surely arrested. Keep quiet and have plenty of fresh air. Unless the suppuration is very deep the breast should never be lanced.
For excoriated nipples, bathe in a warm borax lotion, two grains to one cup of soft water; after which apply carbolated cosmoline or calenduline. If the base of the nipple is deeply cracked, before using the cosmoline, wash with a solution of nitrate of silver, one grain to two ounces of water. Protect with a shield while the child is nursing. None of the above preparations are harmful to the child, except the nitrate of silver, and the cases where this is needed are rare.
For insufficient milk, drink freely of new warm milk. Have it brought to the bed, and drink at least a pint. Take it one or two hours before breakfast. If milk cannot be obtained possessing animal warmth, take new milk, add one-tenth water, and heat over a water bath to a temperature of 120 degrees. Cheese makers testify that the addition of water prevents rennet from coagulating the casein. In the stomach also, warm water prevents the pepsin from curdling the milk. If it is as warm as the stomach, and does not coagulate, it will be taken up by the absorbents and conveyed directly to the blood, without going through the process of digestion. Mothers who have a great aversion to milk, learn to cultivate a decided relish for it for the sake of the child.
Dr. R. P. Harris, in speaking of milk as a diet for delicate mothers, says: “Those who with ordinary food invariably fail to nurse longer than a few weeks, are capable by this diet of becoming not only good nurses, but also of gaining flesh while secreting the milk in abundance. When a delicate mother of eighty-six pounds’ weight, who had failed after a month with each of three infants, is enabled by it to nurse a child eighteen months, and gain at the same time nineteen pounds, the diet must be an effective one.” The article next best for promoting the secretion of milk is cocoa or chocolate, prepared with plenty of milk.
Every form of malt and spirituous liquors should by all means be avoided. They derange the nervous and digestive systems of both mother and babe. Custom, happily, has to a large extent done away with the idea that “nursing women must have ale or beer.” To those who still maintain this view, I would recommend the study of the question, whether the help expected is at all commensurate with the danger incurred of a pernicious appetite being cultivated in both mother and child.