Thanks to Father Mathew, and the noble cause of temperance, there is little need of saying much now concerning the evils of tippling, which women were some years ago in the habit of when Dr. Dewees wrote, and against which he said so much. I need not say to you at this late day, that it is a great deal better for you to leave off alcohol in all its forms, and particularly during the period of which we have been speaking.
LETTER XII.
DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY.
Nausea and Vomiting—Means of Prevention, and Cure.
There are a variety of physiological troubles that are connected with pregnancy. True, women do not all experience these, any or all of them; but inasmuch as you are liable to these affections, it is my duty to speak of them. In doing so, I shall class all of these abnormal symptoms under the general head of “disorders,” because I believe that in a truly natural, or, in other words, healthful state of the system, none of these ailments would be experienced.
Nausea and vomiting, as most of you know, and not a few of you by experience—are, in the present state of society, frequent attendants of pregnancy.
These symptoms occur, for the most part, during the earlier months of gestation. They may, however, continue through the whole period, and in some cases they cease and then return again toward the latter part of it.
Most frequently morning-sickness commences from two to three weeks after the beginning of pregnancy. It may, however, come on the very day of, or next after conception, and some women have been able to discover this circumstance by the occurrence of the vomiting which follows it.
This sickness of the stomach is most apt to occur in the morning. Hence it has been called “morning-sickness,” from the fact that it is most apt to take place at this period of the day. This is in part, doubtless, owing to the circumstance of the woman’s getting up at this time, and not to any thing necessarily connected with that part of the twenty-four hours. If she reclines, the sickness leaves her for the most part, but again appears if she attempts to rise.
The matter thrown up from the stomach varies in character in different cases. Much here depends upon the dietetic habits of the individual and the state of the health. It is more commonly a sort of tough, sour mucus; but sometimes there is vomited an extremely acid, thin water, which in some cases is strong enough to excoriate the mouth and set the teeth on edge. Sometimes, too, bile is thrown up with the other matters.
The appetite is apt to become very variable in these cases; often, indeed, there appears to be none at all; at other times the most singular and even disgusting articles are craved for, and not unfrequently that kind of food which we would suppose the worst for the patient proves to be the best, that is, so far as retaining it on the stomach is concerned.