“4. The rubbing wet-sheet on going to rest.
“5. It is very important that due attention be paid to diet. She should eat no meat, butter, and as little sweet as possible. Rice, brown bread, Indian mush, hominy or samp, potatoes, good fruits, and milk—these are the best articles for her.
“6. In addition to the above advice which I gave to your wife, there is a very important matter to be observed. Do you not practice too frequent cohabitation with her? This is, perhaps, of all, the most prominent among the causes of abortion. Taking a survey of the animal kingdom, we observe it to be a law, that animals do not cohabit during the period of pregnancy.
“Knowing that you are a kind and good-hearted husband and desire the best good of your wife, I take the liberty of submitting to you the following rules, which, I am confident, you will agree with me will be safe:
“1. Always sleep separately for six months at least, and twelve would be better. By that time we have every reason to believe your wife will enjoy her natural health.
“2. Suppose that after these six or twelve months, pregnancy again occurs, sleep then again separately during the entire period, and at the same time let your wife follow a similar course in water, diet, exercise, etc., to that I have above recommended.
“Then will she be able to prevent those disastrous consequences of frequent abortion.”
Case II.—In the spring of 1845, I was called upon by a gentleman and his lady for advice in regard to herself, she being then at about the middle of the term of pregnancy. She was threatened, as she believed, frequently with abortion. The year previously she had had a bad miscarriage, which was occasioned by a fall. She was of scrofulous habit of body, and had borne already seven or eight children, a number of whom had died.
I directed the patient to practice general ablution two or three times daily, with hip-baths of short duration, to exercise in the open air, and ride frequently, according as she could bear; but to be careful never to do too much at a time. A little overdoing would be liable to cause the difficulty with which she was threatened. The strictest care in diet I strongly advised her to observe.
She went on faithfully in the fulfillment of these directions, and about the end of the month of August, in exceedingly hot weather, she gave birth to her child. She followed the water-treatment resolutely, according to my directions, and in ten days was able to enjoy very long walks in the city. Twice she has been pregnant since that time; and at the time of writing this, has gone to the eighth month without experiencing any symptoms of abortion.