Let mothers remember that there is great variety in milk. Not only does one mother's milk differ from another, but the same mother's milk varies from time to time. Variation in health and diet affects the milk very much. Many cases of infant trouble are traceable to the mother's milk, which should not be overlooked as a possible cause.
Again, an abundance of milk is not always good. An infant may thrive better on a scanty supply of good milk than on an abundance of bad milk. Milk derived from drinking ale, porter, or alcoholic drinks of any kind, though abundant, is very far indeed from good, that produced by plain and simple diet is always best.
Again, the state of the mother's mind has a great deal to do with the quality of her milk. A fright, or continued worry, may transform good milk into most injurious food for the child.
There need be no fear caused by these ideas: it is only in exceptional cases that nursing need be given up; the natural way is always the best. But where necessary there need be no hesitation in putting an infant on the bottle. The milk of a healthy cow, or condensed milk of first-rate brand, is much to be preferred to that of a wearied, worn-out, and worried mother.
Infants' Food.—For infants who cannot be nursed at the breast, cows' milk in the "bottle" is the best substitute. But all milk used from the cow should be sterilised and cooled before use. That is unless it is found on trial that the child thrives better on unsterilised milk. It is not necessary to have "one cow's milk;" but it is important to have the milk adapted in strength to the infant's need. If the milk be too rich, the infant will often break out into spots, or will vomit. A little more boiling water in the bottle mixture will remedy this, and often prevent serious trouble. The same proportion of water and milk will not always do. One dairy's milk, and even one cow's milk, differs from another; and so does the digestive power of infants. We have to find out that strength of milk to suit our own baby, and not be led astray by the advice of other mothers. In health the young infant does not require food oftener than every two hours, sometimes even every three. It may cry because of cold, wet, or discomfort, not from want of food. To overload the stomach with food is harmful and leads to serious disorders. Its food requires a certain time for digestion, even in an infant, and as the child grows, the intervals between meals ought to be increased.
A good mixture is two parts of cow's milk to one of water. To every pint of this add four teaspoonfuls of sugar, and a tablespoonful of cream. Barley water may be used instead of common water. The water should be boiling, and should be poured into the milk. The bottle should be thoroughly cleansed, and boiled in boiling water before re-filling. It must be remembered that the saliva does not possess the property of turning starch into sugar till the child is six months old; therefore starchy food, such as bread, arrowroot, etc., should on no account be given before that age. Preparations for weaning may then begin, by giving the child small quantities of oatmeal jelly and milk, or even of porridge and milk, so that the weaning comes on gradually. The time of nursing should not exceed nine months. If, however, a child afterwards be ill, there is no harm in going back for a time to the bottle, even at two years old. Common sense must guide, and not hard-and-fast rule. Easily assimilated food must ever be chosen; and as a food for children, oatmeal porridge, well boiled, holds the first place—far before bread sops. If porridge be not easily digested, try oatmeal jelly. Most of the infant foods so largely advertised cannot be recommended.
It is now suspected that tuberculosis is transmitted to children mainly from the milk of cows affected with this disease. Cows are exceedingly liable to tuberculous disease of the udder. It is therefore very difficult to get milk guaranteed free from the tubercle bacillus, and recent examinations of that coming into Manchester and Liverpool showed that from 18 to 29 per cent. contained this deadly germ. (Strange to say, tubercular disease of the mother's breast is practically unknown, and children never derive the disease from their mother's milk.) It is therefore of the greatest importance that only the milk of cows proved free from this disease should be used. The disease is easily detected, and if a demand were created for milk guaranteed free from the germs, dairymen would soon supply it.
Unless it is absolutely certain the cows supplying the milk are free from disease, the milk should be sterilised by heating to near boiling point, and then cooling rapidly. If kept twelve hours, the boiled taste goes off it, and children soon get to like it. Though sterilised milk will keep for some time without getting sour, it should be sterilised each day, specially if for infant use.
This treatment makes the milk keep without the use of preservatives, such as boric acid. We regret to say the use of these is not illegal, and they are largely used in preserving milk, butter, hams, etc. We have seen very serious illnesses produced in children (and adults too) by the heavy doses they have got when both the farmer and milk vendor have added these preservatives. This they often do at the season when the milk easily turns sour. Every care should therefore be taken to get milk guaranteed free from these noxious drugs; and if this is impossible, condensed milk should be used instead. As there is a great variety of brands of condensed milk in the market, always choose one which guarantees that the milk taken has been whole milk, and also unsweetened.