Science.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 405, 11 February 1904, Page 7

Science.

NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FEEDING; '- ■HE question whether a child, dor. ing its first few months at life, shall be fed at the breast or by hand, is one of frequent occurrence m the household, It is not possible to say whether breast nursinr? or artificial feeding is always preferable. There are certain other questions that arise when this chief one is put, and our judgment must be based on the replies these secondary questions receive. . When the mother is consumptive, cancerous, or is suffering from any communicable disorder, she should not suckle the child. It may be asked whether it is reasonable to suppose that the babe of a diseased mother can be further injured by breast feediag. The reply is distinctly in the affirmative The great fact of motherhood does not exhaust the maternal influence on the babe's body. On the contrary, it is often found that a child is born free from inherited disease, and acquires it by inoculation from the natural food. We cannot undo the conditions of birtb, but we may give the child its great chance of escaping disease by affording it an unpoisoned fount of nutriment.

Apart from disease-bearing properties, milk may be unfitted for nutrition by reason of ite poor quality or email quantity. The child's demands are for a milk, plenteous, rich, and free from the poisons of disease. But it is difficult to get a dairy milk so closely resemblißg the natural supply as to be a fair substitute for the latter. It can be had, but it is not to be thought that the mere addition of water and sugar to any chance purchase of milk will suffice. Too often the commencement cf artificial feeding is the beginning of trouble. In some towns there are excellent dairies with humanised milk on sale. But too maßy dairies have not any uniformity in the quality of the milk sold Abselute uniformity is impossible, but one of approximate oharacter is essential if the digestion is not to be upset. Young babies are more susceptible to the poison of tubercular disease than are their seniors. In using dairy milk there is always this danger of" infection to bo kept in view. Another pertinent fact is the liability of the stomach to become disordered by artificial feediag. Further, we have to face the truth that an overwhelmingly large percentage of cases of ill-nutrition—as antenna and ricketstake origin faom artificial feeding More especially is there danger when children are left to the care of nurses, Not seldom the milk used is that which comes first to hand, even if it be condensed or skimmed. It is also true that thrush and other disorders of the mouth and passages leading therefrom are more likely to occur in artificially fed than in breast-fed children. For instance, the microbe causing thrush grows on the rubber teat, and within the entire feeding tube and bottle. Proper care will prevent this growth obtaining, but that care may be absent. While I acknowledge that the microbe may develop on the human nipple, I would point to the obvious fact that there common cleanliness is likely to effect its removal. But the mother is to be considered. Undoubtedly suckling spoils the beauty of the bust. On that fact it ia not necessary to speak further. Suckling is frequently the cause of inflammation of the breast. Any disorder of the child's mouth may affect the mother by direct contagion; the effect b sing usually local. Two other considerations remain : The one that suckling is a drain on the mother's strength j and the other that it may seriously interfere with the daily avocation,

Parents should, in consultation, weigh these facts. The points of evidence will in each case have their special weight; no two mothers present identical conditions. In the light of the facts stated a parent is far more capable of forming a judgment than is a medical man who has not been made familiar with all the details of the family health. •