f
personal trouble and anxiety to the nurse or mother who undertakes the
duty. This, however, is a fallacy in every respect, except as regards
the fact of preparing the food; but even this extra amount of work, by
adopting the course we shall lay down, may be reduced to a very small
sum of inconvenience; and as respects anxiety, the only thing calling
for care is the display of judgment in the preparation of the food. The
articles required for the purpose of feeding an infant are a night-lamp,
with its pan and lid, to keep the food warm; a nursing-bottle, with a
prepared teat; and a small pap saucepan, for use by day. Of the lamp we
need hardly speak, most mothers being acquainted with its operation: but
to those to whom it is unknown we may observe, that the flame from the
floating rushlight heats the water in the reservoir above, in which the
covered pan that contains the food floats, keeping it at such a heat
that, when thinned by milk, it will be of a temperature suitable for
immediate use. Though many kinds of nursing-bottles have been lately
invented, and some mounted with India-rubber nipples, the common glass
bottle, with the calf's teat, is equal in cleanliness and utility to
any; besides, the nipple put into the child's mouth is so white and
natural in appearance, that no child taken from the breast will refuse
it. The black artificial ones of caoutchouc or gutta-percha are
unnatural. The prepared teats can be obtained at any chemist's, and as
they are kept in spirits, they will require a little soaking in warm
water, and gentle washing, before being tied securely, by means of fine
twine, round the neck of the bottle, just sufficient being left
projecting for the child to grasp freely in its lips; for if left the
full length, or over long, it will be drawn too far into the mouth, and
possibly make the infant heave. When once properly adjusted, the nipple
need never be removed till replaced by a new one, which will hardly be
necessary oftener than once a fortnight, though with care one will last
for several weeks. The nursing-bottle should be thoroughly washed and
cleaned every day, and always rinsed out before and after using it, the
warm water being squeezed through the nipple, to wash out any particles
of food that might lodge in the aperture, and become sour. The teat can
always be kept white and soft by turning the end of the bottle, when not
in use, into a narrow jug containing water, taking care to dry it