ealth be unexceptionable,
then I would strongly advise her to suckle her own child.

THE MOTHER OF A HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE NERVOUS TEMPERAMENT OUGHT NOT.--There
are other women who ought never to become nurses. The mother of a
highly nervous temperament, who is alarmed at any accidental change she
may happen to notice in her infant's countenance, who is excited and
agitated by the ordinary occurrences of the day; such a parent will do
her offspring more harm than good by attempting to suckle it. Her milk
will be totally unfit for its nourishment: at one time it will be
deficient in quantity, at another, so depraved in its quality, that
serious disturbance to the infant's health, will ensue. The young and
inexperienced mother, who is a parent for the first time, and
altogether ignorant of the duties of her office, and at the same time
most anxious to fulfil them faithfully, is but too frequently an
instance in point; although at a future period she will generally make
a good nurse. The following is an illustration:--

In December, 1838, I attended a young married lady in her first
confinement, and in excellent health. She gave birth to a fine, plump,
healthy boy. Every thing went on well for three weeks, the mother
having an abundant supply of milk, and the infant evidently thriving
upon it. About this time, however, the child had frequent fits of
crying; the bowels became obstinately costive;--the motions being
lumpy, of a mixed colour, quite dry, and passed with great pain. It
became rapidly thin, and after a while its flesh so wasted, and became
so flabby, that it might be said literally to hang on the bones. The
fits of crying now increased in frequency and violence, coming on every
time after the little one left the breast, when it would commence
screaming violently, beat the air with its hands and feet, and nothing
that was done could appease it. Having lasted for half an hour or more,
it would fall asleep quite exhausted; the fit recurring again, when
again it had been to the breast.

It was very evident that the infant's hunger was not satisfied, as it
was also but too evident its body was not nourished by the parent's
milk, which, although abundant in quantity (the breast being large and
full of milk), was at this time seriously deteriorated in its nutritive
quality. This was caused, I believe, from great anxiety of mind. Her
nurse became suddenly deranged, and the whole responsibility and care
of the child th