than the ninth (the most usual date), and
never delayed beyond the twelfth month.

I should say further, that if child and parent are both in vigorous
health, if the infant has cut several of its teeth, and been already
accustomed to be partially fed, weaning ought to be gradually
accomplished at the ninth month. On the other hand, that if the child
is feeble in constitution, the teeth late in appearing, and the mother
is healthy, and has a sufficient supply of good milk, especially if it
be the autumnal season, it will be far better to prolong the nursing
for a few months. In such a case, the fact of the on-appearance of the
teeth indicates an unfitness of the system for any other than the
natural food from the maternal breast.

And again, if the infant is born of a consumptive parent, and a
healthy and vigorous wet-nurse has been provided, weaning should most
certainly be deferred beyond the usual time, carefully watching,
however, that neither nurse nor child suffer from its continuance.

THE MODE.--It should be effected gradually. From the sixth month most
children are fed twice or oftener in the four-and-twenty hours; the
infant is in fact, therefore, from this time in the progress of
weaning; that is to say, its natural diet is partly changed for an
artificial one, so that when the time for complete weaning arrives, it
will be easily accomplished, without suffering to the mother, or much
denial to the child.

It is, however, of the greatest importance to regulate the quantity
and quality of the food at this time. If too much food is given (and
this is the great danger) the stomach will be overloaded, the digestive
powers destroyed, and if the child is not carried off suddenly by
convulsions, its bowels will become obstinately disordered; it will
fall away from not being nourished, and perhaps eventually become a
sacrifice to the overanxious desire of the parent and its friends to
promote its welfare.

The kind of food proper for this period, and the mode of administering
it, is detailed in the previous section, on "Artificial Feeding."[FN#12]

[FN#12] The kind of food after the sixth month to the completion of
first dentition, p. 44.

Much exercise in the open air (whenever there is no dampness of
atmosphere) is highly necessary and beneficial at this time; it tends
to invigorate the system, and strengthens the digestive organs, and
thus enables the latter to bear without injury the alteration i