CONTAINING
OBSERVATIONS
ON THE
HEALTHY AND DISEASED CONDITIONS OF THE BREAST-MILK;
THE DISORDERS FREQUENTLY PRODUCED
IN MOTHERS BY SUCKLING;
AND
NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIVE CASES;
PROVING THAT, WHEN PROTRACTED, IT IS A COMMON
CAUSE, IN CHILDREN, OF
HYDRENCEPHALUS, OR WATER IN THE BRAIN,
AND
OTHER SERIOUS COMPLAINTS.
BY
FELLOW OF THE CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, AND MEMBER OF TRINITY
COLLEGE; CANDIDATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS,
LONDON; LATE PHYSICIAN TO THE WESTERN DISPENSARY,
AND TO THE ROYAL METROPOLITAN
INFIRMARY FOR CHILDREN, &c. &c.
LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN,
PATERNOSTER-ROW.
MDCCCXXXI.
LONDON:
Printed by William Clowes,
Stamford Street.
TO
Sir HENRY HALFORD, Bart., M.D., F.R.S., F.A.S.,
PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, LONDON,
PHYSICIAN TO THE KING, &c. &c.
THE FOLLOWING PAGES
ARE,
WITH HIS PERMISSION,
AND WITH
A GRATEFUL SENSE OF THE HONOUR THUS CONFERRED UPON THEIR
AUTHOR, MOST RESPECTFULLY
DEDICATED.
Several cases which I witnessed led meto believe, some years ago, that inflammationof the brain, or its membranes,might be produced in children, owing totheir being suckled for an undue length oftime. Since that period, having enjoyedopportunities of observing infantile diseaseson a much more extended scale, and myattention being expressly directed to thepoint in question, I not only became fullyconvinced of the correctness of my previousconclusions, but was induced to carrythem still farther.
My opinions on this subject were brieflydrawn up and published in the Medicaland Physical Journal for August 1827,and have not passed altogether unnoticed[Pg viii]by my professional brethren[1], some ofwhom have done me the honour to speakof them in flattering terms, while no one,I believe, has attempted to disprove theexistence of the important fact I was thefirst to announce.
[1] Vide Medico-Chirurgical Review, Gazette of Health, Dendyon Cutaneous Diseases, &c.
The bare statement of that fact was,indeed, nearly all that my approachingdeparture from England, at the time lastmentioned, left in my power: upon thepresent occasion I have offered argumentsfor, and endeavoured to anticipate thoseagainst, the deductions I then made public;and however imperfect may have been mysuccess in either, the welfare of society atlarge is too deeply involved in the establishmentof my opinion