THO’theBABEmay be brought up by the Hand only, withoutSuckling, as many Instances of very thrivingChildrentestify; yet because the most natural, common, and commendable way is tosuckleit, I come now to touch upon the properNURSE, herMilk, andDiet. Upon which I first observe, that the prime and chiefQualityof a goodNURSEis, that she be theMotherof theFosterling INFANTherself; and that because herMILK, being generated of the sameBlood, of which theCHILDis formed, and has hitherto been nourished, is of a nearerAffinitywith the Nature of herBABE, than theMILKof anyother strange Womanwhatsoever; which can differ no less from theMaternal Milk, than the ownMother, and theotherdiffer inConstitutionandTemperamentof Body,Regimen, andMethod of Living, &c. All which affect theINFANTin no small Degree; for as theBloodis generated of theChyle, and theSpiritsof theBlood, so theCHILDimbibes the veryMannersandDisposition, as well as the grossHumoursandQualitiesof theNURSEwith herMilk.
ASaLambsucking aGoat, changes not only itsNature, but even itsSkinandWoolinto theGoat-Kind; so it is also among therational Creatures: From hence we have justly theold Proverb, touching anill-natured Person, that someBruteor other has been hisNURSE. And hence it is thatRomulusandRemus, the Sons ofMars(without any Reality) are said to have been nursed by aWolf[182];Pelias, the Son ofNeptune, by aMare;Telephus, the Son ofHercules, by aHind, &c. Not that they ever actually sucked suchCreatures, only theirNURSESwere of suchTempersandNatures, which they were thus supposed to have by theBreastinfused into them.
AND, in short, dailyExperience, as well as manyLearned Authorities, may sufficiently convince us, thatChildrenreallysuckin the severalvitious Inclinationsanddepraved Passionsof theirNURSES; such asAnger,Malice,Fear,Melancholy, &c. Agreeable to which Opinion,Diodorussays[183], thatNerothe Emperor’sNURSEwas very much addicted toDrinking; which HabitNeroimbibed fromher, to such a Degree, that the People took notice of it, and from thence instead ofClaudius Tiberius Nero, call’d himCaldius Biberius Mero. The same Author relates ofCaligula, that hisNURSEused frequently to moisten herNippleswithBlood, that he might take the better hold of them; which (says the sameDiodorus) was theCauseof his being so cruel andBlood-thirstyall the Days of his Life; that he not only committed frequentMurdersby his own Hand, but even wished that all humane Race was but oneNeck, that he might have the pleasure tocut it off.
INshort,honest Parentsperceiving theirChildrento incline variously,onetoThieving,anothertoDrinking;onetoStupidity,anothertoBarbarity; are amazed at suchDegeneraciesof Mankind, not knowing after whom theChildcan take those Propensions. But abstracting fromthis, how many fineChildrendo we daily see thrown intoFits,Rickets,Consumptions, &c. merely bysuckingtheir imprudentNURSES, when enraged, or otherways in a Passion? If then theCasestands thus, that everyDisorderof theNURSEis a realDetrimentto theINFANT, surely, upon this Account, allParentsought to knowHerwell, to whom they entrust theseDear Pledgesof their sacred and natural Desires.
MOREOVERyet, besides all these Things, the tenderCare, as well as theLoveandAffectionof theMotherto her ownChild, by far surpasses that of anymercenaryNURSEwhatsoever. Wherefore theMother, tho’ perhaps not the bestNURSEin other respects, is always preferable to aSTRANGER: Which if People ofProbityandHonourwould more observe, I sincerely believe that there would not be so many graceless, disobedient, and undutifulCHILDRENof our Age. I do not think what I have read ofScipio Africanusto be any singularInstance; namely, that He esteemedHermore for hisMother, who nursed him two Years after hisBirth, thanHerwho brought him forth, and then forsook him in the World. Agreeable to which, and mostà propos, was the Answer of the Philosopher,Favorinus[184], to theMotherof a certainNoble-womaninCHILD-BED, who was dissuading herDaughtertonursetheCHILDshe had born;viz.I entreat thee Woman(says he)suffer her to be the whole and entire Mother of her own Son. And verily,Sheonly can be properly so called, who carefullynursesas well asbrings forthher ownCHILDREN. Hence it is that theEarthis called theMotherof all Things, not so much because she produces all Things, as because shemaintainsandnurseswhat she produces.
ALLwhich, notwithstanding, there is sometimes aNecessity(on account of sundry Reasons) to provide anotherNURSEfor theCHILD; wherefore I come now briefly to describe the most properPersonfor thisTRUST, and to set forth theQualitiesof the most convenientMILK, for the wholesome Nourishment of theInfant.
FIRST then, theNURSEought to be a Woman between the 20th and 35thYear of her Age, perfectly graced with theBlessingsandOrnamentsofNature; and a Person ofProbityandReputationin herRank, endued withLove,Pity, andTender-heartedness: As she also ought to besoundandhealthy, of a goodHabitandDispositionof Body and Mind, of a sanguineComplexion, and rosyColour; of amiddle Stature, having black or brownHair, alively Eye,sweet Breath, sound and whiteTeeth, with an agreeable chearfulCountenance. In short, she ought also to be awell-mannered,modest, andsober Person, having middle-sized, well shaped, not flabby nor hanging down, but solid fleshyBreasts, with elegant, firm, and well perforatedNipples.
SECONDLY, As to herMILK, it ought neither to be toonew, nor tooold; but at any time from thePuerperial Flux, until the 6th or 8th Month thereafter, it is not to be rejected; especially if it be of a goodConsistence, neither toothicknor toothin, of a purewhite Colour, an agreeable pleasantSmell, and a perfect sweetTaste.
BUT it sometimes however happens, that theMilkof aNURSE, otherways a veryproper Person, degenerates from some of the abovesaidQualities: In whichCaseit is no ways convenient to change theNURSE, especially if it so happen to theMother; only theMILKis to be corrected according toArt, which may be easily performed by properMedicinal Means, and that as well with respect to itsQualityasQuantity: However, asthis Casebelongs to theSYMPTOMSof theBreasts, which I have already declined speaking to, as in theforegoingChapter, so I shall no ways enter upon it in this Place. But again——
THIRDLYas to herRegimen, such aNurseis to make use of, and enjoy a good and convenientDiet; abstaining carefully from allsaltandsharp Victuals, as well as from high-spicedMeats, and strong or spirituousLiquors. In short, as she ought to avoid all Sorts ofintemperate Air, and keep herself clean both inPersonandCloaths; so she ought always to exercise herself by some lightLabour, and keep herself in a moderate active Motion; prudently suppressing, at all Times and upon all Occasions, the variousPassions of the Mind: By which means, anyWomanas above described, may make a very goodNURSE, and that even without abstaining altogether either from the moderate Use ofWine, or ofConjugal Conversation; notwithstanding the contrary Opinion of mostAuthors, provided only that she does not give theCHILD suckfor an Hour or two afterCopulation.