The Complete Mother, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. In which is contained an account of the Inconveniencies reſulting to the Children themſelves that are Nurſed by Strangers, in reſpect of their Bodies, either through the Nurſes want of Care, the unſuitable Nouriſhment, or Contagious Diſeaſes that may be tranſmitted in her Milk.
§ 1. I Come now Secondly to repreſent the Miſchiefs that threaten the Children themelves, which are deſerted by their own Mothers to be Nurſed by Strangers.
It is a pretty Obſervation which St. Ambroſe makes on Gen. 9.25. where Cham's Curſe is expreſſed in his Sons name, Curſed be Canaan, viz. That it is a greater Puniſhment to wicked Cham to be Curſed in his Race, than in his own Perſon. The Wounds which tender Parents receive in the Miſeries of their Children, are much more ſenſible than their own perſonal Calamities. This Conſideration then in all reaſon ſhould touch all Mothers in the moſt ſenſible part, and be of the greateſt force with them, viz. That others Nurſing of them is likely to be extreamly prejudicial to their Children, both in reſpett of their Bodies and their Minds.
§ 2. I ſhall in this Chapter ſhew how the Health of the Childs Body is endangered by putting it to a Stranger to be nurſed, and that theſe ſeveral ways, Either by her want of Care intending it, by yielding it unſuitable Nouriſhment, or by tranſmitting Diſeaſes to it.
§ 3. A Mercenary Nurſe is not likely to take ſo much Care of the Child as its own Mother. In our Bibles we read of Mephiboſheſth's Miſhap received from his Nurſe, who letting him fall out of her Arms as ſhe fled, made him ever after unable to go. And who ſees not how many carry about them to their death, the Marks of their Nurſes Careleſneſs? And no wonder, for Natural Affection will make the Mother more watchful over and patient with the Frowardneſs of her own Babe, than ſhe can expect an Hireling to be.De Educ. lib. P. 3. The Mother is fitteſt to Nurſe, ſaith Plutarch, becauſe ſhe will treat the Child with more Compaſſion and Care, as being influenced by an inward Tenderneſs, which bears date from its firſt being: Whereas the Love of a Nurſe is only Subdititiouſ, the reſult not of Nature but of Wages. It is reaſonable to expect the Miſtreſs of the Family more careful of her own Domeſtick Affairs, than any of her Mercenary Servants, ſince the firſt is obliged by a greater Intereſt than the latter; ſo that where the Miſtreſs is Negligent, we do not ordinarily expect the Maid ſhould be more Induſtrious. And where the Mothers Love can ſuffer a Child to be expoſed, whom Nature hath intereſted in its Welfare, none can wonder if a Stranger neglect it. For indeed how can it be expected, that an Hireling ſhould endure all the Tediouſneſſes and Inconveniencies attending the Nurſing of a little, helpleſs, perhaps Froward Infant; when the Mother, to whom Natural Affection ſhould have endeared the Employment, out of Softneſs and Luxury declines it as a Burden? Or why hath God generally inſpired the Mother with a greater Tenderneſs toward the Child, but for this very end, That thereby ſhe may be enabled to digeſt more eaſily the little Ʋnhandſomneſſes (as one phraſes it) which others Will nauſeate,Biſhop Taylour's Grand Example. and ſubmit to thoſe Fatigues that none elſe will for its Preſervation, whilſt her Care and Patience are doubled by her Affection? There are frequent Tragical Inſtances of Infants Overlaid by Sleepy and Careleſs Nurſes, which much more rarely happen, where the Mother undertakes this Province her ſelf. Methinks then it is very reaſonable thus to argue, She is fitteſt to Nurſe the Child who loves it beſt; and if the Mother is not aſhamed to have it ſaid, That any Woman ſhould love her Child better than her ſelf, ſhe muſt be concluded fitteſt to Nurſe it; and ſhe ought to undertake that Office which requires ſo much Vigilance and Patience, Care and Tenderneſs, as can be expected only from the greateſt Love. Nothing is more common, than for Mercenaries to let the poor Babe Cry it ſelf weary without regarding it, whilſt the Mothers Ears would have ſo affected her Heart, as to ſend her in all haſte to quiet it. The Mother ordinarily will ſpare no Pains to keep it Neat and Clean, whilſt Nurſes generally are ſo Negligent, that Naſtineſs oft breeds Diſeaſes, and the keeping of the Child Dirty, is a ſure Preludium of its Funeral, When Duſt is laid to Duſt, and Aſhes to Aſhes.
§ 4. And here I cannot forbear to tranſlate a paſſage out of a learned Phyſician, Dr. Walter Harrys, in his Tract De acutis Morbis Infantum, viz. That a worthy Divine, the Rector of Hayes, about twelve Miles from London, with great Grief told him, that his Pariſh (being large and populous, and ſcituate in a very wholſome Air) at his firſt coming thither was repleniſhed with Infants ſent abroad to be Nurſed; yet in the compaſs of one Year he had buried them all except two: And that the ſame number of Nurſeries being again twice ſupplied (through the Mercenary Diligence of thoſe Women) out of London, he had again this ſame Year laid them all in their Graves before their time. A. D. 1689.So that by this account, the Citizens ſeem to put out their Children, not ſo properly to be Nurſed as to be Murdered. And I ſee not how they can be thought to have a due regard of their Childrens Lives, who after ſuch fair warning given them by a Phyſician that Practiſes among them, and ſeems peculiarly concern'd for the good of Infants, reſolve ſtill to run this Hazard, and prefer their own Eaſe before their Childrens Life.
§ 5. But if the Child nurſed by a Stranger be not killed by her neglect, yet ſecondly it may be very much injured in its Health by the unſuitable Nouriſhment which it derives from her Breaſts. Galen. de ſanit. tuend. l. 1. c. 7. Avicen l. 1. Fen. 3. Senner. de curat. inf. part 1. c. 1.It is agreed upon by ancient and modern Phyſicians, that the Nouriſhment which Infants receive in the Womb, is of the ſame Nature with the Milk, which, ſoon after the Birth, Nature provides for it in the Breaſts. And it is another approved Rule among them, that a ſudden Alteration of Diet is oft Fatal, always dangerous, eſpecially to the Infirm and ſuch as are unable to reſiſt any violent Impreſſions. If then we conſider the waxen Tenderneſs of Infants (to uſe Galens Expreſſion on as well as Argument) and the Moiſture of their Conſtitution,Galen. de temper. l. 2. c. 1. which makes them very ſuſceptible of new Impreſſions, we muſt conclude that a change of Diet immediately upon their Birth, is likely enough to have a dangerous Influence upon them. Now there is as great Variety in Conſtitutions as Faces, and conſequently it will be as hard to find a Nurſe of the ſame Temperament with the Mother, as endued with the ſame Features. So that the fatal Conſequences of Strangers Nurſing, may be imputed not always to their Negligence, but ſometimes to the great difference in the Conſtitution of the Mother and the Nurſe. For Galen peremptorily concludes, That the Child which draws its own Mothers Breaſts, uſes not only the moſt accuſtomed, but alſo the moſt proper aliment for it: Galen. de ſan. tuend. l. 1. c. 7. Avicen. l. 1. Fen. 3. c. 2.And Avicenna, That this it can beſt digeſt, and therefore it is moſt convenient for it; ſo that if any Indiſpoſition ſeize on it, the Mothers Breaſt is moſt conducive to its Cure. And it is moreover to be obſerved, That for the moſt part thoſe Mothers who decline this Office, are of a delicate and finer Mold, and Mercenary Nurſes are generally robuſt and of a courſer allay: And though the latter may be the more Healthful, yet her Milk may for that reaſon be the leſs ſuitable to the Conſtitution of an Infant conceived and nouriſhed hitherto in a Body more Fine and Tender. Brown Bread may be ſtrong and wholſome Food, yet not fit to be preſcribed on a ſudden to an infirm and delicate Stomach, which hath been long inured to Gruels and Pannado's. And if ſuch unſuitable Diet oft prove Fatal to the Adult, there is more reaſon to fear, leſt it never prove otherwiſe to Tender Infants.
§ 6. But the Danger is much greater, Leſt Mercenary Nurſes tranſmit ſome deſperate Contagion into their Nurſeries. The Mothers Diſtemper is the moſt plauſible Pretence for her declining of this Office: And all conclude it very reaſonable, that in that caſe ſhe forbear to Nurſe, leſt her Infant Suck Death from her Breaſts whoſe Womb gave it Life, and ſhe propagate her Diſeaſes to it, together with her Milk, impregnated with the vicious Qualities of her Blood. But then the Argument is as ſtrong to oblige an Healthful Mother to Nurſe, leaſt ſhe ſhould commit it to a Mercenary, infected with ſome latent Diſeaſe. The Right Reverend Dr. Burnet Biſhop of Salisbury in his Letters aſſures us,Dr. Burnet's Let. 4 p. 248. That one Mr. Gody Miniſter of St. Gervais in Geneva, had a Daughter then ſixteen Years old, who having a Nurſe extraordinary thick of Hearing, ſpake all the little words that Children do at a Year old, but was Deaf at two years old. Which he concludes was cauſed by ſome Vapor the Nurſes Milk was charged with, which was propagated to the Child, when ſhe began to Suck more ſtrongly, and to take greater quantities of that corrupted Nouriſhment. But this (though a very unhappy Infirmity) is very tolerable, in compariſon of what other Infants have by this means been infected with. For there is a Story in Dr. Ambr. Parey, Par. de Lue Ven. c. 2.a Famous French Chyrurgion, to this purpoſe, ſo remarkable, that I cannot but judge it worthy to be tranſcribed.
§ 7. A certain very good Citizen of this City of Paris, granted to his Wife, being a very Chaſt Woman, that conditionally ſhe would Nurſe her own Child (of which ſhe was lately delivered) ſhe ſhould have a Nurſe in the Houſe to eaſe her of ſome part of the Labour. By ill-hap the Nurſe they took was troubled with the Venereal Diſeaſe, wherewith ſhe Preſently infected the Child, the Child the Mother, the Mother her Husband, and he two of his Children, who frequently accompanied him at Bed and Board, being ignorant of that Malignity wherewith he was inwardly tainted. In the mean while the Mother, when ſhe obſerved that her Nurſe-Child came not forward, but cried almoſt perpetually, ſhe asked my Counſel to tell her the cauſe of the Diſeaſe, which was not hard to be done, for the whole Body thereof was repleniſhed with Venereal Scabs and Puſtles, the hired Nurſe and the Mothers Nipples were eaten in with virulent Ulcers: Alſo the Fathers and the two other Childrens Bodies (whereof the one was three and the other four Years old) were troubled with the like Puſtles and Scabs. I told them that they had all the Lues Venerea, which took its Original and firſt Off-ſpring by malign Contagion from the hired Nurſe. I had them in Cure, and by Gods help healed them all except the Sucking Child, which died in the Cure. But the hired Nurſe was ſoundly laſhed in the Priſon, and ſhould have been whipped through all the Streets of the City, but that the Magiſtrate had a Care to preſerve the Credit of the Unfortunate Family.
§ 8. Now if it be conſidered how common this Diſeaſe is in our Debauched Age, we may conclued it is only to be imputed to the Secrecy of Phyſicians and Chyrurgions, that we have not freſher Inſtances of this Nature. And this will be ſufficient to caution all Mothers that are Healthful, rather than run the hazard of ſuch a Misfortune, to undergo the Fatigue of Nurſing themſelves. And thus you ſee how many ways a Mercenary Nurſe endangers the Life and Health of your Children. And if it be an antedated Murder, by cauſing Abortion to hinder the Propagation of a Man, it cannot be a leſs Crime, after he is born and regiſtred among Chriſtians, to ſuffer him to die, and contribute any of theſe ways to his Murder.