Dr. Webster's remarks on the health of London : read before the Westminster Medical Society, April 13, 1850.

  • Webster John, 1795-1876.
Date:
[1850]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Webster's remarks on the health of London : read before the Westminster Medical Society, April 13, 1850. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Mortality among Children. It appears tliat, of the 13,219 deaths from all causes, registered during the first quarter of the cun’eut year, 5,484, or about 41-|- per cent., occurred in persons under fifteen years of age. Having already alluded to several of the diseases which usually prove fatal, especially to children, as scarlatina, measles, and pertussis, it would be supei-fluous to notice them again. Hydrocephalus and convulsions, however, demand some attention. Convulsions are re- ported to have been the cause of death in 482 persons during the past quarter, only three of whom had reached the age of fifteen. From hy- drocephalus, 370 individuals, of whom only three had attained the age of puberty, have died during the quarter just ended. These facts are interesting and instructive, as they unequivocally demonstrate that these two diseases are almost exclusively confined to infancy and child- hood. The danger attending them seems to bear a direct ratio to the youth of the patient; and the prognosis will be most unfavourable in infants, or in those of tender years and feeble constitutions. The large number of children who annually lose their lives from accidents is de- serving of notice. Not fewer than 79 young persons under fifteen years of age have died from bums and scalds during the last three months. Privation of breast-milk proved fatal to forty infants. This circum- stance is most significant; and when it is also known, that during the yeai’s 1848 and 1849, no fewer than 347 infants died from a similar priva- tion, the statement now made deserves serious consideration. Tiiis large mortality is, without doubt, chiefly owing to the practice, so prevalent among many of the middle and upper classes, of employing wet-nurses to suckle their infants, instead of following the dictates of nature, which enjoins each mother to feed and nourish her own offspring. Further, as the milk of a recently delivered woman is more serous than after- wards, it is more fit for her new’-bom infant, than that of another female who has been nursing for a longer period. Moreover, the human milk progressively becomes more nutritious, and is better adapted to support and strengthen the growing infant. It should also be remembered, that the child of the person employed to act as wet-nurse, being fre- quently fed by hand, and very generally neglected, if not starved, often falls a sacrifice. All circumstances being considered, it may be empha- tically said, that, excepting in cases where the mother is unable to afford sufficient or proper nourishment to her own offspring, the custom of employing wet-nurses should be discountenanced, not only on physical, hut on moral grounds.^ It is no answer to assert that parents, especially ^ The practice of employing wet-nnrses is not only contrary to the laws of nature, and of an injurious tendency both to mother and child, but also holds out a pre- mium to immorality. Hired nurses are liberally paid for their services, always well fed, and often luxuriously pampered in a manner quite at variance with their previous position: hence, especially if unmarried, they are tempted to again become qualified for obtaining a similar situation. That this is not an overdrawn picture, may be proved from the experience of medical practitioners. It is also astonishing to observe the encouragement which this demoralizing cu.stom receives from persons who are frequently most charitable, and otherwise desirous of improving the c<mdi- tion, both moral and religious, of the lower orders. If the subject were tavremlly considered in all its bearings, much beneficial alteration would be accomplished. Antiquity might, perliaps, be cited in favour of wet-nursing; but it should be re- membered that the custom was, even then, strongly condemned, llius, Tacitus complains of the degeneracy of the Homan matrons, wlio too frequently entrusted