ON THE ORGANIC FUNCTIONS. 875 



722. No Secretion so strongly manifests the influence of the Nervous 

 system, and especially of Emotional states, both upon its quantity and its 

 quality, as that of the Mammary glands. Although the production of Milk, 

 when once established, continually goes on in the breasts of a nursing female, 

 yet it is obviously accelerated in the first instance, and augmented after- 

 wards, by the mechanical irritation of the nipple produced by the suction of 

 the infant ; and this alone (or in combination with the strong desire to fur- 

 nish milk) has been effectual in producing the secretion in girls and old 

 women, and even in men. Again, in the nursing female the secretion is 

 often suddenly augmented by the sight of the infant, or even by the thought 

 of him in absence, especially when associated with the idea of suckling; this 

 gives rise to the sudden rush of blood to the gland, which is known by nurses 

 as the draught, and which may probably be attributed to a dilatation of the 

 Mammary arteries, through the instrumentality of their Sympathetic nerves, 

 analogous to that which takes place in the act of blushing ( 717). Although 

 we are continually witnessing indications of the powerful influence of Emo- 

 tional states upon the qualities of the Mammary secretion, yet it is probable 

 that such influence is not at all peculiar to the milk ; and that we only 

 recognize it more readily in this case, because the digestive system of the 

 Infant is a more delicate apparatus for testing it than any which the Chemist 

 can devise ; affording proof, by disorder of its function, of changes in the 

 character of the secretion which no examination of its physical properties 

 could detect. The following remarks on this subject are abridged from Sir 

 A. Cooper's valuable work on the Breast: "The secretion of milk proceeds 

 best in a tranquil state of mind, and with a cheerful temper; then the milk is 

 regularly abundant, and agrees well with the child. On the contrary, a 

 fretful temper lessens the quantity of milk, makes it thin and serous, and 

 causes it to disturb the child's bowels, producing intestinal fever and much 

 griping. Fits of anger produce a very irritating milk, followed by griping 

 in the infant, with green stools. Grief has a great influence on lactation, 

 and consequently upon the child. The loss of a near and dear relation, or a 

 change of fortune, will often so much diminish the secretion of milk, as to 

 render adventitious aid necessary for the support of the child. Anxiety of 

 mind diminishes the quantity, and alters the quality of the milk. The re- 

 ception of a letter which leaves the mind in anxious suspense, lessens the 

 draught, and the breast becomes empty. If the child be ill, and the mother 

 is anxious respecting it, she complains to her medical attendant that she has 

 little milk, and that her infant is griped and has frequent green and frothy 

 motions. Fear has a powerful influence on the secretion of milk. I am in- 

 formed by a medical man who practices much among the poor, that the ap- 

 prehension of the brutal conduct of a drunken husband will put a stop for a 

 time to the secretion of milk. When this happens, the breast feels knotted 

 and hard, flaccid from the absence of milk, and that which is secreted is 

 highly irritating; and some time elapses before a healthy secretion returns. 

 Terror, which is sudden and great fear, instantly stops this secretion." Of 

 this two striking instances, in which the secretion, although previously 



in other channels. There seems to be something in the process of training young 

 men for the Medical Profession, which encourages in them a laxity of thought and 

 expression on these matters, that too frequently ends in the laxity of principle and 

 of action. It might have been expected that those who are so continually witness- 

 ing the melancholy consequences of the violation of the Divine Law in this partic- 

 ular, would be the last to break it themselves; but this is unfortunately very far 

 from being the case. The Author regrets being obliged further to remark, that some 

 works which have issued from the Medical press, contains much that is calculated to 

 excite, rather than to repress, the propensity ; and that the advice sometimes given 

 by practitioners to their patients, is immoral as well as unscientific. 



