[ ^78 ] 



that the 2;encral opinion of its nature and properties is founded 

 on fallacious analogy and fupcrficial obfervations made on the 

 matter vomited by infants. 



We may prefume that the cream of woman's milk, by its 

 inferior fpecific gravity, will fvvim on the furface of the contents 

 of the ftomach, and being of an oily nature, that it will be 

 of more difEcult digeflion than any other conftituent part of 

 milk. When an infant fucks very plentifully then, fo as to 

 over diftend the ftomach, or labours under any weaknefs in 

 the powers of digeftion, it cannot appear unreafonable to fuppofe 

 that the cream Ihall be rejedled firft by vomiting. Analogous to 

 this we know that adults affedled with dyfpepfia often bring up 

 greafy fluids from the ftomach by eruclation, and this cfpecially 

 after eating fat meat. We have in fome inftances known this 

 to blaze when thrown into a fire, like fpirits of wine or oiJ. 



That vifcid cream has given rife to the opinion of curd in 

 the milk vomited by infants, is ftill farther confirmed by the 

 following fad : Having conftantly obferved that the milk of 

 women, for fome days after delivery, threw up a copious yellow 

 cream, it occurred to me that, if my ideas on this fubjcd were 

 juft, what is commonly called curds, as vomited by infants, 

 ought to be of a yellow colour for the firft few days after 

 birth. Accordingly I put this queftion to all our experienced 

 nurfe-tenders in the Lying-in-Hofpital : " Is there any difference 

 *' of colour in the curds vomited by infants of four or five 

 " days old and by thofc of a fortnight or three weeks ?" It 

 happened that two or three of them were fitting together when I 



firft 



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