584 MANAGEMENT OF LYING-IN WOMEN. 



and not a medicine. In regard to this, her taste and idiosyncrasy 

 may be consulted. She commonly continues to use one of the ptisans 

 which she had been advised to use during her labor. When tired of 

 one, another is given to her, and provided they do not prescribe some 

 of those bitter, exciting infusions, or some active compound, of which 

 the old women are so prodigal, she may, in general be allowed to 

 take what pleases her best. Hot wine, aromatics, alcoholic tinctures, 

 coffee, tea, and chocolate are not more admissible after than before 

 her lying-in. 



The food should be light, and given in small quantity: broth 

 given one, two, or three times a day, or some messes of potage, are 

 all that prudence will allow before the milk comes to flow freely. 

 Eichele has supposed that by abstaining even from the broth, and 

 making use of debilitating measures, the milk fever would be pre- 

 vented from coming on; but I have often had opportunities of proving 

 the absurdity of such an assertion. If the woman is to suckle her 

 child, it is not improper to allow her to have polages of a rather 

 more substantial kind the day after the delivery; in the opposite 

 case I give nothing but broth. Upon this subject, attention must be 

 paid to her state of health, her habits and constitution; we ought 

 not, for example, obstinately to restrict a majority of country women 

 to too severe a diet; for, although many of them may have fallen vic- 

 tims to the many imprudences they commit, there is a much larger 

 number who, without making any change in their ordinary diet, and 

 continuing to eat cutlets, bread, and all sorts of meats, and at times 

 very gross food, yet get up, walk about, and do their customary work, 

 in two days after child-birth, without any bad effects following such 

 a course. 



1243. When the secretion of milk has taken place and nothing 

 unnatural has happened, she begins to return by degrees to her com- 

 mon mode of living; she passes gradually from soup and panada, 

 and semouilles and rice-milk, to boiled eggs, white meats, fried tish, 

 chops, and other common dishes; so that in from eight to ten days 

 the patient has no more need than any body else of being directed in 

 relation to the choice of her food. 'I'he same is true of her drinks; 

 from wine and water she proceeds gradually to the use of beer or 

 pure wine; in fact the ptisans may be laid aside after the fourth or 

 fifth day. Many women, however, particularly those who cannot 

 or will not suckle, would not think themselves safe were not certain 

 infusions and medicines prescribed for them previous to their resu- 

 ming their ordinary regimen. The canne de Provence, the. arundo 

 phragmyfes, and the lesser periwinkle, especially enjoy a great repu- 

 tation in this respect with the public. According to the statements 



