THE CAUSATION OF DISEASE. 1 49 



It is probable that the entire future health of the individual 

 differs according as he has been naturally or artificially fed. 

 Some children, no .doubt, do fairly well on the artificial 

 method, but it is highly doubtful whether they would not 

 do better still on the natural food. The following case is 

 interesting in showing the different effects of the artificial 

 and natural system of feeding. A woman brought to the 

 hospital twin infants who were afflicted with congenital 

 syphilis.* The ante-partem E of these twins was very 

 similar, both in respect of the Normal and the Abnormal 

 (namely, the syphilitic virus) ; one would therefore expect the 

 two infants to be very similar in structure. And such is the 

 case ; they bear the usual resemblance of twins, and are both 

 afflicted with the same disease. Nevertheless, they show a 

 considerable difference, and herein lies the great interest of the 

 case. The great similarity of E for each twin ended at birth : 

 the mother having only milk enough for one babe, the girl — 

 for they were of different sex — was suckled, the boy being 

 brought up b} r hand. The following note was copied from Dr. 

 xlbercrombie's note-book, whose patients the children were. 

 " Both thrush badly for six weeks, with much rash about but- 

 tocks " — this from the mother. The note continues : " The 

 boy has great bosses, most marked and characteristic cachexia, 

 depressed nose, and a palpable spleen — rachitic. The girl has 

 no bosses, nor spleen, nose depressed. Is healthier than the boy, 

 and can stand, whereas he cannot." This case shows most 

 strikingly the influence of the early post-partem E upon the 

 child. 



We cannot, indeed, exaggerate this influence — it demands 

 our closest attention. It is not too much to say that in civilized 

 countries the vast bulk of the young of man are subject to an 

 improper E. This is the case among the poor especially, and 

 notably among the poor of large towns. The cruelty practised 

 on infants year after year is a blot on our civilization — nay, it is 



* It may be noted in passing that the so-called congenital syphilis is an 

 acquired disease of ante-partem date — the foetus having been exposed to a 

 syphilogenic E. The so-called hereditary syphilis is probably no more here- 

 ditary than opium poisoning would be in an infant born of a woman under the 

 influence of this drug. How it is that the mother so largely escapes in the 

 ordinary cases of congenital syphilis I am at a loss to explain. 



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