294 SECRETION 



During the time when such an amount of nutritive matte-r is fur- 

 nished to the child, the quantity of food taken by the mother is sensibly 

 increased ; but observations have shown that the secretion of milk is 

 not much influenced by the character of the food. It is necessary that 

 the mother should be supplied with good nutritious articles ; but so far 

 as solid food is concerned, there seems to be no great difference between 

 a coarse and a delicate alimentation ; and the milk of females in the 

 lower walks of life, when the general condition is normal, is fully as 

 good as in women who are able to live luxuriously. It is, indeed, a fact 

 commonly recognized by physiologists, that the secretion of milk is little 

 influenced by any special diet, provided the alimentation be sufficient 

 and of the quality ordinarily required by the system and that it contain 

 none of the few articles of food known to have a special influence on 

 lactation. It is common, however, for women to become quite fat 

 during lactation ; which shows that the fatty constituents of the food do 

 not pass exclusively into the milk, but that there is a tendency, at the 

 same time, to a deposition of adipose tissue in the situations in which it 

 ordinarily is found. It is a matter of common experience, that certain 

 articles, such as acids and fermentable substances, often disturb the 

 digestive organs of the child without producing any change in the milk 

 that can be recognized by chemical analysis. The individual differences 

 in women, in this regard, are very great. 



The statements in regard to solid food do not apply to liquids. Dur- 

 ing lactation there is always an increased demand for water and for liq- 

 uids generally ; and if these are not supplied in sufficient quantity, the 

 secretion of milk is diminished and its quality is almost always impaired. 

 It is a curious fact, which has been fully established by observations on 

 the human subject and the inferior animals, that while the quantity of 

 milk is increased by taking a large amount of simple water, the solid 

 constituents also are increased and the milk retains all its nutritive 

 qualities. 



Alcohol, especially when largely diluted, as in malt-liquors and other 

 mild beverages, is well known to influence the secretion of milk. 

 Drinks of this kind almost always temporarily increase the activity of 

 the secretion, and sometimes they produce an effect on the child ; but 

 direct and accurate observations on the actual passage of alcohol into 

 the milk are wanting. During lactation the moderate use of drinks con- 

 taining a small proportion of alcohol frequently is beneficial, particularly 

 in assisting the mother to sustain the unusual drain on the system. 

 There are, however, few instances of normal lactation in which their 

 use is absolutely necessary. 



It is well known that the secretion of milk may be profoundly af- 



