The drying up of the mother’s milk.—­This will generally be attended with no difficulty.  When the weaning is effected gradually, the milk will usually go away of itself without any measures being resorted to.  If, however, the breasts should continue loaded, or indeed painfully distended, a gentle aperient should be taken every morning, so that the bowels are kept slightly relaxed; the diet must be diminished in quantity, and solid nourishment only taken.  The breast, if painfully distended, must be occasionally drawn, but only just sufficiently to relieve the distention.  In either case they must be rubbed for five or ten minutes, every four or five hours, with the following liniment, previously warmed:—­

Compound soap liniment, one ounce and a half;
Laudanum, three drachms.

Sect.  III.  Dietetics of childhood.

Childhood, as has been before intimated, extends from about the second to the seventh or eighth year, when the second dentition is commenced.

No precise rules of diet can be laid down for this period, as this requires to be adapted in every case to the particular constitution concerned.  There are, however, certain general principles which must be acted upon, and which can be easily modified by a judicious and observant parent, as circumstances and constitution may require.

General directions, and of animal food.—­The diet of the latter months of infancy is still to be continued, but with the important addition of animal food, which the child has now got teeth to masticate.  This must be given in small quantity; it should be of the lightest quality, only allowed on alternate days, and even then its effects must be carefully watched, as all changes in the regimen of children should be gradual.

A child at this age, then, should have its meals at intervals of about four hours:—­thus its breakfast between seven and eight o’clock, to consist of tops and bottoms, steeped in hot water, a little milk added, and the whole sweetened with sugar; or bread may be softened in hot water, the latter drained off, and fresh milk and sugar added to the bread.  Its dinner about twelve o’clock, to consist, every other day, of a small quantity of animal food (chicken, fresh mutton, or beef, being the only meats allowed) with a little bread and water; on the alternate days, well boiled rice and milk, a plain bread, sago, tapioca, or arrow-root pudding, containing one egg; or farinaceous food, with beef-tea.  Its afternoon mealy about four o’clock, the same diet as formed the breakfast.  At seven, a little arrow-root, made with a very small proportion of milk, or a biscuit, or crust of bread, after which the child should be put to bed.

The child must be taught to take its food slowly, retain it in it’s mouth long, and swallow it tardily.  Nothing must be given in the intervals of the meals.  The stomach requires a period of repose after the labour of digestion; and if the child is entertained by its nurse, and its mind occupied, there will be no difficulty in following out this important direction.