Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 edition. Excerpt: ... LECTURE XII. An Evolution Of The Breakfast Table-- (Continued). My Friends the Readers: -- My attention to a loss of weight, while a cure seemed to be going on, was incited by a case that caused a great deal of discussion in high circles in the city. It occurred in an infant of four months that seemed to be fat, of full weight and well nourished, which had had a bowel trouble from birth; and, though not supposed to be sick, yet had been under light dosage every day of its life. It was the first-born of a young mother who was capable of convictions: and who had all the needed resolution and perseverance to carry them out. By some chance a friend sent her a little book from Boston written by a Doctor Page, which advised only three feedings per day for infants--three nursings in 2.i hours, only!! And the next day after reading this advice she began with three nursings, six hours apart, rigidly carried out. In less than two days the bowel trouble ceased, and in every other way the improvement was marked; but it was not very long before there was such a decline in weight as to cause some uneasiness to the parents, and a hurricane of disapprobation among the army of relatives, because of the starving method; and I was called because of known views in some harmony with the condemned book. After a careful history of the case before and after the reform-diet method was adopted, I could but believe that the waste that was manifestly going on was not revealing any danger symptoms; and so I advised the method to be continued, and hence put myself within the storm circle as an aider and abettor of criminal stupidity. I watched over this case for some weeks, and saw that every attempt to interfere with the regularity of the six-hour meals, was followed..