I was browsing through a discount store a month or so ago when I came
across "Babies, History, Art and Folklore." Bargin at $5. Very interesting.

They had a section on 'Poisonous bottles, murderous nipples':

"Even though the bottle with a tube...breeding ground for germs...was
particularly deadly, it was immensely successful. The slightest suck would
bring milk to the baby, even without tipping the bottle. This suited a
great many wet nurses, who could thus let a baby feed on her own. These
fatal models were not outlawed until 1910.

The appearance of rubber nipples dates from 1830, when they were not only
imperfect, but could actually be toxic. Unscrupulous rubber manufacturers
added salts of lead, zinc, antimony, and arsenic to make the rubber, which
was sold by weight, heavier."

You never know what bargains you can run into on a rainy Sunday. This book
is priceless. It appears to be have translated from French. Art work
depicting childbirth, nursing, babies and early advertising is phenomenal.

Ellen Penchuk, IBCLC, RLC

PS: Women used to use warm pancakes, omelet's or poultice made from milk,
soft bread, egg yolk, wine dregs, crushed squash leaves or roses cooked in
red wine to relief engorgement.

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