Obstetrical Nursing, 1935:

"Another erroneous belief, widely current, is that the return of
menstruation is an indicator for prompt weaning because of the milk being
made unfit or "poisoned."  The milk may be somehwat impoverished and reduced
in amount during menstruation and while the function is in progress it
sometimes happens that the milk is slightly bitter and the baby peevish as a
result.  In such a case the breasts may be emptied, at the regular nursing
hours, by manual expression or the electric breast pump, the milk thus
obtained thrown away, and the baby fed artificially until menstruation
ceases.  Care must be taken to empty the breasts completely and regularly in
order that when the baby is put back to the breast after menstruation has
ceased, the supply of molk secreted will not be diminished."

In the next chapter, about nutrition in the pregnant and breastfeeding
mother, we find this little gem:

"We see all about us the results of nutritional neglect during infancy in
the bow-legged, knock-kneed, undersized, misshapen, chicken-breasted adults
and in those who are nervous and below par in endurance; are susceptible to
colds and other infections and may be summed up as being "not strong.""

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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352