Wendy Blumfield wrote:

One of the most beautiful references in the literature (classic not

professional) is the last part of John Steinbeck`s "Grapes of Wrath".

The Oakies have fled to caves in the hills to escape from the floods in the
lowlands.  Rose of Sharon, the daughter of the family gives birth
prematurely and the baby dies.  She develops what was then known as "milk
fever" and is dying.  In the corner of the cave is an old man (don`t know if
he is toothless) dying of hunger.  I think it is the mother or one of the
women in the family who brings him over to the sick girl .

By sucking on her engorged breasts he saves her life and his own.

 

Yes, Wendy, I was aware of the literary example, and it is indeed beautiful.
There are at least two art works based on the story of an ancient Roman
sentenced to death by starvation, but allowed visitors. His daughter visited
him and apparently it wasn't noticed that she was breastfeeding him. She
saved his life - and he was pardoned as a consequence. I can't for the life
of me remember who the artists were, and the museums which have the
paintings. I believe one may be in the Hermitage, but I was unable to find a
postcard of this work when I was there. Can anyone refresh my memory?

There is also a Japanese painting I saw in an art museum, somewhere, of an
elder person being breastfed.

However, the instances I'm looking for, on the use of a "suck-pap" or
"pap-suck", need to be in searchable reports in the medical literature or in
newspapers from the 18th and 19th centuries, perhaps the early-20thcentury,
too. Please copy any replies to me privately.

Virginia

 

Dr Virginia Thorley, OAM, MA, PhD, IBCLC, FILCA 

Brisbane, Qld, Australia 

E: [log in to unmask] 

 

 


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