It is as generally admitted that this is often
deliberate choice, and we all know that it is often economic necessity:
the human mother "mingles in the natural industries of a human
creature," such as the factory affords, and cannot simultaneously stay
at home to nurse her baby, making men--for which, as a "natural
industry" of women, even as against making, say, lead-glaze for china,
there may be something to be said.
But whilst popular preachers and castigators of the sins of society
fulminate against the fine lady who asks for belladonna and refuses to
do her duty, we must enquire to what extent, if any, women no longer
nurse their babies because they cannot, try they never so patiently and
strenuously. It is the general belief amongst those whose daily work
qualifies them for an opinion, that women are tending to lose the power
of nursing. Professor von Bunge, whose name is honoured by all students
of the action of drugs, has satisfied himself that alcoholism in the
father is a great cause of incapacity to nurse in daughters. However
that interpretation may be, the fact seems clear; and the change in this
direction is evidently much more rapid than might be accounted for by
the improvement in artificial feeding of infants leading to the survival
of daughters of mothers unable to nurse, and transmitting their
inability to their children. Mrs. Gilman--having ignored menstruation
altogether--makes only one allusion to this vastly important subject,
and we shall see to what extent her sanguine assumption is justified.
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