Bartholinus, Benedictus, Hippocrates,
Lentilius, Salmuth, and Schenck mention lactation in virgins.
De la Coide describes a case in which lactation was present,
though menstruation had always been deficient. Dix, at the Derby
Infirmary, has observed two females in whom there was continued
lactation, although they had never been pregnant. The first was a
chaste female of twenty-five, who for two years had abundant and
spontaneous discharge of milk that wetted the linen; and the
other was in a prostitute of twenty, who had never been pregnant,
but who had, nevertheless, for several months an abundant
secretion of healthy milk. Zoologists know that a nonpregnant
bitch may secrete milk in abundance. Delafond and de Sinnety have
cited instances.
Lactation in the aged has been frequently noticed. Amatus
Lusitanus and Schenck have observed lactation in old women; in
recent years Dunglison has collected some instances. Semple
relates the history of an elderly woman who took charge of an
infant the mother of which had died of puerperal infection. As a
means of soothing the child she allowed it to take the nipple,
and, strange to say, in thirty-six hours milk appeared in her
breasts, and soon she had a flow as copious as she had ever had
in her early married life.
Pages:
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753