" MadIle A. had been subject, from the age of eleven, to attacks of hysteria, which were followed by vomiting of blood. She men struated at fourteen ; her health was re-es tablished, and the catamenia continued to flow regularly for several months. A sudden fright suppressed the menses, and again hys teria came on. Vicarious menstruation now occurred. The legs swelled and were covered with vesicles, and during six months blood was regularly discharged from them. The left arm swelled, and the legs recovered ; and for a year -there was a regular sanguineous discharge from the arm. A third deviation occurred from the left thumb, which had been slightly wounded ; the catarnenia flowed from this opening for six months. In the fourth year two wounds were formed on the face trona an attack of erysipelas ; one, on the side of the nose, the other on the ii-pper eyelid. For two years the periodic discharge took place from these openings, and it no longer occurred from the thumb. The abdomen in its turn was attacked with erysipelas, and for five months regularly there was a discharge from the navel at each menstrual period. For four months the discharge proceeded from the inner ankle of the left foot; for two months from the left ear ; for three from the left nipple. When the discharge did not flow from any one part, bleedings at the nose and vomitings of blood took place, preceded by convulsions, pains in the head, and giddiness. After remaining some time at the Sal petriere, the health of this young female im proved, and regular menstruation was es tablished." It is probable that although the statement of Haller, already quoted, is universally true as a possibility, yet that it is practically verified only in the case of the excretions, the mate rials of which differ considerably from the nu tritious elements of the blood, and accumulate in it when their usual exit-pipe is no longer open, forcing their way (so to speak) through other channels. If it be true, as we have suggested, that the materials of the recremen titious secretions, as they have been termed, are nothing else than the materials of the blood itself, slightly modified for their special pur pose in the very act of elimination, we see why, when they are suspended, there is no accumulation of their materials in the circu lating system, and no attempt at the sepa ration of them by other organs.
Influence of the nervous system on the secreting process. — That the eliminating ac tion of the various secreting organs, and the amount and nature of their products, are greatly influenced by the conditions of the nervous system, cannot be doubted by any one who takes a general survey of the facts of this department of physiology. For although we can no more increase, diminish, or other wise alter any one of our secretions by a mere effort of the wi//, than we can, " by taking anxious thought, add one cubit unto our stature," yet there is ample evidence that the state of the feelings has a powerful in fluence upon many of them, increasing or diminishing their amount, or altering their character.* A brief review of the phenomena which manifest this influence, will serve as the most appropriate foundation for an inquiry into its nature and extent.
The mammary secretion affords, perhaps, more remarkable evidence than any other, of the influence exercised over it by states of mind, in increasing or diminishing it, or in producing a complete change in its properties. Of the increase in the development of the gland at puberty, and still more during lacta tion, no definite explanation can be given ; to say that it takes place by " sympathy " with the genital organs, being obviously a mere verbal evasion of the difficulty. But the ac tivity of its function, IN hen once it has been fully established, is mainly dependent upon the sensations and emotions connected with the act of suction, and with the thought of the offspring. Although the formation of milk
may be constantly going on, yet it is greatly increased by the application of the infant to the breast. The quantity which can be squeezed from either breast at any one time, and the secretion of which may- have occupied several hours, is about two ounces; and yet during a quarter of an hour's suction, an in fant mav draw three or four times that amount.
When the child is applied to the breast, a sudden turgescence is experienced in the organ, known to nurses as " the draught :" this is probably due to an increased efflux of blood, produced by the mental state, as in e-linary blushing. The " draught " will often take place, and the secretion begin to flow spontaneously from the ducts, at the mere sight of the infant, or at the thought of him when absent, especially if this be associated with the idea, of nursing. Analogous phenom ena are observed in domesticated Mammalia. Thus a good milch-cow will yield far more at a single milking, than the udder could have contained, so that the secretion must have been rapidly formed during the process. There are certain breeds of cows which will only yield milk when their calves are in sight; and in some instances if a calf should die, its skin is placed over a living calf, the presence of which has the same effect. The most curious instances, however, of the power of irritation of the nipple and of mental emotions to excite the secretion, are those in which its production has long ceased, or has never taken place. Numerous cases are on record in which young women who have not borne children, and even old women past the period of child-bearing, have had such a copious flow of milk, as to he able to act as nurses. In all these instances, the flow appears to have been brought on, in the first instance, by the con tinued suction of the child, which had been applied to the breast to pacify it; or by the influence of strong mental emotions, or by both causes combined. It has been lately mentioned by Dr. Mc. William*, that the in habitants of Bona Vista (one of the Cape de Verd islands) are accustomed to provide a wet nurse in cases of emergency,.in the person of any woman who has once borne a child, and is still within the age of child-bearing, by continued fomentation of the mammx with a decoction of the leaves of the jatropha cureas, and by suction of the nipple. Still more re markable proofs of the same influence are furnished by the cases, of which several have now been narrated by credible witnesses, in which males have acted as efficient nurses. t The following, related by Dr. Dunglison is one of the most recent and at the same time most satisfactory upon record ; " Pro fessor Hall, of the University of Maryland, exhibited to his obstetrical class, in the year 1837, a coloured man, fifty-five years of age, who had large, soft, well-formed maniraw, rather more conical than those of the female, and projecting fully seven inches from the chest ; with perfect and large nipples. The glandular structure seemed to the touch to be exactly like that of the female. This man had officiated as wet nurse, for several years, in the family of his mistress ; and he repre sented that the secretion of milk was induced by applying the children intrusted to his care to the breasts during the night. When the milk was no longer required, great difficulty was experienced in arresting the secretion. His genital organs were fully developed." Corresponding facts are also recorded of the male of several of the lower animals.