A Letter from Tho. Stack, M. D. to Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. Pr. R. S. &c. Containing an Account of a Woman Sixty-Eight Years of Age, Who Gave Suck to Two of Her Grand-Children

tracted, the Ulcer was soon cicatrized by the common Methods of Cure in such Cases. N.B. All these Persons are yet living, and will attest the Truth of the Case. X. A Letter from Tho. Stack, M.D. to Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. Pr. R.S. &c. containing an Account of a Woman sixty-eight Years of Age, who gave Suck to two of her Grand-children. Honoured SIR, A Gentleman of Credit having lately inform'd me of a Woman near seventy Years old, who actually suckles one of her Grand-children, and courteously offering to accompany me to her, excited my Curiosity to see so uncommon a Sight; and the more, in order to try if I could not discover some Fallacy in the Affair. Wherefore I went Yesterday, in Company with the aforesaid Gentleman, to a House in Tottenham-Court-Road, where the Woman we inquired for appear'd in an Instant. Her Breasts were full, fair, and void of Wrinkles; though her Face is very much wither'd, her Cheeks and Mouth vastly sunk in, her Eyes red, and running with a clammy Humour; and though she has, in short, all the other external Marks that one may reasonably expect to find in a Woman, who has spent the last Half of her past Life in Labour, Troubles, and other Concomitants of Poverty, and through them has reach'd near to her 70th 70th Year. Upon pressing her right Breast, she fairly squeeze'd out Milk, which gather'd in small Drops at three of the Lacteal Ducts terminating in the Nipple. This Experiment I made her repeat a second time, having myself carefully dry'd the End of the Nipple with my Handkerchief, as I had done before her first Trial. Convinced of the Truth of the Fact, I ask'd her several Questions, in order to procure Materials for a History thereof. The Substance of her Answers was as follows: Her Name by Marriage is Elizabeth Brian. She is in the sixty-eighth Year of her Age since last October, and has not borne a Child these twenty Years and upwards. About four Years since, her Daughter being obliged to leave an Infant she then gave Suck to, in the Care of this her own Mother, and likely to be a considerable time absent; the old Woman, finding the Child froward for want of the Breast, apply'd it to her own, barely in order to quiet the Infant, without the least Thoughts of Milk. And this having reiterated several times, a Son of hers, by that time grown a Man, perceiv'd that the Child seem'd to swallow somewhat from the Nipple; whereupon he begg'd Leave of his Mother to try if she had not Milk. The Experiment succeeded: The Youth drew Milk from that same Breast from which he had been wean'd above twenty Years, and which had been unaccustom'd to any for seventeen or eighteen Years before: The good Woman then continued to suckle her Grand-child in earnest: And in some time her Daughter, viz. the Infant's Mother, seeing she was provided with such an extraordinary and tender Nurse, was embolden'd to bid fair for an Increase of Issue, which which till then she knew not how to nourish or provide for. Accordingly, at the End of two Years, she brought forth another Child; whereupon the Grandmother wean'd the first, and suckled the latter; which she has done these last two Years, and still continues to do. And this Infant, in my Presence, took the Nipple with as much Eagerness, and seeming Delight, as I ever perceived in a Child of two Years old; and at it plainly perform'd the Actions of Suction and Deglutition. The two Children, both Girls, are, as to Constitution, such as I could wish to the dearest Friend; plump and firm in Flesh; in Complexion cleanly, fair and healthy, and in Temper brisk and sprightly; considering the Lowness of their Condition and Education, and the mean Diet of the Nurse. When this good Woman came to Town, which was near two Years since, her Milk abounded to that Degree in both Breasts, that, to convince the Unbelieving, she would frequently spout it above a Yard from her: A Particular which, among others, the good Man and Woman of the House, and others of the Neighbourhood, likewise assured me of. Now her left Breast is run dry, and she has no great Quantity in the Right: But what there is, is as good Milk as one may desire in a Nurse. The poor Woman seems perfectly honest and artless, and even inclines strongly to Dotage. She very religiously throws the Whole upon a Miracle. I beg Leave to subscribe with Gratitude and Respect, both in a supreme Degree, Honoured SIR, Your most obliged and obedient Servant, Thomas Stack.