The Department of Health of the City of Boston in 1876 distributed a small manual to mothers with newborn infants outlining for their information what was at that time considered enlightened rules for the proper rearing of infants and children. The younger pediatricians in practice today may find the advice about infant feeding in this manual of interest because it is so different from contemporary practice.1
As a rule, until the child has its eight centre teeth, it should receive no food but milk.... Until the child is six weeks old feed it every two hours during the day, and every three hours during the night. After this gradually lengthen the intervals between the meals, so that, by the time the baby is four months old, it shall be fed every four hours during the day, and if necessary once during the night....
As soon as the centre teeth have come, weaning may be attempted....