Foundling_hospital | TriviaQuestions.online

⭐ In the context of human–animal breastfeeding, foundling hospitals in 18th and 19th century Europe increasingly turned to animal milk as a substitute for human nurses primarily because of concerns regarding…

The increased prevalence of syphilis posed a significant health risk when using human wet nurses, prompting foundling hospitals to seek alternative feeding methods like utilizing goats and donkeys to nourish abandoned infants.

⭐ Core Definition: Foundling hospital

A foundling hospital was originally an institution for the reception of foundlings, i.e., children who had been abandoned or exposed, and left for the public to find and save. A foundling hospital was not necessarily a medical hospital, but more commonly a children's home, offering shelter and education to foundlings.

The antecedents of such institutions was the practice of the Catholic Church providing a system of relief, children being left (jactati) in marble shells at the church doors, and tended first by the matricularii or male nurses, and then by the nutricarii or foster parents. But it was in the 7th and 8th centuries that definite institutions for foundlings were established in such towns as Trèves, Milan and Montpellier.

↓ Menu

👉 Foundling hospital in the context of Human–animal breastfeeding

Human to animal breastfeeding has been practiced in some different cultures during various time periods. The practice of breastfeeding or suckling between humans and other species occurred in both directions: women sometimes breastfed young animals, and animals were used to suckle babies and children. Animals were used as substitute wet nurses for infants, particularly after the rise of syphilis increased the health risks of wet nursing. Goats and donkeys were widely used to feed abandoned babies in foundling hospitals in 18th- and 19th-century Europe. Breastfeeding animals has also been practised, whether for perceived health reasons – such as to toughen the nipples and improve the flow of milk – or for religious and cultural purposes. A wide variety of animals have been used for this purpose, including puppies, kittens, piglets and monkeys.

↓ Explore More Topics