The _causes_ of inflammation of the breast are numerous. It may be created by a blow or fall, by a cold, by mental excitement, by indiscretions in eating or drinking, and by moving the arms too much when the breasts are enlarged, but its most common cause is undue accumulation of milk in the breasts. Dr. Bedford is of the opinion that in nineteen cases out of twenty it is the result of carelessness--of neglect in not having the breasts properly drawn. 'For example, the child may be delicate, and not able to extract the milk; or the nurse, in the gratification of some ancient prejudice derived from a remote ancestry, does not think it proper to allow the infant to be put to the breast for two or three days after its birth. In this way, the milk ducts become greatly distended, inflammation ensues, which, if not promptly arrested, terminates in suppuration.' Often the love of pleasure brings with it this punishment to the nursing mother who neglects her maternal duties. During an evening spent in society or at the theatre the breasts cannot be relieved in the manner required for the preservation of their health. Soreness of the nipples, which renders suckling painful, often leads the mother to avoid putting the child to the breast as often as she should. It is only when forced by the pain in the over-distended parts that she can summon courage to permit of their being emptied. This partial and irregular nursing is very dangerous, and cannot fail, in most cases, to lead to the very painful affection of which we are now speaking. No nursing mother is safe whose breasts are not properly and daily emptied. If this cannot be done by the child, another infant should be applied, or a small puppy, either of which expedients is preferable to a breast-pump, which, however, is much better than neither. If the tender or chapped condition of the nipples interferes with free nursing, this condition must be promptly remedied. When undue accumulation of milk is threatened gentle friction of the breasts with sweet oil and camphor is also of service; and they should be supported by means of a handkerchief placed under them and tied over the shoulders. It must not be forgotten, however, that though _gentle_ rubbing afford relief to the breasts when they are hard, knotty, and over-distended, any friction is injurious if gathering has actually commenced. In all cases, therefore, it is of importance to distinguish between over-distension (which may _lead_ to inflammation) and a condition of already established gathering of the breasts. This it is not difficult to do. In the former case the skin is pale, there is little or no tenderness, and the hardness is evenly diffused over the whole of the breast; whereas, when gathering has taken place there is a blush of redness on some portion of the breast, which is always painful to the touch, and which will be found to be particularly hard and sore in some one spot.