Physiologists have within a few years advanced the theory that if a pregnant woman avoids food rich in elements that nourish and develop bone, labor would be comparatively easy and painless. This theory was first made known in a small pamphlet published in England in 1841. It was written by Mr. Rowbotham, a practical chemist of London. His wife had been such a sufferer in two confinements that he had reason to fear she would not survive the third. The work gives an account of an experiment which met with such favorable results that he felt it his duty to publish it for the benefit of others. His theory was that “in proportion as a woman subsists during pregnancy upon aliment that is free from earthy and bony matter, will she avoid pain and danger in delivery; hence the more ripe fruit, acid fruit in particular, and the less of other kinds of food, but particularly of bread or pastry of any kind is consumed, the less will be the danger and suffering in childbirth. “The subject of this experiment had, within three years, given birth to two children; and not only suffered extremely in the parturition, but for two or three months previous to delivery her general health was very indifferent, her lower extremities exceedingly swelled and painful; the veins so full and prominent as to be almost bursting; in fact to prevent such a catastrophe, bandages had to be applied; and for the last few weeks of gestation, her size and weight were such as to prevent her attending to her usual duties. She had on this occasion, two years and a half after her last delivery, advanced _full seven months_ in pregnancy before she commenced the experiment at her husband’s earnest instance; her legs and feet were, as before, considerably swelled; the veins distended and knotty, and her health diminishing. “She began the experiment in the first week of January, 1841. She commenced by eating an apple and an orange the first thing in the morning, and again at night. This was continued for about four days, when she took just before breakfast, in addition to the apple and orange, the juice of a lemon mixed with sugar, and at breakfast two or three roasted apples, taking a very small quantity of her usual food, viz., wheaten bread and butter. During the forenoon she took an orange or two, and an apple. For dinner took fish or flesh in a small quantity, and potatoes, greens and apples, the apples sometimes peeled and cut into pieces; sometimes boiled whole with the potatoes; sometimes roasted before the fire and afterward mixed with sugar. In the afternoon she sucked an orange or ate an apple or some grapes, and always took some lemon-juice mixed with sugar or treacle.