The first five or six days should be spent in bed, during which time the mother should remain perfectly quiet, her food of a light farinaceous character, consisting of toast, black tea, panada, farina, roasted apples, etc. At the expiration of this time she may be permitted to set up a little while, if every thing goes on well, increasing the period each day. If the secretion of milk has become fairly established, and all febrile symptoms subsided, her diet may gradually assume a more nourishing and substantial character.

There is generally a torpidity of the bowels for several days, but this should create no alarm, as for a few days, on account of the great change going on in the system, no evacuation is necessary. The constipation can as a general thing be controlled by the food, which should consist in part of fruit, such as roasted apples. If there should be no movement after four or five days, three or four doses of Bryonia, at intervals of four hours, followed if necessary by Nux, or Sulphur, will usually produce relief. If however after two or three days no relief is obtained, a tepid water injection may be given. The diarrhoea which sets in sometimes after delivery, will be relieved by a few doses of Rheum, Phos.-ac, or Pulsatilla, and if occasioned by a cold, Dulcamara, given at intervals of four hours.