L0064809 Credit Science Museum, London, Wellcome Images
This breast reliever is known as a ‘tire-lait’ and is French for breast pump. Mothers used breast pumps, or relievers, to remove their milk. These mothers could not breastfeed their babies. This glass example consists of a cup with a small hole in the top. The nipple was placed in the hole to collect the milk. The milk was then fed to the baby via a bottle. Doctors of the period said babies should be breastfed by the mother if possible, or a wet nurse of ‘good moral character’. Babies during the 1800s might also be fed unboiled cow’s milk, a sugar and water mix from a bottle, or mixtures of milk and sugar with either bread or flour from vessels called pap boats.
maker: Unknown maker
Place made: Europe
made: 1701-1800
Collection: Wellcome Images
Library reference no.: Science Museum A437
Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Anthrolactology 