The Cabbage Controversy.

Parkinson, in the 1629 Paradisi in Sole, weighs in on the question of whether cabbage increases or decreases lactation:

It is thought, that the use of [Cabbages and Coleworts] doth hinder the milke in Nurses breasts, causing it to dry up quickly: but many women that have given sucke to my knowledge have denyed that assertion, affirming that they ahve often eaten them, and found no such effect. How it might prove in more delicate bodies than theirs that thus said, I cannot tell: but Matthiolus auetreth to increase milke in Nurses breastes; so differing are the opinions of many.

-- p. 504

I didn't see anything in Parkinson about the claim that cabbage leaves make a good poultice for breast engorgement, though the web gives the following citations:

Nikodem, V.C., Danziger, D., Gebka, N., Gulmezoglu, A.M., and Hofmeyr, G.J. (1993). Do cabbage leaves prevent breast engorgement? A randomized, controlled study. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care and Education 20(2), pp. 61-64.

Roberts, K.L. (1995). A comparison of chilled cabbage leaves and chilled gelpaks in reducing breast engorgement. Journal of Human Lactation 11(1), pp. 17-20.

Roberts, K.L., Reiter, M., and Schuster, D. (1995). A comparison of chilled and room temperature cabbage leaves in treating breast engorgement. Journal of Human Lactation 11(3), pp. 191-194.

What do you think, should I ILL these articles?

After a visit to Mom's Nursery

Or something like that. Traditionally, I go visit my mother in the spring and we get out the plant pots and the little shovel and I get plants from her. I don't know why I keep doing this; after all, after the first year, I should have plenty, right?

This year, of course, I didn't have much, so I'm an easy mark. Plus we really do need more hosta for the shady areas out front and under the wierd needle chestnut out back. Leaving aside the fact that we were using 5-gallon pots, I got away relatively unscathed ( Read more... )