but it was so mixed up with "old wives' fables," errors, and prejudices, as to be, in many instances, worse than useless. This work, too, contains much needful "advice" on many subjects on which a wife does not like to ask her doctor about, and which she cannot obtain from any other source whatever; hence the absolute need of the publication of this volume, and one cause of its marvellous success.

The incessant demands of an extensive practice have precluded me from devoting so much time to this work as I otherwise would have done; but still all my spare time has been given to the writing, to the improving, and completing of this-Advice to a Wife, and of my other two works-Advice to a Mother and Counsel to a Mother; as I may truly say that the writing and the revising of these three books have ever been to me a solace, a recreation, and a pleasure, of which I have never tired; indeed, whenever I have returned home, wearied and worried with professional duties and anxieties, the augmentation, improvement, and revision of my three works have never failed to refresh and soothe me, far better and more effectually than any other amusement or relaxation could possibly have done.

The poetical quotations, which so plentifully appear in these pages, might, by some critics, be cavilled at; but to such objectors, with due deference I reply, that in a book addressed especially to the fair sex, it is well to strew the path with flowers, which will make the way more pleasant and agreeable: not only so, but a quotation from a real poet, being terse, short, and expressive, will ofttimes convey a meaning far better than a page of prose; moreover, a beautiful line of poetry will, like some long-remembered strain, be stored up in the memory, and will never be forgotten, for

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever."

This Book has made me troops of friends; many of my readers are dear and valued ones, some of them

being of more than thirty years' standing; a host of my readers, although unknown to me, I have, in the language of a celebrated writer, come to look upon and appreciate not as perfect strangers, but as personal friends I greet all such as friends accordingly. I hope that, although my voice might not be heard by a tithe of my readers, my written words may be pondered over by all, as the words of a friend-faithful, earnest, and out-spoken.

One of my works, Advice to a Mother, has been translated into French, as well as into one of the Indian languages-the Tamil; and two of my worksAdvice to a Wife and Advice to a Mother—are now both published in America, where they are in great demand; not only there, but in Australia, in New Zealand, in Canada, in India, in the Cape,-wherever, indeed, the English language is spoken, these books freely circulate. Such testimony of their usefulness and wide-world popularity is, of course, exceedingly gratifying to me.

I have, as an Adviser to a Wife, had some unpalatable truths to utter. I have to the best of my ability endeavoured to tell them, although faithfully and earnestly, yet courteously and respectfully; and well I might, gratitude, if nothing else, would compel me to do so; for nearly all that I prize in this world I owe, from my birth even until now, to woman. Without her fostering and unremitting care, her trusty counsel, her soothing words of comfort and of consolation, I should, as far as earthly happiness is concerned, have been poor and wretched indeed!

I should, then, be most ungrateful to speak otherwise than with the deepest respect and deference to those who "Halve our sorrows and double our joys;" but I must, as a true friend, speak out, and that in a way not to be misunderstood; for when the disease is desperate, the remedy must, to be effectual, be sharp, searching, and decisive; half measures are, in such cases, worse than useless-they are mischievous. There must be no paltering " in a double sense."

Although there is an immense amount of additional matter in this edition, yet this volume, in consequence of the type being more closely packed, and of many of the paragraphs being joined together, is not increased in bulk,

There is one important addition to this edition, namely, A Pregnancy Table, which I have constructed, and which will be found very useful, and which may, within a few days, more or less, be relied on-the exact dates indicated in The Table being the more frequent than any other for the labour actually to occur. I have in my own private practice used it for many years, and now, for the first time, submit it to the public.

I again commit, for the ninth time, this Book to the press, sincerely trusting that my fair readers may study it with profit to themselves and with advantage to the helpless babes committed to their care, assuring them that my aim and effort have ever been, and ever will be, to make this and my other works as perfect, complete, and useful as possible.

June 1870.

P. H. C.

PREFACE TO EIGHTH EDITION.

THE sale of copies of this Book is now to be reckoned by its tens of thousands! The last, the Seventh Edition, comprising five thousand copies, has been rapidly exhausted; a new Edition, THE EIGHTH, is now urgently called for; and as the sale of the work is so enormous, and so extending, my worthy Publishers have deemed it advisable to publish of this edition at once seven thousand copies, thus making of the two last editions alone twelve thousand copies; the two last editions being, in fact, equal to twelve ordinary editions!

I have, in the INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER especially addressed to a Young Wife, had some plain and un

palatable truths to tell; but it is absolutely necessary for a surgeon to probe a serious and deep-seated wound to the bottom, before he can perform a cure; he is sometimes compelled to give pain before he can cure pain; he is frequently obliged to administer bitter medicine before sweet health can be restored. I have not shrunk from my duty; I have not uttered an "uncertain sound;" but have, without fear or favour, boldly spoken out, and have proclaimed what I have deemed to be the truth; the vital importance of my subject must excuse my plain-speaking and earnestness. When a person is on the edge of a precipice, and is ready at any moment to topple over, the words of warning must not be in the tones of a whisper, bland and gentle, but in the voice of thunder, bold and decisive. I have had to discourse on matters of the greatest moment to the well-being of wives; and have, therefore, in order not to be misapprehended, had to call things by their right names— -the subject being of far too much importance to write in a namby-pamby style, or to use any other language than that of the plainest English.

The Introductory Chapter is, I trust, greatly improved; many of the quotations are either curtailed, or are altogether suppressed, in order to make room, without materially increasing the size of the book, for much new and important matter. The remaining pages have all been carefully revised and corrected, and made more clear, and additional advice, where needed, has been supplied. I therefore hope that this edition will be still more worthy of its great and extending success, and be the humble instrument of sowing broad-cast through our land advice most necessary for Wives to know; and at the same time be the means of dispelling prejudices which, in the lying-in room, are even, in this our day, most rife and injurious.

Barren wives! delicate wives! unhealthy wives! are the order of the day-are become institutions of the country-are so common as not to be considered strange, but to be, as a matter of course, as part and parcel of

our every-day life! Should such things be? I emphatically say No! But then a thorough change, a complete reformation, must take place in the life and habits of a Wife. It is no use blinking the question; the truth, the whole truth, must come out, and the sooner it is told the better. Oh! it is sad that the glorious mission of a wife should, as it often does, end so ingloriously. Broken health, neglected duties, a childless home, blighted hopes, misery, and discontent. What an awful catalogue of the consequences of luxury, of stimulants, of fashion, of ignorance, and of indolence-the five principal wife and babe destroyers! Sure I am that the above melancholy results may, in the generality of cases, by timely and judicious treatment, be prevented.

This is an age of stimulants-'tis the curse of the day: wine in excess, instead of being an element of strength, is one of weakness; instead of encouraging fecundity, is one of its greatest preventives. A lady who drinks daily five or six glasses of wine, is invariably weak, low, hysterical, and "nervous,"-complaining that she can neither eat, nor sleep, nor take exercise: she is totally unfit for the duties and responsibilities of either wife or mother. I shall endeavour in the following pages to prove the truth of these bold assertions.

Many young married ladies now drink as much wine in a day as their grandmothers did in a week; and which I verily believe is one cause of so few children, and of so much barrenness among them. It is no use: the subject is too important to allow false delicacy to stand in the way of this announcement; the truth must be told; the ulcer which is eating into the vitals of society must be probed; the danger, the folly, the wickedness of the system must be laid bare; the battle must be fought and as no medical man has come forward to begin the conflict, I myself boldly throw down the gauntlet, and will, to the best of my strength and ability, do battle in the cause.

It is the abuse and not the use of wine that I am contending against. I am not advocating teetotal prin