An analysis of Simpson's notebook data on the wet nurse

to understand the meaning of the qualitative data included in the Notebook of wet nurses kept by James Young Simpson.

quantitative and qualitative analysis of data in an historical document.

a list of wet nurses kept by a 'Professor of Midwifery' in mid-19th century Edinburgh.

the Notebook lists the names and other details of 749 women.

the Notebook indicates how the wet nurse was recruited, the implications for her baby, how she negotiated her role and the decision-making around her recruitment.

the ambiguity of this medical pioneer's decision-making is demonstrated. Simpson's scientific credentials may have featured much rhetoric. While in the forefront of many obstetric and medical developments, Simpson was regressive in his support for wet nursing. The social input into the selection of the wet nurse has not been identified previously.

the woman's ability to negotiate her terms of employment emerges. The social determinants of baby feeding decisions, identified in this document, have assumed greater significance since the time that this Notebook was written.