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The
Early Feeders
 At
first glance, the vessel looks like a piggy bank (fig 3, bottom right), but the
artefact from
the Cleveland museum of Art is a terra-cotta baby
bottle from 450 BC. Whereas today’s mothers
might feed their babies milk from a plastic bottle,
the mothers of ancient Greece served a mixture of wine and honey from this
hanging vessel, shaped like a shrew, to nurture their small children.
Supplementation of, or substitution for, breast milk probably existed
prior to the Stone Age. Evidence of man's creativity in delivering
nourishment to helpless infants when the human breast was unavailable, or
did not suffice, can be found as
 early as 2,000 B.C. The British Museum
houses the earliest known "feeding cup" discovered in Phoenikas,
Cyprus. It looks like a teapot and is of decorated earthenware. Other
examples from Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan and ancient Judaic
periods have been found at archaeological sites, particularly in
graves of young children. Some vessels resemble oil lamps or miniature
wine jugs.
Pottery was employed until the Egyptians developed the ability to blow
glass from hollow rods, about 250 to 300 B.C. Perfecting their technique,
Romans made clear glass at the beginning of the Christian era by
removing traces of iron impurities from sand. Interestingly, glass feeding
vessels soon lost popularity and did not regain acceptance until the
mid-19th century.
European wood-cuts of the 13th and 14th century
demonstrate feeding of babies from cow horns to which teats were applied.
These were glove-like sewn appendages made from leather or dried cow teats
(stuffed with cloth or spongy material). The origin of these practices is
unclear, but they were apparently widespread because of availability of
material with its convenient shape and the lack of cost. Surion de
Vallambert, in 1565, recommended the use of a cow's horn with cow's or
goat's milk. At this same time, bottles of wood or leather were introduced
in Germany and Italy. They were soon replaced by pewter flasks, during the
period when this material was used for many domestic items
More images of early feeders
next article upright feeders
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References. Neonatal feeding-Martin.H.Greenberg
M.D
Published by
Mead Johnson Nutritional Division, 1980
Not Copyrighted By Publisher
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The Cherchen Mummies
The baby is 3 months old. Wrapped in purply red wool,
the infant wears a bonnet of bright-blue felt with red wool trimming. Next
to the baby lies a nursing bottle made from a sheep's udder. Blue stones
cover the child's tiny eyes. The baby has been dead for 3,000 years.
pontiled glass feeder
Pewter feeding flask
fig 3
This shrew-shaped artefact, a terra-cotta drinking
vessel from 450 BC, was once offered to infants. It served a blend of wine
and honey.
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