Dress.—­ The clothing must be loose, and all compression about the waist and abdomen must be especially avoided.  If the woman wears corsets, she must take them off at once, and substitute a Ferris or some similar hygienic waist.  The corset prevents the proper development of the abdominal muscles, which play so important a role in the expulsion of the child from the womb, as well as in the proper growth and development of the fetus itself.  If the woman has already borne children, and toward the end of the pregnancy the abdomen becomes pendulous, she will very materially add to her comfort by swearing a muslin abdominal bandage.

A woolen undersuit, or undervest and drawers, with high neck and long sleeves, must be worn winter and summer; the grade of the wool to be adapted to the season of the year.  The especial necessity for wearing wool next the skin during the pregnancy is because of the intimate relation between the skin and the kidneys.  Any chilling of the body at this time is apt to lead to the congestion of the kidneys.  If there is already any congestion of the kidneys present, or any abdominal pain, in addition to the undersuit an abdominal bandage should be worn.  These bandages come woven in ribbed woolen, and fit the body snugly.  This bandage is to be constantly worn, and, of course, changed at night.  During the cold weather the stockings should also be of wool.  Under no circumstances are garters allowed to be worn, as they form a constriction around the leg and interfere with the return of the venous blood to the heart, and so increase the tendency to the formation of the varicose veins.  It is better not to use any means to hold the stockings up; they will be kept sufficiently well in place by the under-drawers.  Low shoes should never be worn except in the hottest weather.  It is of the greatest importance that the woman should be impressed with the necessity of the avoidance of taking cold, since any lung or kidney trouble is a serious complication of pregnancy.

Diet.—­ The diet is the same as that at any other time, only it is more necessary to guard against anything which is likely to cause indigestion.  In other words, the diet should be plain, simple, and easy of digestion; nutritious and partaken of at regular intervals.  In the latter part of pregnancy owing to the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the stomach, the food may have to be partaken of in smaller quantities and at shorter intervals.  At this time also the appetite is abnormally large.  Where it does not disagree with the patient, milk is the best adjuvant possible to the diet.

Constipation.—­ Constipation is the rule of pregnancy.  This is due to the great pressure that the enlarged uterus makes on the bowel; and as important as it is at all times to keep the bowels regular, it is at this time more necessary than ever that the woman should have the bowels well evacuated every day.  A retention of fecal matter in the body causes the reabsorption into the blood of the