March 7

On this day in 1846, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eldridge were dismayed to learn that Trinnie, the 55 years old colored wet nurse who had tended to all of their children, was no longer producing milk, and would not be able to nurse the first Eldridge grandchild. A medical exam determined an advanced case of pleurisy, which caused Trinnie extreme chest pain, and made breathing difficult, was to blame for her milk drying up. Doctor Edward Wilding determined that Trinnie needed to breathe fresh air in order to lessen inflammation of lung tissue and relieve her ongoing chest pain. The Eldridges took stock of the situation and, taking into consideration Trinnie's history with their family, they decided it would be only fair to keep her on, despite her inability to tend to their grandchild. As her years serving in the nursery had clearly come to an end, Trinnie was relegated to working in the coal cellar.