▁recommended ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 5 ▁that ▁from ▁the ▁e ighth ▁month ▁of ▁pre gn ancy , ▁expect ant ▁moth ers ▁should ▁regularly ▁use ▁a ▁pu ppy ▁to ▁hard en ▁the ▁ni pp les , ▁improve ▁breast ▁secret ion ▁and ▁prevent ▁infl amm ation ▁of ▁the ▁bre asts . ▁The ▁practice ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁fallen ▁out ▁of ▁favour ▁by ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁as ▁De we es ▁suggested ▁using ▁a ▁nur se ▁or ▁some ▁other ▁sk illed ▁person ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁this ▁task ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁animal . ▁▁ ▁Relig ious ▁and ▁cer emon ial ▁reasons ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁a ▁factor . ▁Saint ▁Ver onica ▁Giul iani ▁( 1 6 6 0 – 1 7 2 7 ), ▁an ▁Italian ▁nun ▁and ▁myst ic , ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁taking ▁a ▁l amb ▁to ▁bed ▁with ▁her ▁and ▁su ck ling ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁Lamb ▁of ▁God . ▁In ▁far ▁northern ▁Japan , ▁the ▁A inu ▁people ▁are ▁noted ▁for ▁holding ▁an ▁annual ▁bear ▁festival ▁at ▁which ▁a ▁captured ▁bear , ▁raised ▁and ▁su ck led ▁by ▁the ▁women , ▁is ▁sacrific ed . ▁▁ ▁B ears ▁were ▁also ▁su ck led ▁by ▁the ▁It elm ens ▁of ▁the ▁Kam chat ka ▁Pen ins ula ▁of ▁Russia ▁but ▁in ▁their ▁case ▁for ▁economic ▁reasons , ▁to ▁benefit ▁from ▁the ▁meat ▁when ▁the ▁bear ▁was ▁grown ▁and ▁to ▁obtain ▁highly ▁pri zed ▁bear ▁b ile ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁traditional ▁medicine . ▁ ▁Trib al ▁pe op les ▁around ▁the