The great care bestowed upon this creature in China is shown in
the following extract from an old work: "The place where their
habitation is built must be retired, free from noisome smells,
cattle, and all noises; as a noisome smell, or the least fright,
makes great impressions upon so tender a breed; even the barking of
dogs, and the crowing of cocks are capable of putting them in disorder
when they are newly hatched. For the purpose of paying them every
attention, an affectionate mother is provided for their wants; she is
called _Isan-more_, mother of the worms. She takes possession of the
chamber, but not till she has washed herself, and put on clean clothes
which have not the least ill smell; she must not have eaten any thing
before, or have handled any wild succory, the smell of which is very
prejudicial; she must be clothed in a plain habit without any lining,
that she may be more sensible of the warmth of the place, and
accordingly increase or lessen the fire; but she must carefully avoid
making a smoke, or raising a dust, which would be very offensive to
these tender creatures, which must be carefully tended before the first
time of casting their slough."
During the first twenty-four hours of the silkworm's existence, the
patient Chinese feeds the objects of her care forty-eight times a day;
during the second or third day, thirty times; and so on, reducing the
number of meals as the worm grows older.