Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Brephotropheum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

BREPHOTROPHE'UM and BREPHOTROPHI'UM (βρεφοτροφεῖον). A foundling-hospital; both words, however, the Latin as well as Greek, are of a late date, not occurring before the age of the Christian emperors, when foundlings were declared to be free, and those who received or educated them were forbidden by law to detain, or sell them as slaves (Imp. Justin. Cod. i. 2. 19.); for while the exposure, sale, or giving in pawn of children was commonly permitted and practised, it is not likely that any establishment of this kind would be maintained at the public expense.