Outlines of the theory and practice of midwifery / by Alexander Hamilton, M.D. F.R.S. Edin. ; Professor of midwifery in the university, and member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.

  • Alexander Hamilton
Date:
MDCCXC [1790]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Outlines of the theory and practice of midwifery / by Alexander Hamilton, M.D. F.R.S. Edin. ; Professor of midwifery in the university, and member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    next the foetus is generally flrongeft ; and is fome- what weaker and more (lender next the placenta, ac- cording to its place of infertion ; which, though commonly not far from the centre, is fometimes towards the very edge. This fuggefts an important advice to practitioners, to be cautious of pulling the rope to extract the placenta when they feel the fen- fation of its fplitting as it were into two divifions, which will proportionally weaken its refiftance, and render it liable to be ruptured with a very flight de- gree of force in pulling.—The ufe of the cord is to connect the foetus to the cake, to convey the nutri- tious fluid from the mother to the child, and to return what is not employed. Placenta. The Placenta, Cake, or After-birth, is a thick, foft, vafcular mafs, connected to the foetus by the funis umbilicalis, and to the uterus by means of the fpongy chorion, as already explained. ]t differs in fhape and fize, it is thickeft at the centre, and gra1- dually becomes thinner towards the edges-, where the membranes go off all round, making a complete bag or involucrum to furround the waters, funis, and child. Its fubftance is chiefly vafcubr, and probably in fome degree glandular. The ramifications of the vefTels are very minute, which are unravelled by ma- ceration, and, when injtcted,. exhibit a mod beauti- ful
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