Dr. Conquest's outlines of midwifery : intended as a text-book for students, and a book of reference for junior practitioners.

  • Conquest, Dr.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Conquest's outlines of midwifery : intended as a text-book for students, and a book of reference for junior practitioners. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    latter instrument it is immaterial which blade is in- troduced uppermost; but with the former care must be taken that the convex edge of each blade is directed towards the face of the child. When this forceps is coated with elastic gum, or silver wash, its appearance is not at all formidable; and if, when shown to the patient, it be represented as an artificial hand, it is seldom that she will evince any repugnance to its use. — J. M. W.] DIRECTIONS FOR APPLYING THE SHORT FORCEPS. 1. The sliort forceps are to be cipplied to the sides of the head of the child, so that the ears and' pro- tuberances of the parietal bones shall be within the fenestra3, and the locking part consequently either at the vertex or face. 2. They cannot be advantageously employed until the head is in the cavity of the pelvis; and this is best determined by the fact that the protuberances of the parietal bones have descended below the llnea innominata, or unless an ear of the child can be dis- tinctly felt (taking care not to mistake for it any portion of the uterus); and, except in cases of syn- cope from ha3morrhage, it is scarely ever necessary to use this instrument until the ear has been dis- tinctly felt for several hours. 3. The half to be first applied is that with the entire handle, and it should be held in the left handj that the index and middle fingers of the right hand may be at liberty to guide the point of the blade to