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
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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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    of the gravid uterus on the descending blood vessels ; powerful mental emotions; morbid intestinal secre- tion ; distended bladder; parturient exertions; and uterine irritation and distention. [The proximate cause of convulsions is not yet de- termined ; it probably consists in an irritation of that division of the venous centres which is supposed to control the actions of the muscular system. The ex- citing causes may be either hypermnia, arKBinia, or toxcBmia. Dr. Lever discovered albumen in the urine in nearly every case of puerperal convulsions which came under his care. It is not, however, clearly established that this condition of the urine is a cause of convulsions. Bright's disease of the kidneys, which prevents the free elimination of urea, is no doubt an occasional exciting cause. — J. M. W.] It is of importance to distinguish genuine puerperal convulsions from hysterical paroxysms, which they often very much resemble. They may be discrimi- nated by bearing in mind that, in hysteria, the pulse is rarely effected; the paroxysms come on without the usual premonitory symptoms of convulsions, and attack feeble irritable women rather than those who are plethoric and robust, the usual subjects of con- vulsion. The fit of Iiysteria is associated with globus hystericus and palpitation of the heart, and is not followed by coma. Our opinion of the result of these cases should