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.

    283/370 (page 269)
    11S« MANAGEMENT OF MOTHT^R AND CHILD. 269 between her own hands, and she will never allow the tender head of her babe to undei-go the same opera- tion. The navel-string may be wrapped round with a ]iiece of soft and well-aired linen, and carefully laid down. Burnt rag is very objectionable : it is in no case of any use, and frequently produces inflamma- tion, and an ulcer that heals with difflculty. Should any ulcer remain after the funis drops off, which ge- nerally takes place in a few days, the part may be moistened with a little goulard water, and afterwards have applie* to it a little spermaceti or simple oint- ment spread on it. This may be renewed every time the child is dressed, till the wound is healed. Were it not that the brutal practice of forcibly pressing out the fluid which distends the breasts of some infants at birth yet prevails, it would be unne- cessary to refer to the unfeeling custom ; nothing can justify it, for not one child in a hundred requires any attention on this point, and when it does, an emollient poultice is all that is requii-ed. The object of clotUng is to defend us from cold, and happy would it be for the rising generation if mothers and nurses could be convinced that this may be accomplished by light, warm clothing, without confining the body by bandages, or loading it with covering weighty enough for half a dozen children; and surely nothing but a slavish adherence to custom can sanction a practice as absurd as hurtful —the ridiculous length of an infant's clothing, which in many cases by its weight produces deformity of the i