The principles and practice of midwifery : with some of the diseases of women.

  • Milne, Alexander
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles and practice of midwifery : with some of the diseases of women. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    iind Duncan into dream-land witli it, as is now known throughout the world ■ and the late Avorthy and lamented James Miller described with graphic poAver the scene in the dining-room Avhen the young doctors floundered and tossed under it, and Avere prostrated by its resistless power. It Avas on the 8th of NoA'ember, 1847, that Simpson first employed it in a case of labour. Soon after he made kuoAvui its Avonderful properties to societies and through the press, and its fame got speedily wafted to distant lands. Noav it is so Avell known that a long account of its jirojiei’ties, &c., is quite unnecessary, and A\m shall content ourselves Avith noticing some of its uses and advantages in obstetrics, where it may be, and toh,en it may not be administered. GO7. Advantages of Chloroform. — In natural labour, chloroform is not often administered, unless it may be during some of the more severe pains of the second stage. At such a time, although eA'erything may be proceeding naturally and normally, there is no objection to using it, in order to alleviate, if not abro- gate, the refinedly severe suffering. It Avas Avont to be held by some that the pains of parturition Avere not in- jurious, but foAV, Ave should suppose, will now maintain that opinion. Pain, most assuredly is a great shock, and conduces to exhaustion; and if it has been intense in any ])articular case, there is likely to bo a more tardy recovery. The shock of operations, as is Avell known, has 2’roved sufficient to destroy. In mitigating the pain of natural laboui’, then, the chloroform subserves a useful function; and doubtle.ss, its employment in such cases has heljiod to diminish moi’tality. At the same time, if the case goes on rapidly, and is not attended Avith much suflering, little need be given. In labour rendered tedious by a rigid and undilatable os, wo obtain gi-cat service from this drug. It not only contributes vastly to relaxation, but enables us to adopt other measures for the purjiose of dilatation in extreme