Man-midwifery exposed, or the danger and immorality of employing men in midwifery proved and the remedy for the evil found : addressed to the Society for the Suppression of Vice. / By John Stevens.

  • John Stevens
Date:
[1866]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Man-midwifery exposed, or the danger and immorality of employing men in midwifery proved and the remedy for the evil found : addressed to the Society for the Suppression of Vice. / By John Stevens. 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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    pretty loud. Tho pulse was full, frequent, and hard, and the skin hot. Upon examining per vaginam, she head of tho cliild was found at tho lower strait, presenting the posterior fontanelle behind the left foramen ovale, and entirely within the uterus. Up to this time about thirty-five ounces of blood were drawn. She was attacked with a fit soon after examination. There was something remarkable in the character of the convulsions; her eyes were but little agitated; the pupils much contracted ; her face was but little suffused ; there was less frothing at the mouth; and less sibilation than is usual. I applied the forceps, and delivered her in a few minutes without the slightest diflaculty. She remained after this, two houi's without a fit; at the ex- piration of this time, they recurred about every half hour, until 9 o'clock, P.M., when they ceased, but without any amendment in the condition of the patient : she appeared completely apoplectic. She continued much in this situation until eight o'clock in the evening of the 31st, at which time she died. Leave could not be obtained to inspect the body. She did not complain of head-ache until the 29th, and this but a short time before she became convulsed. She lost altogether, [only] eight-two ounces of WoofZ: was freely purged, and once cupped,—Dcwees's Sijs. Mid., pp. 457-68. Case 1.—Mrs. , a delicate small woman twenty-three years of age, pregnant with her first child, was attacked on the 16th of November, 1809, at eight o'clock, a.m., with epileptic convulsions. I saw her in an hour after the attack ; previously to my seeing her, she had had three fits, and a fourth was just coming on as I entered the door. Three or four days previously to the at- tack, she complained of a violent jaw or tooth-ache, which was looked upon as rheumatic, and no attention was paid to it. On the 15th, that was the day before her illness, she was seized with an extremely acute head-ache; during the night, and just before the onset of the fits, she was violently sick at the stomach, and vomited a large quantity of thick glairy mucus ; immediately after this she said she could not see, and was, in a few minutes more, seized with convulsions. She laboured under these violent and terrific symptoms in an extreme degree. I instantly bled her, from a large orifice in the arm, thirty-five ounces ; this, as I have just said, was at nine o'clock, a.m. Eleven o'clock, had two fits during my absence, and was now in the third—bled twelve ounces—ordered a strong infusion of senna as an enema—os tineae a little opened, but rigid. One o'clock, p.m. ; had two fits since last visit; injection operated ; pulse still active; face flushed ; very restless and iineasy, arising, I believe, from pains in tho uterus ; os tinea2 rather more dilated ; bled by cups ten ounces. Four o'clock, p.m., one fit; cups drew well; senna operated again two or three times ; very comatose ; ordered cold applications to the head by means of a large bladder, partly filled with water and some ice Misters to the legs. Seven o'clock, p.m. ; no fit since last visit; pulse very active ; xerj restless, constantly trying to get out of bed; os tinese not much more dilated; took ten ounces of blood ; senna continued to operate. Ten o'clock, p.m. ; no fit since last visit; pulse still too active ; took ten ounces more of blood ; cold applications ; [only seventy-seven ounces of blood taken from a very ' delicate, email woman,' in thirteen hours!] I7th.—Mr. Purnell, now Dr. Purnell, one of my pupils, stayed all night with the patient. He said she had one fit, after which he took ten ounces of blood; senna continued to operate. At ton o'clock, a.m., I saw saw her; stupor much less ; recognised her friends, and asked some questions ; she did not look so well, a slight squinting was observ- able. Seven o'clock, p.m. ; better ; pulse less active ; buthad three stools since the morning visit. . 18th.—Mr. Do la Motha, now Dr. de la Motha, another of my pupils, stayed with the patient last night. She passed a good night, was tranquil and rational, no retui'n of fits during the night; two stools. Saw her at ten o'clock, a.m. ; skin dry and hot; face a little swelled, but perfectly collected. Eight o'clock, p.m. ; face more swollen, and a little flushed; much head-ache ; pulse very active ; gi-eat thirst; took ten ounces of blood ; much relieved by it: pulse softened and diminished in frequency; cold applications continued. 19th.—Passed a good night, free from fever and pain; no return of convulsions ; bowels rather tardy ; ordered senna-tea; continued much in this condition until tho 28th, twelve days from the first attack; this morning
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