On puerperal convulsions / by Robert Dyce.

  • Dyce, Robert, 1798-1869.
Date:
[1868]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On puerperal convulsions / by Robert Dyce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Case vi.—Convulsions during Labour: First Pregnancy: Delivery by Forceps ; both Mother and Child saved. Mrs. A., aged 22, a tall and rather slim young woman, was taken in labour in the early morning of April 11, 1859. Her medical attendant stated that the labour went on favourably until midday, when, without any warning, he was alarmed by the shaking of the bed, and next by the extreme agitation of the patient. He at once took a soup plateful of blood from the arm, and finding to his sur¬ prise that the head had come low down, he applied the forceps and brought away the child. I saw her at his request an hour after the birth. She was then quite comatose, with a flushed face, slow pulse, laboured and heavy breathing. The placenta had not been removed. The vein was at once reopened, and two full platefuls of blood were withdrawn. She soon afterwards opened her eyes and asked us what we were doing, and became immediately quite sensible. The placenta was found lying in the vagina. She knew nothing of the birth of her child, and was so doubtful when told that her trials were over, that she put her hand down to her belly to satisfy her¬ self. She made a good recovery, and nursed her child well. Case vii.—Convulsions during Labour ; First Pregnancy; Delivery by Forceps ; Chloroform; both Mother and Child saved. I was requested by Dr. Paterson, on the evening of May 5 th, 1865, to visit a patient in Old Machar poor-house. The patient, Jessie D., a young plethoric unmarried female, aged 17, had been in labour since 12 a.m. Without any warning she had a violent convulsion. I found her, at 6 p.m. foaming at the mouth, writhing about in bed ; her face was swollen and livid ; and she was wholly unconscious. Per vaginam, the head was found to be half through the brim, but with the anterior part of the cervix uteri embracing it. She was immediately largely bled, but still the fits returned with every pain. The labour was rapidly advancing. It was remarked that since the bleeding she only writhed when a pain came on, with no distortion of the face ; and Dr. W. Fraser, who had previously joined us, remarked that the swelling of the face had gone. The labour-pains continued frequent; but she still remained unconscious. I now gave chloform to full anaesthesia to quiet the movements, as it was determined to deliver by the forceps. They were easily applied one under each ilium ; and, after some firm traction and turning face to sacrum, the head was born in a few minutes and an hour and a half from the time I first saw her. The child, a female, was alive and strong. The placenta came off shortly afterwards with moderate hsemorrage. Restlessness, however, remained with¬ out convulsion; and though she answered questions, she was not quite conscious. Her head was ordered to be shaved, a blister to
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