An experimental inquiry into the effect upon the mother of poisoning the foetus / by W.S. Savory.

  • Savory, William Scovell, 1826-1895.
Date:
[1858]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An experimental inquiry into the effect upon the mother of poisoning the foetus / by W.S. Savory. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    spasms, and these continued, for a long period after the deatli of the mother, frequently to recur. The other foetuses were not aftected. In the next experiment, the foetuses, after being injected, were not returned into the abdomen. Experiment IV.—A pregnant rabbit, within a day or two of her full term, was rendered insensible by chloroform, and the uterus was exposed by the usual longitudinal incision, and protruded considerably. It was carefully divided over a I'octus, which was immediately expelled, and received on a napkin; remaining connected with the mother only by the cord. The point of the syringe was inserted through the abdominal wall, and about five minims of the solution were injected. None escaped. Five other foetuses—all but one —were removed and injected in a similar way; from five to ten minims of the solution being thrown into each. The ])unctures remained dry. In one case the cord gave wav. The foetuses were all fully developed, and very vigorous. Almost immediately after the injection, decided tetanic spasms appeared in all, but each survived, and moved actively for some time after. None of the foetuses were replaced after injection; indeed, it would have have been impossible to do so, owing to their size. They were allowed to lie outside the mother, and remained connected witl> her only by the lunbilical cords. At the end of fifteen minutes from the time of the firt-t injection decided tetanic spasms appeared in the mother, and, after repeated attacks, she died rigid in three or four minutes more. During the spasms of the mother, two or three of the l)lacent£B became detached. The following experiment is a still more striking one. Experiment V.—A large bitch, far advanced in pregnancy, was rendered insensible by chloroform. The uterus was exposed and opened to a small extent, at a spot as far as possible from the attachment of a placenta. Through this,