A vindication of the forceps described and recommended by Dr. Leake : in which the injudicious and illiberal remarks on that subject, signed Thomas Denman, are examined and refuted / by a late pupil of Dr. Leake's.

Date:
1783
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A vindication of the forceps described and recommended by Dr. Leake : in which the injudicious and illiberal remarks on that subject, signed Thomas Denman, are examined and refuted / by a late pupil of Dr. Leake's. 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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    [ *7 ] • You tell us that—The cenfure of Dr. Smellie’j Forceps is unpro- fitable—You cannot then fay, that Dr. Leake is mercenary; but I muft inform you that to cenfure and to difapprove are very different things : Thofe who are beft acquainted with Dr. Leake well know that he is lefs difpofed to cenfure than commend ; and it is apparent he has not treated Dr. Smellie in the difrefpedful manner with which you mention the names of M. Leveret and H. Crantz. You next proceed as a panegyrift—Dr. Smellie was a Man ofi great candour, indujlry, and ingenuity, and we are all indebted to him. I have often heard Dr. Leake in the courfe of his Lectures men- tion his name with great refpedt, and chearfully fubfcribe to his merit. You fay—JVe are all indebted to him. Thofe who have attended his Ledlures I prefume, will not deny it ; for your Part, Sir, had you been as grateful to the Gentleman from whom you received your Inftrudtions in Midwifery, we Jhould not have feen you engaged with him in a News-paper Billing [gate contejl, A. D. 1769. Again you fay—Dr. Smellie’j Forceps are riot taper at the point —Not fo taper as the point of a Sword ;—but they are taper— verily they are taper. You add—The largenefs of the head, and narrownefs of the Pelvis are relativcTerms, &c.—This feems to be a new and very notable dil- covery, and what makes it the more valuable, it is not more difficult to be demon ft rated, than that two and one make three. You fay—The cafe fuppofed in this Paragraph, I believe, never can happen at the upper part of the Pelvis. In what Paragraph? for you do not fay, whether in Dr. Leake's, or your own. Pray Do&or what Profejfor, except Juch as you have mentioned in the beginning of your Remarks, ever talks of a Cafe happening at the upper pait of the Pelvis ; I fuppofe you mean a cafe where the Child’s head could not happen to be fo placed at