The Dublin practice of midwifery / By Henry Maunsell.

  • Henry Maunsell
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Dublin practice of midwifery / By Henry Maunsell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the part which is usually first engaged in the pelvic passages. The head of the foetus, detached and without the face, is described as oval, with the large ex- tremity posteriorly. The desire of pointing out resemblances seems to be a besetting passion with anatomists ; but, in truth, in this as in many other instances, the likening of the head to any known figure conveys but little information. The student, then, who desires correct notions upon the subject, must set before him a foetal skull of the standard (or average) dimensions and shape, and carefully examine upon it the properties which I shall now endeavour to indicate. The first circumstance that strikes us in our examination is the great mobility of the bones upon each other, owing to their incomplete ossifi- cation and the cartilaginous connection between them. This effect is also increased by the prolong- ation of the sagittal suture through the centre of the os frontis, so as actually to divide it into two bones, and* it can be produced to such an extent as to admit of the bulk of the head being: con- siderably diminished in one of its diameters, and proportionally increased in another. The situ- ation and yielding nature of the sutures requires to be attended to; their general direction is the same as in the adult, but the sagittal is always prolonged, as we have mentioned, to the root of the nose: sometimes, but rarely, it passes back-
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