The Dublin practice of midwifery / by Henry Maunsell.

Henry Maunsell

Date:: 1856

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

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$limbs will faU, the hands ^\'ill relax the grasp of the hand of the nurse or folded sheets and anaesthetic sleep \nU foUow. This having contmued for a few moments, is succeeded by a happy conscious- ness of rehef from pain. When a few of the usual pains have been thus treated, the patient may be allowed to use the inhaler herself, for from what has been just stated she camiot take too much; her hand wiU drop from her mouth as soon as she has taken enough to cause approaching sleep. The patient should be watched well at first, so as to ensure the action of the medicine to be such as described, for in some cases a spasmodic fixing of the muscles takes place about the time of the approach of insensibdity; and in such a case the inhaler might be fixed tightly to the mouth, and the inhalation prolonged too far. When it is perceived that such an eflPect as this is not pro- duced, the patient may be trusted to hold the instrument in her own hand. The chloroform must be renewed from time to time. The patient will complain that it is weak, and does her no good. When this occurs, it is well for the attendant to try it himself, and, finding the vapour deficient, he must pour in another charge. This will occm' in ordinary first labours about eight times in the hour, so that we may say an ounce will be con- sumed every hour imder ordinary circumstances. As delivery approaches, the quantity of chloroform$

The Dublin practice of midwifery / by Henry Maunsell.

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