The history of paediatrics : the progress of the study of diseases of children up to the end of the XVIIIth century / by George Frederic Still.

  • Still, G. Frederic (George Frederic), Sir, 1868-1941.
Date:
1931
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of paediatrics : the progress of the study of diseases of children up to the end of the XVIIIth century / by George Frederic Still. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    an intelligence that does not blunder, for she must be able not only to give assistance by her dexterity in the difficulty of women’s labour but also must be quick-witted for emergencies, also in the matter of tying the cord for the child. For if the afterbirth is passed at the same time let the cord be tied, away from the afterbirth, with a fillet of wool and it is then cut off from the part above: where it has been tied it grows together and the adjoining part falls off. If the knot comes undone the infant dies of haemorrhage. When the afterbirth does not come away at once but remains inside when the infant is outside, the cord is tied and division made. Frequently the child appears to be born dead, when it is feeble and when, before the tying of the cord, a flux of blood occurs into the cord and adjacent parts. Some nurses who have already acquired skill squeeze [the blood] back out of the cord [into the child’s body] and at once the baby, who had previously been as if drained of blood, comes to life again. As already stated it is natural for other animals also to be born head foremost, but children have their hands pressed against their sides. Directly they come forth they cry out and bring their hands to their mouth. There is evacuation of excrement sometimes at once, sometimes soon, but always within the day, and this excre¬ ment is more than accords with the bulk of the child. Women call it meconium; its colour is like blood and it is extremely black and like pitch but after this it already assumes the milk-like character for the infant draws the breast at once. The infant does not cry before it comes forth, even if owing to difficulty of labour the woman succeeds in expelling the head but retains the rest of the body inside. . . . Babies after birth for the first forty days do not laugh or cry when awake, but at night they sometimes do both. Even if tickled they do not usually notice it. Most of the time they sleep, but as they grow they keep changing in the direction of more wakefulness. It is evident that they dream but it is a long while before they remember their dreams. . . . In infants the vertex of the head (to ftpey/ia) is soft and is late in becoming firm. Some are born with teeth, but babies begin to breed teeth in the seventh month, normally the front teeth first; some get the upper and some the lower first. The more heating the quality of the milk of those who suckle, the more rapid the baby’s growth always is. . . . Generally speaking it is a common thing for convulsion to attack infants especially the better-nourished, and those who get milk excessive in quantity or richness. Mischievous as regards this