Handbook of midwifery for midwives : from the official handbook of midwifery for Prussian midwives, published by direction of the Minister for Spiritual, Educational, and Medical Affairs / by J.E. Burton.

  • Prussia.
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Handbook of midwifery for midwives : from the official handbook of midwifery for Prussian midwives, published by direction of the Minister for Spiritual, Educational, and Medical Affairs / by J.E. Burton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    148/332 (page 128)
    § 165. If the loss of blood is greater, so that if it continued long, the life of the patient would be in danger, or if accompanying it great pallor of the countenance and faintness come on, the midwife herself must then, in the absence of a medical man, take decisive measures to check the haemorrhage. To attain this ^ end there are three means at her command: the local applica- tion of heat, of cold, and plugging the vagina. All three means generally set up uterine contractions, or increase pains already present, and thus assist the expulsion of the ovum. The midwife will be the more inclined to adopt these methods as upon exa- mination she finds the labour already progressing, the mouth of the womb open, and the tip of the ovum advancing. In the meantime, however, the extent of the haemorrhage is quite sufficient to war- rant the adoption of the above-mentioned means. In some cases the haemorrhage can be stopped by these means, without the pregnancy being interrupted. When the loss of blood is great, however, it is useless to expect to stop it until the ovum comes away, and therefore it is very desirable it should come quickly. §166. [Both heat and cold applied suddenly contract blood- vessels and check bleeding. The best way of applying heat is to direct, for a few minutes, a stream of hot water (110 to 115° Fahrenheit) on to the neck and mouth of the womb by means of a Higginson’s syringe. The application of heat will probably be more effective in checking haemorrhage than cold, and should be tried first.] The midwife makes use of cold for the purpose of checking the bleeding, by applying cloths dipped in the coldest water, and then wrung out again, to the lower part of the belly, and to the external genital organs, and by even giving a cold water lavement, or