The medical evidence relative to the duration of human pregnancy, given in the Gardner peerage cause, before the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords in 1825-6 : with introductory remarks and notes / by Robert Lyall.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords. Committee for Privileges
Date:
1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medical evidence relative to the duration of human pregnancy, given in the Gardner peerage cause, before the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords in 1825-6 : with introductory remarks and notes / by Robert Lyall. 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.

    26/136 (page 26)
    The chief causes assigned-for the Protraction of Pregnancy are,— 1. An Aberration Jrom the Laws of Nature: 2. Hemorrhages: 3. Mental Emotions; and, 4. Mechanical Obstruction. It is ob- vious, that in speaking of these causes, especially the two last, we might rather employ the terms protracled labour, or the retardmait of labour after it has commenced, but from whatever cause the foetus may remain in utern beyond the natural period of nine calen- dar months, or rather about 280 days, whether owing to labour not having commenced at the natural ]>eriod, or from its being delayed after it has commenced, is immaterial : both cases, strictly speaking, come under the meaning of protracted gestation. Regarding the first of the four causes just mentioned of the pro- traction of gestation, we have said enough in this introduction, and perhaps the reader will hereafter find more than enough in the evidence and the notes. The other three causes are likewise adverted to in the notes *. Contrary to the evidence of some eminent witnesses, some main- tain that the passions of the mind have much influence over uterine actions. We have been informed by a resjiectable practitioner of a Labour, that had nearly arrived at its apparent termination, sus- pended for more than two days in consequence of a gentleman having been sent to the patient against whom she took a prejudice; perhaps, such effects may be attributed to the depressing passions producing a deficient secretion of nervous power, and consequent diminution in the sensibility of the os uteri, although they, without doubt, also that appeared to indicate the existence of another, and in five months and sixteen days after the hirth of the first, she was delivered of a remarkably strong and healthy child. Now this infant could not have been conceived after the birth of the other. We have another instance of preternatural pregnancy in the afiair of Catherine Berard, the widow of Francis Chapelet. This took place in 1808, and on the evidence of the most respectable medical men, a chUd born ten months and eighteen days after the death of the father, was declared legiti- mate ; but in an appeal to the court of Grenoble, this decision was set aside by a majority of one only.” — Vide Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, No. 87. * Had our limits permitted, we should have entered into some details, touching the effects of mental emotions. We shall however, give two quo- tations, and refer the reader to a Note in page 48.— “ Labour, after it has actually commenced, may be suspended by slight causes, as agitation or de- pression of mind; nay, even when it has made considerable progress, it may, from various sources of difficulty, be protracted two, three, or more days, and occasionally as many weeks-, the birth of the child would hence be pro- portionately deferred,” or, in other words, pregnancy would hence be pro- portionately protracted beyond the regular terminus.”— Vide an Attempt to prove on Rational Principles, that the term of Human Pregnancy may be considerably extended beyond nine calendar months, by John Power, M.D. &c. &c. Grief, and other depressing passions, have been said by the believers of protracted gestation to possess a delaying power; while others think that they are more apt to produce abortion.—Beck’s Elements of MedicalJuris- prudence, p. 201. We recommend the reader to peruse Dr. Collins’s ingenious illusti-ations of Mental Emotions, in the 87th Number of the Edinburgh Medical and Surgi- cal Journal.