A letter to William Smellie, M.D., containing critical and practical remarks upon his Treatise on the theory and practice of midwifery / By John Burton, M.D. Wherein the various gross mistakes and dangerous methods of practice mentioned and recommended by that writer, are fully demonstrated. And generally corrected.

  • Burton, John, 1710-1771.
Date:
MDCCLIII. [1753]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to William Smellie, M.D., containing critical and practical remarks upon his Treatise on the theory and practice of midwifery / By John Burton, M.D. Wherein the various gross mistakes and dangerous methods of practice mentioned and recommended by that writer, are fully demonstrated. And generally corrected. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ vli ] the Forceps \ and indeed of the other Inftruments alfo^ with the various Methods of putting them into Practice ; which I have done in a clearer and more ample Light than heretofore. Whereby it is evident at one View^ that by Smellie’j Method the Patients endure not only greater Pain., which is alfo of longer Duration., but is attended likewife with more Danger than by my Method \ as may he feen in the fummary Recapitulation of fome Cafes., from p. 217 to 22 2.—L0 conclude, in the Courfe of thefe Remarks the Weaknefs of Smellie’^ Arguments are Jhewn in various Places *3 and it is likewife demonjirated, that ‘ his Injtruc- ‘ tions are neither fo clear aiid perfpicuous, nor his Re- ^ marks fo judicioufly and happily deduced, nor yet his ‘ Prague fo unexceptionable,’ as Review Writer in¬ forms us below (g), as will be feen in feveral Places of the enfuing Letter; particularly in his contradiBory Direblions what Method is to be taken when the Head of the Child is too large, or the Pelvis of the Mother too narrow (h) ; For in one Place he directs that the Operator ^jhouldnot at- tempt to turn the Child,but try the Forceps-, and if they do ‘ not fucceed, diminijh the fize of the Head and extraEl it ‘ with the Crochet' In another Part in the like Cafe, he orders ‘ the Head to be extracted by the Crochet \ but ‘ the Forceps, fays he, ought firft to be triedTet but two Pages before he told us in the Jaine Cafe, ^ Fhe Head ^ will in Dime f ide gradually down into the Pelvis, even ‘ when it is too large to be extracted with the Fillet or f Forceps ’ And in another Place he fays, ‘ Ihe Po- ‘ Jition of the Head Jhould be replaced always, and more ^ efpecially when the Pelvis is too narrow or the Head ‘ too large.’ Again he tells us, ‘ If the Head be large ‘ or the Pelvis narrow, the Child is feldom faved either ‘ by turning or ufing the Forceps, untill the Head floall ‘ be farther advanced I* In another Part he fays, Fhe ‘ Child is feldom now defray’d but when the Pelvis is (g) See p. 4. pf the Letter. (/p P. 247, 255, 257, 28a, 291? 294, 357. too