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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    < « _ C 154 ] Jhould he iriedy and more efpecially when the Pelvis is too narrow^ or the Head too large •, and when we are dubious of faving the Child by turn¬ ing.’ Whoever attendsto what I haveadvanced in Sedf. id, 2d, 4th, and 5th, will eafily fee that your Indrudions here are quite wrong, and atrended with many bad CoO fequences: And I have fhewn in the laft Sedlion, that the Child may be dived by turnings ahho’the Head may be fo large^ or the-Pelvis fo narrozv^ that the Child cannot pads the Brim by the foie Efforts of the Mother, . ^x\d even when the Vertex prefenied with the Forehead to ihe Sidoy or Back-part’of the Pelvis^ and when theWo- man has had ftrong Pains for many Hours after the Mem~ hranes are hroke^ and the Head rejettihled the fmall End of a Sugar Loaf You then fay, ^ If you fucceed, and the Woman is ‘ ftrong, go on as in natural Labour ; but if this fails, * then it will be more advifableto wait with Patience for the Defeentof the Head, fo as that it may bede- * livered with the Forceps, and confequently the Child * may be faved.’ Here again you have directed a Method of Pra6tice very pernicious to the Mother, and very dangerous to the Child, by keeping its Head longer comprefted than neceftary, becaufe, if the Child’s Plead (which is too largCy and the Pelvis too narrow^ as you have ftated the Cafe) can be brought down inro the Pelvis by the foie Efforts of the Mother, I will venture my Reputation as a Pradlitioner, that it might have been fooner delivered by turning the Child, and then confequently the Head would not be fo long comprefted, whence fome of the Mifehiefs before taken notice of, may be avoided, Se6t. 2, Numb. 2. And, in the next Place, I am as certain, that if the Woman he fo ftrong^ (which you here fuppofe) as to propel the Head, as above men¬ tioned, into the Pelvis, that then, cceteris parihuSy the fa me Means will expel it out of the Pudendum, where there is lefs Refiftance , and this you are con¬ vinced