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.

    176/274 (page 160)
    r t6o ] * even beyond the Rcfts; when, in the feventh place, ‘ they muft again be opened, and turned half round ‘ from Side to Side, uncil the Strudlure of the Brain *■ is fo efFeclually deftroyed, that it can be evacuated ‘ with Eafe. This Operation being performed, let ‘ the Sciffars, in the eighth Place, be fhut and with- ‘ drawn ; but, if this Inflrument will not anlwer the ‘ Purpofe, the Bufinefs may be done by introducing ‘ the Crochet within the Opening of the Skull. The ‘ Brain being thus deftroyed, and the Indrumcnt ‘ withdrawn, let him introduce his Right-hand into ‘ the Vagina, and two Fingers into the Opening which ‘ hath been made, that if any fharp Splinters of the ‘ Bones remain, they may be broken off, and taken ‘ our, left they flaould injure the Woman’s Vagina, ‘ or the Operator’s Fingers/ This compleats your ninth Operation, •- The Dangers and Inconveniences attending this whole Operation arife, firft, from the Introdudlion of a nak¬ ed fharp-pointed Inftrument into the Uterus, or Va¬ gina : Secondly, from the Points of the Sciftars (lip¬ ping off the Bones : Thirdly, from the opening and fhutting the Sciftars while they remain within the Woman: And; Fourthly, when an Opening is made in the Head, the Operator cannot always introduce a Crotchet, or any other Inftrument into the Orifice. Firft, as I (hewed in my EiTay (a)^ ‘ That although * the Head of the Child be within two or three Inches ‘ of the external Orifice-of the Pudenda, without any ‘ additional Aggravations of fweliing, &c. there was ‘ great Danger of wounding the Mother, by intro- ‘ ciucing a (harp naked Inftrument; how much more * then muft the Danger be increafed, when the Head ‘ is at a greater Diftance, or inclofed in a fwelled part ^ ‘ Add to all this the Patient’s Motion of her Pofteriors, ‘ from her Pain, &c. the lead Alteration of which * might [a) Se6t. 104. p. 222.