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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    ■* with the Fingers all around^ that no Fart of the Vea- ‘ gina he included in the loeking.'* ■ You li.we here acknowledged that the Woman may be injured by the locking of the Forceps if great Care he not taken in feeling with the Fingers all around ; whereby the Parts of the Woman could only he crufljed. But what is to guard thofe very Parts., in the like Cafe, while you are opening and fljutting the SciiFirs fo ( ften, when both Hands are to be on the Out fide of the Os Ex- , terniim, efpeclally as the Patient may iiot only be bruifed, but may be in Danger alfo of having Pieces cut out ■betwixt the Axis and Reds of the Sciffai s? Then why are thefe'Hazards to be run, when fafer Methods mav Te.taken, efpecially as you acknowledge the Parts next the Os Pubis are more liable than others to hang down, or be protruded forwards? 1 Fourthly, when the Cranium is opened, the Operator 'Cari’t,always (nay very rarely can) introduce a Crochet, or any other Inftrument, into the Opening *, efpecially iWhen the foie Obftacle to the Child’s advancing is ow¬ ing to the Bulk of its Head. For, as I obferved in my . Eflfay \d), ' After the lncifion is made, andtheSrruc- - ture of the Brain is in part broken, and theSciflars ‘ withdrawn, the very PrefTure of the Womb, Cfc. ‘ will fqueeze the Edge of one Os Bregmatis in fuch a ‘ manner, as to make it lap over ihe other, which will ‘ render it difficult in all cafes, and in feme impoffible to introduce the Crochet to break the Strudfure of * the Brain as you diredl it.’ And when the Brain is broken, the Contents of the Cranium will, at every Pain, be more fqueezed out, and then one Edge of the' Bones will be compreffed over the other fo much more, • and thereby, render- the Introduction of an Inftrument into the IncifionjOreven of a Finger, the more difficult. You feem to doubt the Scifiars v/ill not fufficicntly anfwer the Purpoie, and ciien fay the Fingers are cafier ‘ introdiyced titan an Inilrument, as you diredt in your [d] P, 22 2, Sefi. 104. a •• ninth