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]
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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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    [ 1% ] Hands to expand the Handles of the Scijfars to dilate the SkulL Thirdly, to jhut^ turn^ and^ again expand the Handles, . Fourthly, to font the Scijfars^ and introduce them farther. Fifthly, they are to be expanded agaiUy and turned half round from Side to Side^ to break the Brain. And Sixthly, the Scijfars are again to he Jhut . and withdrawn. But, in cafe this Method does not eftedually dcftroy the Strudlure of the Brain, of which you have given no certain Rules to know by; then the Crochet is to he introduced within the Opening of the Skull to perform the Work'^ the Difficulty ot doing which is already explained', Sedt. 2r. No. 4. Sed. 23. After breaking the Structure of the Brain, the next thing is to have the Patient delivered, whether by the ETorts of the Woman alone, or by other Af- fiitance from the Operator. If the foie Obffrudion to the Birth of the Child has been owing to the Size of the Head being a little too bulky, then by removing the Caufe the Mother can bring forth the Child with¬ out any other AfTiftance; which may be forwarded a? little by the Operator, who may either fqueeze the Bones of the Head almoff: clofe, and extrad them? with his Hand ; or may introduce a Finger or two into the Opening of the Child’s Skull, and therewith the Mother’s Efforts. But you fay (^), ‘ When the Pelvis is narrow, the. ‘ Head requires much greater Force to be brought ‘ along, unlefs the Labour-pains are ffrong enough to ‘ prefs it down and diminifh it, by fqueezlng out ‘ the Cerebrum ; in this Cafe, let the Operator with- ♦ draw his Fingers from the Opening*,’ (which I ob- ferved. Sect. 21. was your tenth Operation) ‘ and Aide ‘ them a.l(>ng the Head, paft the Os Uteri (whence I mull rcnva; k that all the other Operations have been performed by you, while the Head was above the Os Uteri, and within the Uterus *, hence the Dangers to the Mother are greater *, ‘ then, in the twelfth Place, (^) P. 301. Numb. 4, M 3 ‘ with