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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    till they make their Way thro* the folid Bones hy hort^ Irg {m) ; becaufe the Head will move round upon the Jeaft oblique Application, by thrufting againft it; and what is there to keep the Head fteady while the Ori¬ fice is dilated by the Sciffars ? Secondly, The Manner of defiroying the Stru5fure of the Brain^ by opening and turning the ScifTars and fhutting their Handles with each Hand, would alfo turn the Head round at the fame Time. Thirdly, The Introdudlon of the Crochet into the Orifice made by the ScifTars, will be more Difficult than while the Head was fixed to the Child’s Body. Sedt. 42. You fay {n)^ ^ That when the Child hath ‘ been dead for many Days, and the Body much mor- ‘ tified, an expert Accoucheur may leave the Head he- ‘ hind^ even though he has ufed all the necefifary Pre- ‘ cautions. In fuch a Cafe, provided the Head is 7Wt * very large^ nor the Pelvis narrow^ and the Forehead is ‘ towards the Sacrum, let him fiide up his Hand along * the Back-part of the Pelvis, and introducing two ‘ Fingers into the Mouth, with the Thumb below the ^ Chin, try to pull the Forehead into the Hollow of ‘ the Sacrum.-If the Head is fmall it will come ‘ along \ if any Fragment of the Neck remains, or ‘ any Part of the loofe Skin, he may lay hold of it, * and alTifl: Delivery, by pulling at it with his other ‘ Fland : If the Head is low down, it may be ex- ^ tradled with the Forceps.* In the firfl Place, I think, an expert Accoucheur will never leave the Head behind, when that Part is not very large^ nor the Pelvis narrow^ as you have ftated the Cafe j for certainly if the Child has been dead for many Days, fuch an Operator as you mention would eafier extradt the Head while it adhered to the Body by all the Articulations of the Vertebra, Mufcles and Skin of the Neck, cfpecially as a Jkilful Artifl, if he found the leaft Obflacie to us eafy Exit, would intro- im) P. 299., [n] P. 367. duce