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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    Foot; the Membrnna Adipofa being filled with Fat to fuch a Thicknefs, that a Vein cannot be felt under¬ neath it. And, in the ntxt Place, you fuppole the Gonvulfions to arife from the too great and long Com- prelTion upon the Child’s Head in Labour, whence Ob- flrudions of the fmalier VelTcls, attended with Inflam¬ mations, are caufed ; and whatever increafes the Velo¬ city and Strength of the CirculatirOj mufl, inftead of leflening, greatly increafe the Complaint; where¬ fore a Blifter between the Scapula ought, in this Cafe, never to be applied. You tell us (Z>), That the Meconium in new-born ‘ Infants ought to be purged off as foon as poffible, ‘ to empty the Bowels, and to make a Revulfion from * the furcharged and com prefled Brain. This may be * effedled by Suppofitories, Glyfters, repeated Dofes ‘ of Ol. Amygd. D. mixed with Pulv. Rhabarbari; ^ or de Althsea, or Syr. de Cichoreo cum Rheo.* This Method of Pradlice, efpecially where the Child is either weakly or born before the ufual Time of Birth, is what I cannot approve of, altho’ countenanced by too common Ufage : For my own Reafon, confirmed by daily Experience, convinces me, that this Method of Pfadice ought to give way to the following j whe¬ ther we conflder the Child to be born at, or before the cuftomary Time for Labour. I mentioned in my EJfay on Midzmfery (c), ‘ That * there is a vifeous Subftance always in the Stomach ‘ and fmall Guts of new-born Infants, which becomes * thicker and darker coloured as it defeends into the * greater Guts, and is there Called the Meconium 5 * which is no other than the groflfer Parts of the Li- ‘ quors fecreted in the alimentary Tube, and of the ^ Bile and Pancreatic Juice. Thefe Humours, being ‘ fo thick and vifeid, while the digeftive Powers of a ‘ Child are very weak at Birth, may be of bad Con- ‘ fequence, by flicking to the Guts, obflrudling the ‘ Lad:eaJs, &€* Hence we fee, that to prevent thefe [h] P. 437. (0 Sea. 35, 176. 0^2 Injuries,