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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    t '3'] , -of the Uterus,' after Delivery, with the Method of Cure, as told us by Hippocrates^ (o) fince you have taken Notice of fo many lefs ufeful Things. In fhott, whatever you have mentioned, as from Hippocrates^ may be found in Le Llerc^% Hiftory of Phyfic, and in Spachius {p) (except the Errors above mentioned) and 1 muft add, that you have not given us the leaft Hint of Hippocrates^^ “Liber de Foetus in utero mortui cxec- tione (^). After Hippocrates^ the next Author you mention is Ariftotle. {r) But asdittle as you have faid of him, it may be found in Spachius (s). Where may be feen fe veral Obfervations of his worthy of Notice although omitted by you ; one of which is, “ f/) Poft partum et “ poll Lotia ladtefcere mammas, et qnamdiu Lotia ct “ Menfes-feruntur Lac non effundendum, nequeenim “ natura inquit tarn large profundere poteft per utram- “ que partem j fed fi in alterurram partem fecernit, in “ altera deed, nifi quid accideret violentum, etprse- ter id quod magna ex parte confuetum eft.” Celfus comes next and although the whole Chapter does^ not exceed four final 1 06tavo Pages, they con¬ tain all he fays upon our Subjedt ; (which may be found alfo in Spachius) (ti) and yet the moft material Part you have omitted ; for fpeaking of the Manner of ufing the Crochet, you tell us, it is to be fixed upon the Head; but Celfus' {‘lys (w) Turn demitti debet uncus, iin- “ dique laevis, acuminis brevis, qui, vel oculo, vel “ auri, vel ori, interdum etiam Fronti redle injicitur.” You have likewife omitted a prudent Caution, for he diredfs “ trahere autem dextra manus uncum •, finiftra, “ intus pofita, infantem Ipfum fimulque dirigere eum “ debet,” from whence it is evident that Celfus was no Stranger to the Neceftity of keeping theApcx of the Child’s Head in the Center of the Paftage. He likewife gives Di- recHon how toextradl; the Placenta, for he fays, Quoties f(?) P.609, ip) P-600. et iequent. [q] P, 914. (r) P. 15. (/) P.757,773, 782, [t) Kift. Anim. ]ib. iv. cap. 10. lio.. X. cap. u. Spach. p. 792. (/d P* 796. (w) Lib. vii. cap. 29. p. 491, (C In-