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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    [24] toiny, and fince the Circulation of the Blood has been found out, and the Ufe thereof more known, may be eafily accounted for, as I fhall explain in the Sequel. You feem to found this Practice of yours upon the chimerical Notion that the Placenta docs the fame Of- fice before the Child breathes, that the. Lungs do after Refpiration begins: For {n), you fay, ‘ That theUm- ‘ bilical Veflels are fuppofed to do the fame Office in ‘ the Placenta, which is afterwards performed in the ^ Lungs by the pulmonary Artery and Vein, until the * Child is delivered, .and begins to breathe *, and this ‘ Opinion feems to be confirmed by the following Ex- t periments. Firji^ ‘ ‘f the Child and Placenta ate both delivered * fuddenly, or the laft immediately after the firft ; and / if the Child, tho’ alive, does not yet breathe, the * Blood may be felt circulating, fometimes flowly, at ‘ other Times with great Force through the Arteries of ‘ the Funis to the Placenta, and from thence back ‘ again to the Child, along the Umbilical Vein. Secondly^ ‘ When the VefTels arefiightly preffed, the * Arteries fwell between the PrefTure and the Child, ‘ while the Vein grows turgid between that and the Pla- ‘ centa ; from the Surface of .which no Blood is obferved ‘ to flow, altho’ it be lying in a Bafon among warm ‘ Water.’ Thirdly^ ‘ As the Child begins to breathe, the Cir- ‘ culation, tho’ it was weak before, immediately grows ‘ flrongerand ftronger, and then in a few Minutes, the ‘ Pulfation in the Navel-ftring becomes more languid, ‘ and at lafl entirely flops. Fourlhly^ ® If, after the Child is delivered, and theNa- < vel-ftring cut, provided the placenta adheres firmly to ‘ the Uterus, which is thereby kept extended *, or if the ‘ Womb is flill difcended by another Child, no more ‘ Blood flows from the Umibilical Veffels than what ‘ feemed to be contained in them at the Inftant of cuc- ting i. [n] P. 133, 140.,