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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    Thirdly, It is evident that Smellie is fo far frcn: giving a regular Series of Wings beneficial in Pra'kice^ that froin 1597 (the Date of the laji Edition of Sp2ic\\\m) to 16685 (when Mauriceau printed his Midwifery) he has taken no ISotice of any Author \ feemtngly for want of another Collellor like Spachius; hecaufe there are many Writers during that Interval of Time^ who have publijhed feveral Things in the various Branches of thefe Studies, more iifeful than many of thofe that Smellie takes notice of', many of which I have named ^ in order to fill up, in fome meafure, that great Chafm betwixt the Times above- mentioned, Laftly, Our Author has not given (as he pretends) an Account of the Improvements that have been hitherto made in the PraHice of Midwifery amongft even the Mo¬ derns ; ending with Mefnard’i Treatife publijhed in 1743, at Paris, altho'' his own Book was not publijhed till 1752. I can't omit obferving, that quite thro' Smellie’j Book there feems to be an Affebiation of deviating from every'Author^ altho' even in Trifles but more particularly where they have been univerfally applauded for any Methods or Ob^ ' Jervations they had made. Thus he endeavours to lejfen the Merit of Deventer, La Motte, Ruyfch, lAc. all which are mentioned in the following Remarks, where thofe Writers are vindicated. In the next Place I have confidered Dr. Smellie as an Anatomiji \ who has laid it down as a Rule (c), That ‘ thofe who intend to prablife Midwifery, ought firjl of all to make them/elves Maflers of Anatomy f in which, I believe, every Accoucheur will agree with him. But he is Jo far from giving Proofs of his being thus qualified, that he has brought himfelf into this Dilemma, either of owning his Ignorance in that Branch, fo neceffary to be underitood, or that knowing better, he yet wilfully gave a wrong Defcription of the Parts proper to he kncwm For I don't believe there is one modern Writer, voho pre¬ tends to give the leajl anaioriical Relation of the Parts, [c] 446.