Pathologia Indica, or, The anatomy of Indian diseases, medical and surgical : based upon morbid specimens from all parts of the Indian Empire in the museum of the Calcutta Medical College ; illustrated by detailed cases, with the prescriptions and treatment employed, and comments, physiological, historical, and practical / by Allan Webb.

Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pathologia Indica, or, The anatomy of Indian diseases, medical and surgical : based upon morbid specimens from all parts of the Indian Empire in the museum of the Calcutta Medical College ; illustrated by detailed cases, with the prescriptions and treatment employed, and comments, physiological, historical, and practical / by Allan Webb. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    if there is any tendency to fever, dangerous. Medical men are never called in, unless the woman is apparently in danger. Three or four women out of twenty die of fever and tetanus produced by this treatment, in six or eight or ten days after parturition. The prejudices in favour of these customs are so great, that a Medical man would find it very difficult to prevent their being followed. I think these prejudices are as strong as ever among tlie bulk of the people, but there are some families which are exce|)tions, though these are very few. My observations relate to Hindoos only. If we had a sufficient number of well qualified female Hindoo mid- wives, whose ch’irges were very moderate, I think they might accomplish a great deal by good advice. If they were seen to succeed to the extent of reducing the number of deaths from four or five out of twenty, to one or two, there is no doubt that the Natives would apply to them for advice, and would follow it. From my experience, and what I know of the Natives, I have no doubt at all of this.” The customs 1 have mentioned are not connected in the opinions of the people with any religious precepts or observances, except the having an apartment for women in child-birrh detached from the liouse. It might be as airy and well built and spacious and cool, as might be desired. Reli- gious opinions have nothing to do with any of these matters. But all wo- men except Brahminee, remain impure for a month—Brahminee women for twenty one days.” [\our Committee are informed by one of their members, Mr. Prosonocoomar Tagore, that the Brahminee women remain impure for eleven days only ] “ It an Hospital with a Lying-in Ward were established, with proper Llindoo midwives and attendants, a great number of married women of the inferior castes would be happy to avail themselves of it, and many lives would be saved by this means. Such an Hospital, united to a class in which Native Hindoo women might be instructed by an European Professor of Midwifery, well acquainted with the vernacular language, would be attended with extensively beneficial effects. The number of women taking advantage of the Institution would be such as to afford employment for a great number of raidwives.” Such women, so instructed and employed, would readily find employ- ment at a moderate charge among Hindoo women of all castes and ranks, at t leir own houses, by which I am well assured many of their lives and tliose of their children would be saved. These midwives would the lying-in woman, and would see that was administered, and would keep up the ^urage o the woman, and prevent to a great degree the injurious treat- ment and practices to which they are now subjected. Neither the Hindoo women nor their Emilies have at present any objection to their beinff European Doctor, except on the score of expense, adinird^* misfortune is, that there is no security that what he prescribes is ered. Educated Hindoo midwives would remove this difficultv.’ remain in attendance upon what the Doctor prescribed done Ui lHls Tl 1838 will, wl.al has been conferred bv the MM 'r tl.e imn.ence benefit conieired by the Midwifery Hospital of the College.