The Edinburgh Practice of Physic, Surgery, and Midwifery (Volume 5); Preceded by an Abstract of the Theory of Medicine, and the Nosology of Dr. Cullen and Including Upwards of Six Hundred Authentic Formulae from the Books of St. Bartholomew's, St. George (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1803 Excerpt: ... It ftuck at the flioulder, but by giving it a quarter turn the obftru&ion was removed, and at laft the head was delivered, though not without a good deal of trouble and caution, on account of the largenefs of the head, and the bad hold at the broken jaw. The child was dead, and the woman expired in feven or eight minutes from the great flooding. " I wrotu him," fays Dr. Smellie, " that no doubt the gentleman, fince he did not fucceed with the forceps, acted right in trying to turn; but then when it required fo great force (which undoubtedly brought on the fatal haemorrhage) it would have been fafer for the woman had he opened the head as it prefented, and extra ted with the crotchet. "However, it is impoflible to judge, except when prcfent, and we are too ready to refleft, after an unlucky cafe is over, that another method would have been better, though we acted then to the beft of our judgmenti" Case XVII. and Supplement to Case II.--This woman (the patient of a correfpondent) was about thirty; had been rickety in her youth; one fhoulder was higher than the other; one of the offa pubcs was confidcrably further protruded than the other. Before he was called, (lie had been three days in labour. The mouth of the womb was largely open. The head was well advanced in the pelvis. She had frequent pains; but the head did not advance furtltfr. On introducing his hand he found a great moifture, and withdrawing it, perceived it befmeared with meconium, whence he told the by-ftanders that the child was either dead or very weakly. On enquiry, he was told that there had been no floppage of urine. The pofition being fuch as favoured the ufe of the forceps for extracting the child, he introduced it accordingly, not doubting to find an eafy delivery, as he had often f...