The Retrospect of Medicine (Volume 56) (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. 1867. Excerpt: ... 98.--ON THE POWERS OF THE FORCEPS. By Dr. Robert Barnes, Physician to and Lecturer on Midwifery at St. Thomas's Hospital, fec. The Powers of the Forceps--the Force by which it holds the Head--the Compressibility of the Child's Head.--Three distinct powers or forces can be developed in the forceps. First, by simply grasping the head and drawing upon the handles, it is a tractor, supplementing a vis A froute for the defective vis d Urgo. Secondly, the forceps consisting of two blades having a common fulcrum at the joint or lock, we can by a certain manipulation use it as a double lever. Thirdly, if the blades and handles are long enough and strong enough, and otherwise duly shaped, the forceps becomes a compressive power capable of diminishing certain diameters of the child's head, so as to overcome minor degrees of disproportion. Now, all these powers may he Drought into use, and all may be in great measure lost, according to our choice of a good or a bad model. Thus, if we rest satisfied with the short forceps of Denman, we shall only have a feeble tractor, a feeble lever, and an instrument having almost absolutely no compressive force. It is obvious that such a forceps can have but a restricted application. It can only serve to deliver the child when the head is in the pelvis, when very little tractile power is required. Ask yourselves what this means. What are the consequences in practice? Simply this: you are driven in a multitude of cases to perforate, to destroy the child. Such an alternative may well make us reflect whether we cannot extend the powers and the application of the forceps. By simply lengthening the blades and shanks and giving the blades an additional curve adapted to the curved sacrum, we can reach the head detained at the brim of the...