The London practice of midwifery : to which are added, instructions for the treatment of lying-in women, and the principal diseases of children, chiefly designed for students and early practitioners.

Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The London practice of midwifery : to which are added, instructions for the treatment of lying-in women, and the principal diseases of children, chiefly designed for students and early practitioners. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    child, but we have some doubt with regard to her reckouing on her confinement. We may ask, If she has been sick in the morning, all the time from that she first reckoned ? She will say, No, certainly i but do you doubt my being with child?—O no, there is little doubt of that; but stomach complaints will at times arise in a very strange way. You have felt the motion of the child, 1 suppose ?— O yes very often.— But have you ever felt a limb coming up, or a knee pressing, as if it would come through your side 1—■ Why no, not so plain as that, cer- tainly ; but I have felt it move so often, that there can be no doubt.— Ay, but are you sure it might uot be wind?—M Why, dear me, Sir, you never doubted it before?— Oh, I do not doubt it now; but wind will do this, and feel a good deal like a child. Pray are you always sick in the morning ? Because I once knew a youug lady who was mistaken on this point, and she had seven children afterwards. We should always convey a meaning to that effect ; it will reconcile her wonderfully. Some women would sooner forgive us for supposing they had taken a false step, than for thinking that they could not have chil- dren ; so that we must be exceedingly careful to avoid any hints which they can construe as implying that. All these cases requiring great care, we should break them very slowly. The woman cannot bear, the husband cannot bear, nor can even the friend* hear, to hear that it is no such thing. The treatment of such cases will by gentle purges, which will at the same time have the good effect of increasing the appetite: if the complaint, as it geuerally does, depend on flatu- lency, it will in this way be taken off, and the size will, diminish gradually.* • According to the following epigram, the size sometimes di- minishes suddenly; in this instance the woman ttraining hard