Correspondence between Dr. Simpson, Dr. Ramsbotham and Dr. Lee in relation to uterine hæmorrhage from placental presentation.

  • Simpson, James Young, 1811-1870.
Date:
[1845]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Correspondence between Dr. Simpson, Dr. Ramsbotham and Dr. Lee in relation to uterine hæmorrhage from placental presentation. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The hands of the printer, without some errors. And certainly there is no de¬ partment of authorship in which one stands more in need of, and ought to feel more grateful for, the kindly cor¬ rection and assistance of his profes¬ sional brethren, even though, as in Dr. Ramsbotham’s case, they do not alter the resulting statistical fact, or alter it only in a fractional degree. Besides, the investigation is of such a kind, that two persons, with every anxiety for truth and accuracy, may read and in¬ terpret diffeiently the very data upon which we have to work. Among Dr. Collins’ returns, for instance, of his own practice in the Dublin Hospital, I make out one death more* from una¬ voidable heemorrhage than he does. On the other hand, Dr. Churchill (see the article “ Heemorrhage,” in his ge¬ neral work on Midwifery) has given a fuller list of cases and deaths from una¬ voidable heemorrhage, in Smellie’s practice, than I could find at the time in Smellie’s Works; and yet he ulti¬ mately arrives at the same general sta¬ tistical fact that I have done, namely, that taking a large series of cases, it will be found that one out of every three mothers dies under this presentation of the placenta. In the same way, while Dr. Churchill makes Giffard’s recorded cases of unavoidable heemorrhage amount to 29, I could find only reports of 24; and you state somewhere that he has about 20. Again, in your Cli¬ nical Midwifery, you state that Portal’s Treatise contains an account of “ eight” cases of uterine heemorrhage from pre¬ sentation of the placenta; whilst I make out (if I recollect properly) that he notices and describes the results of thirteen or fourteen cases, which he had himself met with in his own prac¬ tice. I have intended to look in upon you for some mornings past, but I find the * See Case No. 11, in his chapter on arm pre¬ sentations. early part of the day generally dissipated here by various employments before I well know that the day has really begun. Very truly yours, J. Y. Simpson. To Dr. Lee. Stafford House, St. James’s, 23d Sept., 1845. No. 6.—From Dr. Lee to Dr. Simpson. 4, Saville Row, 23d Sept., 1845. Dear sir,—As you are so much en¬ gaged, I should be sorry that you should put yourself about by calling upon me. Respecting Portal’s cases, it will be seen that, in my Clinical Mid¬ wifery, I refer to eight cases “ in which he found the placenta not merely at the mouth of the womb, but adhering to the whole neck of the uterus,”—thus pointedly distinguishing them from the other cases of partial placental pre¬ sentation related in his work, or re¬ ferred to without the details being given.—I remain, dear sir, Very faithfully yours, R. Lee. To Dr. Simpson. No. 7-—From Dr. Simpson to Dr. Lee, Dear sir,--1 did not in my last note mention the mistake into which you had fallen, with regard to the exact number of Portal’s cases, with any idea whatever of blaming you for an error of the kind. In fact, though you state in your Clinical Midwifery that “ Por¬ tal’s Treatise (1685) contains an ac¬ count of eight cases of uterine haemor¬ rhage in which,” &c.; you more cor¬ rectly observe, in your newly published Lectures, that “ Portal’s Treatise (1685) contains the histories of eight or more cases of uterine heemorrhage, in which he found, on introducing the hand to turn, that the placenta was not merely at the os uteri, but adhering to the cer¬ vix all round.” If you had at once allowed to me, that Portal had met with thirteen or