A compendious system of midwifery : chiefly designed to facilitate the inquiries of those who may be pursuing this branch of study ... / by William P. Dewees.

  • Dewees, William P. (William Potts), 1768-1841.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A compendious system of midwifery : chiefly designed to facilitate the inquiries of those who may be pursuing this branch of study ... / by William P. Dewees. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Lamar Soutter Library, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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    18. Various causes have been assigned for this relaxation or separation of tiie pelvic bones: 1. Serous depositions in the cellular meshes, or interstices of the connecting media. 2. Tumefaction of the cartilaginous extremities of the ossa pubis. 3. The child in transitu acting like a wedge on the bony circle which bounds the upper strait. 4. Mechanical violences, as falls, blows, instrumental delivery, &c. 19. When mere relaxation exists, the symptoms, though pret- ty permanent, are not so violent, as when there is a separation. A painful tottering walk, with a greater or less inability to stand, and more especially on both feet with equal firmness, mark very certainly this condition of the pelvis: and this is sometimes de- tected even before labour. When it happens during labour, it is always attended with a painful sensation at the relaxed part, together with an inability to exercise the auxiliary powers con- cerned in this operation. This latter circumstance is worthy of notice; as it would seem to decide at once, that this yielding js not intended to benefit parturient women. W^hen the injury is greater, and a real separation has taken place, it has been found, that it is by the destruction of the ligamentous tissue which con- nects the bones, and thus permits them to retire farther from each other than mere relaxation would have done. When it is the symphysis of the pubes which suffers this accident, an entire separation of the cartilaginous epiphysis from the extremity of the OS pubis takes place; for, agreeably to Baudelocque, no power is capable of breaking the ligamentous substance which connects these two bones. 20. When this last condition obtains, it is usually followed by a melancholy train of evils—pain, inflammation, suppuration, caries, gangrene, and death. 21. The mode of treatment of these evils is reduced to great simplicity, though far from equal certainty—the indications are, 1. To reduce the parts, as nearly as possible, to their natural po- sition, and to secure them thus as eflectually as possible. 2. To obviate inflammation and its consequences, as far as may be prac- followin.? terms, without assigning- a single reason for his belief; namely, that «A (relaxation) occurs in a mucii higlier degree in other genera of the mammalia, than in women, but that even in them some slight relaxation does take place.* We would ask for infoi-mation, has this relaxation been proved to take place; as we do not think, without some evidence and that positive, this opinion should be received upon the mere ipse dixit of any man; especially as no good can be de- rived from it, • Principles and Practice of Obs'eti'icy, p. 6.