An introduction to the practice of midwifery / by Thomas Denman.

  • Denman, Thomas, 1733-1815.
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introduction to the practice of midwifery / by Thomas Denman. 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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    sense of weight in her eye-lids, which she could not keep open, though she was not sleepy, a loud noise in the bowels, and many other nervous affections. When, therefore, the pain was violent, she had recourse to opiates, which she took discretionally, and the pain being quieted, the sympathies soon ceased. At the request of my patient, I explained, upon a skeleton, the opinion entertained of her complaints; and, when 1 pointed out the manner in which the parts were supposed to be affected, she was fully persuaded of the truth of the opinion. In this situation she had remained for several months, when it was thought expedient that she should be raised from her bed, and make an effort to stand or walk, lest her constitution should be injured, and her complaints rendered worse by the habit of resting so long in an inactive state. Every position was tried, and every contrivance made, which had a chance of being use- ful ; but the power of supporting herself was totally gone; the motion of the bones was plainly perceived; and the consequences of every trial were so painful and uncomfortable, that it was not judged proper to repeat them, but to wait till, by time, the con- nexion of the bones was more confirmed. About six months after her delivery she menstruated, which she continued to do at irregular periods; yet, though much be- nefit was expected from this circumstance, no alteration was pro- duced by it with respect to her complaints. In the year 1779, she was removed, upon a couch, in a boat, to Margate, for the benefit of the air and bathing in the sea, from which she was always sensible of receiving advantage. There she continued to reside; when eight years were elapsed from the time of her delivery, she became able to walk without crutches ; and, though now perfectly recovered, her amendment has been extremely gradual. I have lately been informed of two other cases of the same kind,.in one of which the process, by which the lameness was at length cured, also required eight years for its completion. CASE II. Many years ago I attended a young woman of a healthy, but delicate constitution, who was in labour of her first child. The os uteri was fully dilated, the membranes broken, and the waters discharged, before I arrived at her house. She was immediately put to bed, and the pains being very strong, the head of the child was soon pressed upon the peri- naeum, the laceration of which I endeavoured to prevent by sup- porting it in the usual manner; but the head of the child was rapidly forced through the external parts, in opposition to the resistance which I was able to make. ^^ At the instant when the head of the child was expelled, I per-