INJURIES RECEIVED DURING BIRTH.
If a labour be long and tedious, the head and body of the child may be bruised and disfigured.
The shape of the head is frequently altered by the compression it has undergone, so that it may be elongated, and measure from the chin to the back of the head as much as six or seven inches. This always excites surprise, sometimes apprehension, in the minds of the attendants: there is no ground for it. It must be allowed to regain its natural shape without interference.
Tumours or swellings upon the head are very common. They arise from pressure upon the part during the labour. The only treatment that is required, or safe, is, freedom from all pressure, and the application of cold lotions composed of brandy or vinegar and water. The swelling will gradually subside. It will be right to direct the attention of the medical man to this circumstance.
The face may be frightfully disfigured from the above cause, exceedingly black, and the features distorted. Nothing is necessary here; in a few days the face will recover its proper appearance.