That females were always depended upon in old times, and are now in certain rude communities, is true, but that is no reason why they should be depended upon under all circumstances. In our present highly artificial state there are numerous causes at work, and numerous difficulties experienced, unknown to more primitive times and conditions, and we therefore require greater skill and more extensive resources. Females have in fact become more in want of help, and less able to assist.
At what time, and in what country, men first began to assist in cases of labour is not recorded. They have done so however for a long time, much longer than most people suppose. In the time of Hippocrates, called the Father of Medicine, who lived more than four hundred years before Christ, it appears that physicians were commonly resorted to. In his writings we find cases described, which show that he was well acquainted with the process of parturition, and even with some of the most difficult operations now practised. The Israelites appear to have employed women, as most eastern nations in fact do at the present day.
Midwifery, however, did not attract much attention, nor make much progress, till about the middle of the sixteenth century, since when it has been studied and practised by the most eminent Physicians and Surgeons, and has arrived at great perfection.
Many new discoveries have been made lately, which enable us to facilitate delivery and ease its pains, so that it is now robbed of many of its former terrors and dangers. Some of these discoveries are of easy application, and promise much future good; I shall carefully describe them all, in the following pages.
F. H.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
[FRONTISPIECE], Eve in the Garden of Eden.
PLATE I.—Lateral Section, of the Female Pelvis, to show the position of the Organs in their natural state, [5]. PLATE II.—Front View of the Female Pelvis, with the External Walls removed, [9]. PLATE III.—The Uterus and its Appendages, [13]. PLATE IV.—Vertical Section of the Womb and Vagina, natural size, [18]. PLATE V.—The Muscular Fibres of the Womb, [23]. PLATE VI.—Muscular Fibres of the Womb, [27]. PLATE VII.—Bones of the Pelvis, [33]. PLATE VII.-a.—Male Pelvis, to show the difference in structure, [35]. PLATE VIII.—Section of the Pelvis, [37]. PLATE IX.—Diameters of the Upper Strait, [41]. PLATE X.—The Bones of the Pelvis viewed from below, [45]. PLATE XI.—The Direction of the Pelvis, [49]. PLATE XII.—Section of the Uterus, with the Ovum and appendages, at about one month, [65]. PLATE XII.-a.—Female Breast, [77]. PLATE XIII.—Breast about the Fourth Month, [90]. PLATE XIV.—Womb, at about the third, seventh and ninth months, [99]. PLATE XV.—Primipara, or the First Pregnancy.—Woman who has borne children before, [101]. PLATE XVI.—Mode of performing the Ballotment, to detect Pregnancy, [107]. PLATE XVII.—At the end of the Fifth Month, [111]. PLATE XVIII.—The neck of the Womb in a first pregnancy, and in a female who has borne children before, at the end of the seventh month, [116]. PLATE XIX.—Fœtus in the most usual position, [121]. PLATE XX.—Fœtus in the next most frequent position, [125]. PLATE XXI.—Presentation of the Pelvis, or breech, [129]. PLATE XXII.—The position of Twins, as most usually observed, [133]. PLATE XXIII.—End of the Ninth Month, [135]. PLATE XXIV.—The Fœtal head, [147]. PLATE XXV.—Diameters of the Head, [151]. PLATE XXVI.—Attitude of the Fœtus, [153]. PLATE XXVII.—Head just entering the upper strait, [173]. PLATE XXVIII.—Head lower in the Pelvis, [177]. PLATE XXIX.—Head beginning to Rotate, [181]. PLATE XXX.—Rotation of the Head, [183]. PLATE XXXI.—Head in the right anterior occipito iliac position, [187]. PLATE XXXII.—Delivery in a breech presentation, [194]. PLATE XXXIII.—Anterior posterior position of the head, [195]. PLATE XXXIV.—The chin just passed in presentation of the face, [200]. PLATE XXXV.—Presentation of right shoulder, [205]. PLATE XXXVI.—Descent of shoulder, [206]. PLATE XXXVII.—Descent of shoulder, [207]. PLATE XXXVIII.—Trunk descended, [208]. PLATE XXXVIII.-a.—State of the parts at beginning of labor, [215]. PLATE XXXIX.—Manner of supporting the perineum, [233]. PLATE XL.—Standard form of Pelvis, [271]. PLATE XLI.—Masculine Pelvis, [271]. PLATES XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV.—Deformed Pelves, [275]-[279]. PLATE XLVI.—Head fixed in a narrow pelvis, [282]. PLATE XLVII.—Case of Tumor, [289]. PLATE XLVIII.—Case of Polypus, [293]. PLATE XLIX.—Limbs cut off by the Cord, [301]. PLATE L.—Forceps, [346]. PLATE LI.—Head extracted by Forceps, [353].