2nd. It is possible to afford that relief without interfering with the regular and natural action of the heart or brain.
3rd. It is possible for the child to be born without the mother experiencing any pain whatever, while at the same time she retains her consciousness and power to bear down when told to do so; and her first knowledge of the birth of her child shall be from hearing it cry.
4th. That when a woman is delivered without suffering pain, although she shall have had inflammation after each of six previous labours, the prevention of the suffering will have the effect of preventing the usual inflammation.
5th. That by preventing the suffering of labour, the woman does not lose her strength, and always has a speedy recovery.
CASES.
Of the following Letters from Patients which I have selected for publication, six relate to cases of first labour.
It is generally admitted that the suffering of first labours equals, if not surpasses, that of subsequent ones. In three of these six labours there was the additional drawback of age, the youngest being more than twenty-eight years old. In one of these cases also there was a contracted outlet, which retained the head for one hour. It follows, therefore, that if in the severer cases of labour, with obstacles to impede delivery, women can be so fully relieved as not to suffer pain, the more ordinary and milder cases will also have the same relief. I, therefore, think it unnecessary to give any larger number of cases.
I will only add, that in all these cases the patient deserved as much credit as the accoucheur, as it was by her quickly altering and exactly following his directions in the manner of inhaling that enabled her to go through the labour without pain. Some patients, with the best intentions of doing what you wish, find it difficult, and then they have a little pain at times, but so little that I am within bounds when I say it is not one-twentieth of what they would otherwise have suffered.