It is now more than two months since the birth of her child, and I have often heard from her, as being in all respects well.
Two important circumstances helped very much in this case; the patient herself is a very intelligent and assiduous person, and had studied faithfully and understandingly the method of treatment which, in her good judgment, she chose to adopt. Her husband, too, had a good understanding of the matter, and was himself a most faithful nurse.
Case XVII.—A young lady, just married, emigrated from the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, early in the summer of 1850. She had been pregnant one month before starting. She was of delicate health, small stature, of fair hair and complexion, and, as we would say, of scrofulous tendency. She had always been sedentary in her habits, and was occupied, for the most part, sitting and within doors. She had, in short, had but poor opportunity for the development of her physical powers, and had contracted a bad lateral curvature of the spine.
The ship’s passage across the Atlantic was a long and boisterous one of eight weeks; she was a good deal seasick, and after the first week was compelled, for want of strength, to remain in her berth night and day; thus she continued for six entire weeks; the eighth, and last week of the passage, she was able to be out a little.
The patient, together with her husband, took up her residence in the very heart of this, in the summer, hot and unhealthy city. She had always been accustomed to a much cooler climate, and now became necessarily a good deal debilitated. She had lived for a time mostly, or altogether, upon the vegetarian principle, in the old country; but in this city she adopted a different course, using coffee, and perhaps tea, and some other articles not altogether friendly to health.
She consulted me, however, some ten or twelve weeks before confinement. I advised her at once to avoid flesh-meat, to drink only cold water, and to bathe and exercise much more than she had been in the habit of doing; the advice was followed faithfully, and with the happiest effects.
December 29, 1850.—Sunday morning, at 4 o’clock, her labor ended. For fifty hours, without intermission, it had continued, depriving her of rest almost wholly, three nights. Of all the examples of fortitude and patience which I have ever witnessed under such circumstances, this was the most remarkable. Notwithstanding the great length of time the labor lasted, the patient did not at any moment despond, nor did she, to my knowledge, utter a single word of complaint. At times she would recline; then again she would sit up, walk about the room, or engage in some light work. She bathed also repeatedly, as the pains were progressing, and the ablutions appeared to refresh the system, and support her strength materially. I repeat, this very worthy lady’s fortitude and resignation were remarkable, and such as I shall not soon forget.
This, as I have remarked, was her first child. Under such circumstances there is usually but slight loss of blood. But in this case, owing perhaps, partly to the patient’s constitution or state of health, and partly to the severity of her labor, considerable flooding succeeded the expulsion of the after-birth. To check this, she was at once raised and put in the cold sitting-bath. The effect was as sudden and as favorable as could be desired.
The patient had something of after-pains, but not a great deal. Three and four baths were taken daily, and the cooling compresses were freely used.
There were circumstances in this case which caused me some trouble in anticipation; no urine was passed for full thirty-one hours after delivery. Considering how much had been done in the way of bathing, water-drinking, and wet compresses, it was singular that such should have been the case. But no harm whatever occurred in consequence of the renal secretion being so long prevented.