Day by day, the patient gained strength; it was against her recovery somewhat that she was obliged to remain in the same room—and a rather small one—where the family cooking and other work was done. Still, through great faithfulness and perseverance in the treatment, she recovered in all respects remarkably well.
The notes I made of the case at the time are as follows:
“First Day.—Patient was sponged over in bed a number of times, whenever the cooling compresses were not found sufficient to check the after-pains. Slept considerably during the first night, but, as is common after the rest has been broken a number of nights in succession, the sleep was somewhat disturbed. The compresses were changed very often. She was not raised up for a bath, as it was thought that, in consequence of the severity and great length of the labor, she was too weak.
“Second Day.—Bath in the wash-tub three times, and body sponged in bed two or three times besides. Urine was passed thirty-one hours after the birth. Patient sat up to-day in bed.
“Third Day.—Bath in the tub four times; the water cold as usual. She preferred this; it gave her nerve. It made her shake a good deal at the time, but this circumstance is attended with no danger. Sat up an hour and a half at a time to-day. Appetite good.”
It was remarkable in this case, that the pulse remained at 100 and upward for a number of days after delivery; yet the recovery was certainly highly favorable.
Within the second week the patient was able to go out and walk in the open air.
In eighteen days she brought her infant in her own arms to my house, a distance of about one mile, and returned again home, experiencing very little fatigue.
About six weeks after the delivery she met with an accident, which caused her considerable suffering. She received a blow upon one of the breasts, not very severe, but sufficiently so to cause an inflammation, which ended in abscess, or broken breast, as it is usually termed. By following up the water processes faithfully, that is, by taking frequent ablutions, packing-sheets, with compresses constantly upon the breasts, sometimes tepid and at others cold, according to the feelings of comfort, she passed through the period of healing much better than is usually the case with broken breast.
Considering the patient’s constitution, her voyage across the Atlantic, her residence in the heart of a hot, unhealthy city, the length and tediousness of her labor, her recovery was remarkable.