Results.—In fainting, the circulation becomes for the time almost suspended. When, therefore, we consider the dependence of the fetus upon the maternal circulation, we cannot suppose that its frequent recurrence is wholly innocuous to the child. Occasional fits of syncope, however, appear to do no harm to the fetus; and yet it is always best to avoid the occurrence as much as possible. It has been known to cause abortion when it has been often repeated.
Treatment.—The patient should, during the fit, be placed in the most comfortable posture, the recumbent being the best, the head at the same time being laid rather low, and, if possible, where a current of cool or cold air can be made to blow over it, particularly upon the face; sprinkling cold water in the face, and washing and rubbing the face and hands in cold water are useful measures. In some cases it would be also advisable, or rather necessary, to wash and rub the whole surface.
A full injection of tepid water will aid materially in bringing about consciousness and circulation in these cases.
This water-treatment is incomparably better than that which is usually adopted, such as giving the patient wine, brandy, spirits, carbonate of ammonia, etc.
It generally happens that people themselves, without the aid of the physician, have to manage cases of syncope. This they can readily enough do as a general thing; but if it should prove at all persistent or troublesome, they should lose no time in getting the best medical advice they can obtain.
Prevention.—Every thing should be done that may be to restore the general health. Oftener by far than otherwise, fainting is purely a symptom of debility. This fact of itself suggests the measures that should be adopted in order to ward off the attacks.
LETTER XIV.
DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY.
Abortion—Its Nature and Ill Effects—Its Causes—Means of Prevention.
Abortions are evidently not in the order of nature. We see in the animal kingdom that, as a general fact, gestation everywhere goes on to its full and normal period; that abortions are very rarely indeed seen; but when we come to consider the animal man, we find a different state of things. With man, and man only, abortions are frequent.
Certain classes of females are more subject to abortion than others. Fleshy or excessively fat women, and those who experience excessive menstruation; those who are hysterical, nervous, irritable, or excessively sensitive; those who have a very fair complexion, and are rickety, scrofulous, or have any other taint of the general system; those who have dropsy, or are affected with cancers; those who drink tea and coffee freely, and eat habitually highly concentrated and stimulating food; those who live a life of excitement, frequenting balls, parties, and theaters late at night; those who are in the habit of much novel reading, and perhaps, above all, those who, in connection with their sensual and worse than brutish husbands, abuse the marital privileges, are most apt to abortion. If husbands have any regard for the physical welfare of either their wives or offspring, or even their own health, let them refrain from all sexual indulgences during the period of the wife’s pregnancy. Dr. Edward Baynard, a quaint but able English writer, one hundred and fifty years ago, in speaking of the evil effects of swathing and dressing infants too tightly, indulged in the following reflections: “’Tis a great shame that greater care is not taken in so weighty an affair, as is the birth and breeding of that noble creature, man; and, considering this stupid and supine negligence, I have often wondered that there are so many men as there are in the world; for what by abortions, too often caused by the unseasonable, too frequent, and boisterous drunken addresses of the husband to the wife, when young with child, and her high feeding, spiced meats, soups, and sauces, which, with strait lacings, dancings, and the like, one full half of the men begotten are destroyed in the shell, squabbed in the nest, murdered in embryo, and never see light; and half of the other half are overlaid, poisoned by ill food, and killed at nurse,” etc.