Manual of antenatal pathology and hygiene : the foetus / by J.W. Ballantyne.

  • Ballantyne, J. W. (John William), 1861-1923.
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual of antenatal pathology and hygiene : the foetus / by J.W. Ballantyne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    The Relation of Antenatal Pathology to the other Branches of Study ; Scheme of Relationships; Relation to General Pathology ; Relation to the Bio- logical Sciences—Anatomy, Embryology, Physiolog}^ Botany, and Zoology ; Relation to the Medical Sciences—Obstetrics, Public Health, Pediatrics, Medicine, Psychology, Dermatology, Surgery, Orthopedics, and Medical Jurisprudence ; Relation to Gynecology and Neonatal Pathology. Antenatal Pathology does not stand in splendid isolation among the other departments of medical and biological science. If there be any degree of aloofness, it is rather exhibited by the other departments. There is indeed a very evident and constant antenatal factor in most of the branches of medical and biological study; congenital diseases and deformities and morbid predispositions are found, if looked for, playing their part and producing their effect in many ways in the various subdivisions of the healing art. Why, then, bring together into one subject what is present in all the other subjects ? Why make a new subject, when the subdivisions of medicine and surgery are already so numerous ? For the reason, that there is much to be leatrne-d froni such a centralisation of knowledge regarding aYitenatal'^ffaiis, muc'h that cannot be learned in any other wa^'.' Facts about antenatar ^conciitions in Medicine, or Surgery, or; Perinatology, or TsSychology, staDcljng ,by themselves, have not bei?ii*of use in throwing light upon each, otner, and have not had enough light in themselves to mak^ their nature and origin plain. The'gatheiii'g toge^^her ^f ^ll^vhese 'Scattered facts into one subject, Antenatal' Pathology,'arid tile comparing' of them there, one with another, have not only added to our knowledge of the whole subject, but have again increased our acquaintance with each part of it. The alternate assembling together and diffusing of information have increased the sum of knowledge. In this respect Antenatal Pathology may be compared to a river like the Nile, which by its tributaries, White, Blue, Bahr-el-Gebel, and the others, draws supplies from various soils and diff'erent geological formations, sweeps them down in one broad stream, to be again broken up and redistributed as a fructifying flood over all the Delta lands. It is for the good of each department of Medicine that the contribution which it is able to make to Antenatal Pathology be brought alongside the con- tributions from the other departments, and contrasted and compared with them. Congenital conditions of the eye, or the ear, or the skin, all help in making it possible to understand the general laws