Observations in midwifery : as also The country midwifes opusculum or vade mecum / by Percival Willughby (1596-1685); edited from the original MS. by Henry Blenkinsop, 1863.

  • Willughby, Percival, 1596-1685.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations in midwifery : as also The country midwifes opusculum or vade mecum / by Percival Willughby (1596-1685); edited from the original MS. by Henry Blenkinsop, 1863. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Therefore let the midwife search the secondine, to see if all tlie uavel-strings bee inserted in one after-burden, before shee make another searching in the womb. j Should all the navel-strings bee inserted into one placenta, and, I through her ignorance, shee should seek for another after-birth, shee might lacerate the womb, and so ruinate the woman. | Both Parens, and Guillimeau advice the chirurgion, that if there bee twins in the womb at once, to take heed, that hee take not of either of them a leg; for, by drawing of tliem so both forth together, hee should profit notliing for the delivery, but, in so doing, hee would j exceedingly hurt the woman, and teare the children both asunder. j Wherefore, that hee may not bee deceived, Guillimeau willetli, That, when hee hath drawn out one foot, and tied it with a ribband, and liath put it up again, let him, witli his hand, follow the baud, wherewith the foot was tied, and so go to the foot, and then to the groin of the child, and then from thence hee may find out the other foot of the same cliild, and so join them together. But 1 assure myself, that, after the chirurgion, or midwife hath drawn forth one foot with his hand, that it will bee the better way, to hold the foot fast in a linen cloth, and to draw the child gently by the foot, untill hee can find where tlie other foot resteth, the which hee may easily draw down with his finger, rather then to tie the child's feet with ribbands, which proceedings will bee troublesome, both to the mother, and the child. GuiUimeau saith. That, if the two chUdreu should have but one body, it would bee a more easy, and safe way, to turn the head upwards, and to draw him forth by the feet, tlien to make him come forth with the head formost.