Charles White, Esq. 39 
mary; and Mr. White soon established an 
eminent reputation as a lithotomist. 
During the early part of the last century, 
the art of midwifery was not so generally ex- 
ercised by male practitioners as at. present; 
and the female midwives were, too often, ex- 
tremely ignorant, and were under the domi 
nion of inveterate prejudices. The injurious 
effects of these deficiencies were more felt in 
the subsequent treatment of puerperal women, 
than during the time of labour. In difficult 
parturition, the male accoucheur was consul- 
ted; but, when the child was born, the ma- 
nagement of the mother reverted either to the 
female midwife, or to a person still more ob- 
jectionable than herself, under the designa- 
tion of a nurse. The lying-in woman was 
not allowed to. rise from her bed before the 
ninth day; the curtains were drawn around 
her; the doors and windows were closed; 
every avenue to the external air effectually 
stopped; and a large fire was kept up in the 
room. She was loaded with blankets, and 
crammed with caudle, cordials, and broth. 
Of this absurd treatment, puerperal and mi- 
liary fevers were the frequent effects. But 
if the mothers of that generation died in 
childbed, the event was attributed to the dan- 
gerous process of nature, through which they 
