of the Human Uterus. 73 



individuals in various states of society, we find it, among 

 others, an operation of great pain, and frequent danger." 



Here is an assumption of principles, upon the begged 

 question ; a gratuitous assumption of the very points at 

 issue. The sentence, with the following parts of the pa- 

 ragraph, of which it is a member, embraces as acknow- 

 ledged facts, two points : the one, that the parturient 

 act with the savage is uniformly easy, without pain or 

 difficulty ; the other, that, with the civilized woman, 

 civilization and refinement have produced difficulty, 

 pain, and danger. Neither of these positions are true. 



The first rests upon the insufficient grounds furnished 

 by the reports, vague and highly questionable, of tra- 

 vellers. Travellers are privileged men ; in an especial 

 manner so, when they undertake to write and speak of 

 things, to which they could not possibly have access. 

 Whatever is uncommon, or without the usual routine 

 of things, is, by a savage, uncultivated people, in a high 

 degree deserving of notice ; is among the first objects 

 of communication to a stranger. The reports, in them- 

 selves, convey to me the fullest satisfaction that they 

 are not the facts of observation ; that they are mere uiv 

 usual, extraordinary matters, which, from their infre- 

 quency and being out of the usual course of things, be- 

 come the marvellous points of communication. But 

 even the authors of these wonderful tales do not tell us, 

 that the labour with the savage is without pain. From 

 these persons we collect the information, that, among 

 this unsettled sort of people, there are no persons, male 

 or female, devoting themselves to the obstetric art. If 



VOL. III. part i. K 



