82 Observations on the Natural History 



bits, must be obviated by venesection, repeated glys- 



ters*," &c. 



It will now appear that blood-letting has been used, 

 by those writers that are well entitled to a place in the 

 library of every medical gentleman, " for diminishing 

 pain, disposing the os uteri to dilate, the external parts 

 to unfold," &c; and that these writers recognize and 

 enforce the doctrine of blood-letting in its fullest extent, 

 so far as rational men can go. The doctrine, with its 

 principles, is all that can be contended for. The appli- 

 cation must rest with the judgment and discretion of 

 the practising accoucheur. 



In the quotation of the 1960th paragraph of Baude- 

 locque, there is great injustice done the learned French- 

 man, as it is cited in the thesis. Why were the " pro- 

 per methods," so hastily passed over ? Are they unde- 

 serving of notice ? What are those " proper methods," 

 that are to have place before the accoucheur is to think 

 of the cutting instrument? Turn to paragraph 1145, 

 and you will see it to be nothing less than what the 

 learned lecturer claims as his discovery, " blood-let- 

 ting," 8cc. 



It may not be amiss to remark, that there are two 

 states of unyielding os uteri : the one from an inflamma- 

 tory disposition, the other from a cartilaginous state. 

 How the lancet will succeed in real cartilage, we are 

 scarcely prepared to determine. The bistoury should 



" Hamilton, p. 15G. 



