of the Human Uterus. 107 



Whatever be the quantity of blood, its relative effects 

 must be the same. If even the woman be reduced to 

 syncope, the child remains in the womb ; for where 

 there is syncope, there can be no clonic action, and the 

 child will not be born until the woman shall be restored 

 to her powers. 



During utero- gestation, iT a woman has incautiously, 

 by excessive exercise, roused the heart and arteries, or 

 the circulation has been accelerated by intellectual emo- 

 tions, or a fever has been kindled up, the accoucheur 

 abstracts blood: but for what? to relax the parts 

 through which the child is to pass in its birth ? by no 

 means. His object is to bring the body more or less to 

 a state of relaxation or syncope, ^nd thus to lower the 

 powers of expulsion, to quiet the parturient throes, and 

 save his patient from miscarriage. If, then, during 

 utero-gestation, we are to prevent premature birth by 

 the abstraction of blood, why, and how, are we to faci- 

 litate parturition by the lancet at full time ? Will not the 

 effects generally be the same ? Undoubtedly so. 



We think correctly, when we believe that nature has 

 as wisely ordered the relation of her powers in the act 

 of parturition, as she has regulated the graduation of the 

 stimulus of the blood to the irritability of the heart. 

 Not indeed to a mathematical balance, but, according to 

 her own liberal scheme, admitting of some extravagance 

 and aberration. Therefore, every light disease, or im- 

 proper interference of art, cannot throw her from her 

 design. 



