72 APPENDIX. 



returned with considerable vigour, but did not last above an 

 hour, and at six were again renewed for a short time. It was 

 about four hours after this period that I found Mr. T. with the 

 patient, to whom he had given a dose of the tincture of ergot, 

 and also some spirit and water ; but these measures were 

 followed by only a few slight and ineffectual pains. 



" On making an examination, I found the vagina freely 

 lubricated, the os uteri dilated, the head of the child small, 

 presenting in the right oblique diameter, and in the pelvic 

 cavity ; in fact, there appeared no obstacle whatever to the 

 completion of the case but uterine inertia, which I considered 

 was owing to constitutional debility, arising chiefly from the 

 state of the chest. She had now rather an anxious countenance, 

 a small and frequent pulse ; complained of great thirst and 

 languor, and of having had no sleep for several nights. 



" It was obvious that if uterine contraction could not be 

 somehow induced, and it must be remembered that the ergot 

 had been already tried, the alternative would eventually be 

 instrumental delivery; and this, considering the weak state of 

 the patient's health, and the not improbable and unpleasant 

 result of haemorrhage from atony of the womb, was not desirable. 

 At the suggestion of Dr. Lever, who kindly lent me his electro- 

 galvanic apparatus, I resolved on a fair trial of galvanism, and 

 accordingly, with my friend Mr. Richardson, proceeded to its 

 application externally and obliquely across the anterior surface 

 of the uterus. In a few minutes the effect was very apparent ; 

 regular, strong, and frequent pains came on, and in a quarter 

 of an hour from the first application of the remedy, a living 

 male child and placenta were expelled, attended with the least 

 degree of haemorrhage I ever witnessed. The uterus was im- 

 mediately firmly and permanently contracted, and, with the 

 exception of slight soreness of the abdomen, the patient expresses 

 herself as quite comfortable, and since that time, setting aside 

 debility, she has progressed favourably." 



In Guy's Hospital, galvanism has been recently applied in a 

 case of Irritable Stump after amputation of the thigh. Five or 

 six applications, each lasting about twenty minutes, gave great 



