42 OF THE PELVIS. 



young girl is also capable of vitiating the pelvis, and in the following 

 manner: — The artificial limb, being obliged to bear upon the ischium, 

 the acetabulum of the sound side has alone to support the weight of 

 the body. Now the laws of mechanics teach us that in this state of 

 things, the oblique diameter corresponding to the natural limb may 

 become contracted so much, as to render delivery dangerous, as has 

 been proved by the observations made by D'Herbiniaux and Madame 

 Lachapelle. 



106. Fractures and luxations, unequally consolidated, caries, 

 syphilis, &c. have also sometimes given rise to obstacles to partu- 

 rition. To recapitulate, it may be said that rickets almost always 

 occasions deformed pelvis in young children, for at that age the 

 members, of which the coxal bones constitute a part, generally par- 

 ticipate in the diseased condition; while later in life, as for example, 

 at the approach of puberty, as osteo-malacia almost solely affects 

 the spinal column, the curves of the spine may be carried to the 

 greatest extent without the pelvis, in reality, suffering any change. 

 For further details on this subject the reader may consult, with ad- 

 vantage, the works of M. Portal, of Choulant, Shaw, Barafield, of 

 MM. La Chaise, Pravaz, &c., on spinal deformity and the diseases 

 of the spine and pelvis. 



§. V. Of the mensiu'ation of the Pelvis. 



107. When called upon to ascertain the state of a woman's pel- 

 vis, we ought to begin by interrogating the parents, or persons about 

 her, as to the manner in which her childhood had been passed; 

 whether her first steps were slow and difficult, and whether she 

 remained for a long time weakly; when we learn that the joints had 

 been large and as if swelled; that she had been ricketty or phthisical, 

 we may infer that rachitis had existed, and that her pelvis is pro- 

 bably deformed. We should next examine very attentively the 

 other parts of her body, and if there be any preternatural curve in 

 the spine, if the knees are large and turned inwards, if the lower 

 jaw projects too much forwards, if the teeth are bluish and ex- 

 hibit transverse strise, the same inference may be drawn; while we 

 may suppose the contrary if none of the above circumstances should 

 exist. 



108. The theory oihomologues, a theory which, as is well known, 

 teaches that, in animals, not only is the right side an exact repeti- 

 tion of the left, but also that the lower half of the trunk repre- 

 sents the superior half; that the anterior half encloses the same 

 elements as the posterior, has very naturally given rise to an idea, 

 that the pelvis ought only to be a repetition of the head. In Ger- 



