PRESENTATION OF THE PELVIS. 315 



that belong neither to those of the occiput, nor to those of the face, 

 properly so called. The head sometimes descends, half turned over, 

 so that neither the occipito-bregmatic nor fronto-mental diameters 

 correspond to those of the straits, but it is the occipito-frontal diame- 

 ter or circumference, or even, in some cases, the occipito-mental 

 diameter that assumes that relation; sometimes, on the other hand, 

 the head too ranch flexed occasions a part of the nucha to present 

 together with the occiput. It pretty frequently happens also, that 

 one of the parietal bones, or the ear, or the temple, being nearly 

 parallel with the horizontal plane of the pelvis, engage first. Lastly, 

 in this respect there are an infinite number of shades of difference, 

 which I do not think it necessary to speak of at great length, because 

 it suffices to indicate them merel)^ to show that they are referable to 

 some one of the correct vertex or face positions; or again, because 

 they most commonly become causes of dystocia. 



SECTION 2. 



Of Unnatural Eutocia (presentations of the pelvis). 



611 cases in 20,517 Madame Boivin; 1390 in 37,895, Madame Lacbapelle; 

 65 in 1800, Merrinian; 54 in 1897, Bland; 194 in 6555, Boer; 61 in 1296, 

 NaBg6le. 



766. The pelvic extremity of the foetal ovoid comprises the feet, 

 the knees, and the breech; when it presents first at the straits of the 

 pelvis, the labor can most generally be terminated alone, as has 

 been noticed by practitioners in all ages; but this does not warrant 

 us in saying with the moderns that these presentations are natural. 

 Without pretending with the ancients, that delivery by the feet is 

 always dangerous, or that we should endeavor to bring the head to 

 the strait, in preference to letting the foetus escape feet foremost; 

 without referring with Avicenna to the examples of Agrippa and 

 Nero, or that of Richard of England, &c. to prove that children 

 born in this way necessarily become tyrants, criminals, or wretches 

 who ai^e a disgrace to human nature, I think we shall be at least for- 

 ced to admit, with Celsus, Moschion, Pare, De Saint Germain, &c. 

 that this kind of labor is less favorable than that where the other ex- 

 tremity of the occipito-coccygeal diameter presents. It would surely 

 be both a very erroneous and a very dangerous doctrine, to say, with 

 Rhodion, Dionis, A. Petit, and Bounder, that delivery by the feet is 

 easier than by the head. 



767. All accoucheurs agree that the child is oftener born dead in 



