328 UNNATURAL EUTOCIA. 



787. In a case of this kind I have seen the hips emerge trans- 

 versely from the vulva, turn in the direction of the oblique diameter 

 that extends from behind and right to the left, then place itself in the 

 antero-posterior direction, as the shoulders became engaged, then 

 continue their rotation movement after the escape of the latter, and 

 at last turn quite across, with the back in front, yet the head escape 

 as in a direct anterior position. Now, this is what almost always 

 happens if the accoucheur is skilful enough to do nothing, to content 

 himself with sustaining the fo3tus, as it passes the vulva, without em- 

 ploying the least traction. 



788. If the loins are sometimes turned directly to the left or right, 

 which cannot be doubted, inasmuch as Madame Lachapelle informs 

 us that she had seen it so, we may be at least allowed to suppose 

 that in this direction persons have been often deceived by the oblique 

 position that approaches most nearly to it. But for this, the cele- 

 brated midwife would not have said that out of 1038 labors by the 

 feet, there were found to be 347 left iliac positions, and 175 right 

 iliac positions; moreover, by the admission of Madame Lachapelle 

 herself, the really lateral positions almost always convert themselves 

 into anterior or posterior, diagonal or direct positions. 



789. In all the feet positions, the hips and shoulders ordinarily 

 execute a rotation movement, previously to engaging in the inferior 

 strait; according to Baudelocque, this movement may, however, 

 possibly not take place, and the parts may therefore continue parallel 

 to the bi-sciatic diameter; according to most of the modern accou- 

 cheurs, on the contrary, the hips and shoulders almost never pass 

 the vulva otherwise than parallel with the coccy-pubal diameter. 

 To reconcile these two extremes, there remained one intermediate 

 opinion, and Madame Lachapelle embraced it, maintaining that the 

 pelvis and upper part of the thorax pass through the inferior strait, 

 in an oblique or diagonal direction, and not in a directly transverse 

 nor antero-posterior direction, strictly so called. For my own part, 

 if I can believe my own eyes, both parties are right, an error is found 

 only in the exclusion by which each party endeavors to put down 

 the other. 



790. All the accoucheurs, both ancient and modern, have main- 

 tained, that in delivery by the feet, the arms rise along the sides of 

 the neck and head. Wiedemann was one of the first to oppose this 

 doctrine, and he pretends that they always remain applied against 

 the breast, if no tractions of any kind are exercised upon the foetus. 

 M. Desormeaux and Madame Lachapelle adopted this opinion also. 

 In the deliveries by the feet that have fallen under my notice, the 

 forearms and elbows did not abandon the breast, and always escaped 



