344 HYGIENIC TREATMENT. 



not to suit or be agreeable to her taste; if pure cool water is taken 

 "vvith more pleasure and satisfaction, I see no reason why it should 

 be refused to her, taking care always to correct its crudity with a 

 few drops of orange flower water, or sirup of cherries in very small 

 quantity. In the country, and among the lower classes, where the 

 disembodied relics of old medical doctrines ordinarily take refuge, 

 hot wine and roties-au vin sucre are still given, with the view of sus- 

 taining her strength, and eaii de carmes, and a hundred other more or 

 less heating compositions to accelerate the labor whenever it ap- 

 pears somewhat tedious; but these incendiary measures, which in- 

 flame the already irritated organs, disturb all the functions, and some- 

 times excite fever that no means is capable of allaying, and produce 

 a dreadful hemorrhage much more commonly than they do any good 

 in hastening the delivery, begin to go out of fashion, and, let us at 

 least hope, will before long cease to enjoy any favor. Madame Mal- 

 ville, a skilful and prudent midwife, was on the night between the 

 20th and 21st of January 1828, called to a poor woman, and though 

 all the phenomena succeeded each other with the greatest regularity, 

 all she could do was insufficient to prevent the administration of hot 

 wine; a hemorrhage came on; new doses of wine were taken; the 

 blood flowed still faster, and wine was again given to obviate the faint- 

 ness; the child nevertheless was expelled, but a frightful discharge 

 took place immediately afterwards, and but for the coolness and firm- 

 ness of the midwife, the poor creature, pale and exhausted, and un- 

 able to turn her head upon the pillow without falling into syncope, 

 must have inevitably lost her life. 



It is only in cases of weakness or languor, depending upon old 

 diseases, or the peculiar constitution of the woman, that it is oc- 

 casionally found useful to give a few spoonfuls of good red or white 

 wine; but there must be no counter-indication, arising from the 

 state of the digestive organs, nor a state of excessive nervous exci- 

 tability. 



818. The state of the alvine and urinary excretions will also re- 

 quire the attention of the practitioner. The constipation, which is 

 so common during pregnancy, causes the rectum to remain inac- 

 tive at the approaches of labor; its contents may prevent the 

 head from gliding downwards, irritate the sphincter and mucous 

 membrane in the neighborhood of the anus, occasion too violent 

 a straining, and promote the formation of hemorrhoids, which are 

 naturally of too common occurrence in parturition. Consequently, 

 provided the woman does not feel the necessity of going to the close 

 stool, an injection of a decoction of marshmallow root or flaxseed, 

 or simple tepid water should be given. 



819. Provided no discharge of urine takes place before the head 



