THE FILLET. 489 



it upon the head that Mauriceau, Pugh, Smellie, Burton, and others 

 thought of a sort of purses, sheaths, or caps, slings, and little bands, 

 which are now wholly forgotten. If the forceps is a substitute for 

 all the various nets that were formerly applied to the head, turning by 

 the feet, which is better understood, and especially better executed 

 than it was previously to the last century, also renders superfluous 

 all the fillets which certain accoucheurs used to apply to the trunk 

 for the purpose of extracting it artificially; so that at present the 

 noose is merely a strip of linen, silk, or worsted, about an ell in length 

 and an inch wide, by means of which a limb that has escaped from 

 the organs is secured, while we proceed to search for the other one, 

 or the rest of the foetus. Some persons, however, still make use of 

 it for the purpose of employing extractive force upon the ham, the 

 groin or the axilla; but as the blunt hook or fingers always offer us 

 greater advantages, they are really useful only when applied to the 

 V7rist or ankle in arm presentations or in turning and delivery by the 

 feet. 



1096. In order to apply it, the strip is in the first place to be 

 doubled; then a slip-not is made upon it and held apart with the 

 end of the thumb and two or three of the fingers of the hand which 

 is to take hold of the foot or hand of the foetus; after this, it is slipped 

 up and secured with the other hand, the noose being fixed above the 

 articulation of the tarsus or carpus; it is then given in charge to an 

 assistant who is to hold it, but witliout pulling it, while the operator 

 proceeds to search for the other parts that he wishes to bring down 

 to the inferior strait. When both of the lower limbs have been 

 brought down there is no further use for the noose, provided it had 

 been secured upon the leg; if it is upon the wrist it may still be of 

 service in keeping the arm extended along the body, and conse- 

 quently in favoring the delivery of the corresponding shoulder. To 

 conclude, the noose is a means whose application at the present day 

 is confined within extremely narrow limits, and whose mechanims 

 is too easily understood for it to be needful that I should say any 

 thing further about it here. 



ARTICLE V. 



Of the Locked-Head. 



1097. According to Peu, who was the first writer to speak of it, the 

 head is locked in the passage whenever it is firmly held betwixt the 



