ASPHYXIA. 57r 



Scheele state that they have done. Where there is reason to be- 

 lieve that the placenta still maintains a part of its natural relations 

 with the womb, and especially where there is still some tremor, 

 some pulsation in the cord, we may follow the advice of Levret, 

 Sraellie, Freteau, M. Piet, Chaussier, &;c., not to cut it too soon; 

 but if the womb be well contracted, if the adhesions of the placenta 

 be evidently destroyed, it would be better to separate the foetus at 

 once from its mother. The fact related by A. Petit, wherein he 

 saw the child in some measure die and revive again accordingly as 

 the cord was compressed or free, to command our entire belief, 

 would require a fuller detail of all the accompanying circumstances. 

 Supposing that the secundines are either wholly expelled, or on the 

 point of being expelled, and that there should be still some pulsa- 

 tions in the cord, I should not object to keeping them for some time 

 in warm wine and water, as again recommended even in our own. 

 day by many authors, as MM. Beauchesne and Dorthal among 

 others; but in other cases I cannot perceive any advantages in act- 

 ing thus. As it is important for the foetus to preserve what little 

 blood it has, the cord should be tied previously to cutting it off; the 

 child is to be immediately taken out of the mother's sight; it should 

 be taken near a good fire, or it may be plunged up to the axillae ia 

 a warm bath, rendered somewhat exciting by the addition of a little 

 wine or brandy; we should give it slight shocks by slapping it with 

 the flat of the fingers upon the breast, the back, or the breech; the 

 cord should also be gently pulled in such a way as to move the dia- 

 phragm a little. Van Swielen speaks of midwives who applied the 

 mouth to the left nipple of the child, and derived great advantages 

 from suction performed on this or other parts of its body. Instead 

 of the mouth, a cup might be made use of. This practice, which 

 was reinstated by Saccombe, M. Desormeaux thinks may be of 

 some use, by exciting the action of the muscles; but it cannot pro- 

 duce, as is pretended, a real mechanical dilatation of the chest. The 

 temples, the nostrils, the forehead, the root of the neck, and the 

 spine, ought to be rubbed with the fingers dipped in cologne water, 

 alcohol, &;c., or with a pretty stiff dry brush; the inside of the mouth 

 and nose are to be stimulated by the introduction of vinegar, brandy, 

 or some other irritating liquor, or merely with the barbs of a dry 

 feather. I have, in imitation of M. Desormeaux, advantageously 

 employed a mouthfal of spirituous liquor, held a few moments in the 

 mouth and then spirted with force, in the form of a douche, or ablu- 

 tion over the breast of the child: the smoke of burnt linen or paper 

 introduced into the rectum has been beneficially employed in some 

 cases, some onion or garlic introduced into the anus, the mouth, or 



