Retention of the Meconium 1045 



Some practitioners have devised and recommended meconium 

 extractors, such as shown in Fig. 150, with which they have 

 claimed good results. In default of these, a wire loop could be 

 tried. We have observed but the one case which could not be 

 relieved by enemas and oil. 



Fig. 150. 

 Meconium Extractors. 



a, Meconium extractor of Masch. 



b, Meconium extractor of Mensik- 

 Babolna. 



In the handling of retention of the meconium, it is important 

 always to determine when the difficulty has been fully and com- 

 pletely surmounted. The expulsion of more or less meconium 

 does not indicate that the difficulty has been completely overcome. 

 The full accomplishment of the object has been only certainly 

 attained when all the pellets have come away and there has been 

 expelled some soft, pasty meconium. Whether looking at the 

 affection from a preventive or a curative standpoint, our efforts 

 should not be relaxed until we are fully assured that all pellets 

 of meconium have been expelled. 



