VOL. XXXIII.] I'HILUSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. ' 43 



lobules enveloped by distinct membranes, but much resembling that luxuriant 

 flesh which is thrown forth in ill-digested wounds, commonly called proud flesh. 

 This was exceedingly tender, and on it she could not bear the least touch. On 

 the lower part of this excrescence were two small orifices, the one about an 

 inch from the other. Through these the urine dropped continually, nor was 

 she able to retain it; but by violent efforts could make it spout out near a foot. 

 What is said in Mr. O.'s account of its being rendered multis rivulis, is cer- 

 tainly erroneous; the two orifices, by which it is indeed discharged, being now 

 very evident, and will easily admit a small probe. 



About 4- inch below this protuberance, was a transverse orifice, much resem- 

 bling the anus of a cock. Through this the menstrua regularly flowed, and by 

 this she was impregnated. It was with some difficulty Mr. B. thrust his finger 

 into this orifice, to try to reach the os tincse, which however he could not feel, 

 it lay so deep; but he plainly felt a thick transverse membrane, separating this 

 passage from an orifice, situated about 2 inches below that already described. 

 This lower orifice seemed to be situated exactly where the symphysis of the 

 ossa pubis is, in women regularly formed, somewhat above the place where the 

 natural hiatus should have been. He could but just enter the tip of his finger 

 into this. There were a few hairs scattered up and down irregularly about this 

 orifice. The anus terminated as usual, with a sphincter about 2 inches below 

 this lower orifice, much more forward than usual. 



So that the upper orifice, which may be properly called the orifice of the 

 vagina, was about -finch below the umbilical excrescence; the lower oblong 

 orifice, or another passage to the womb, was about 2 inches below that of the 

 vagina. The woman had no os, or ossa pubis, indeed there was an apophysis 

 jutting out from the lower part of each os ilium, but they were far from being 

 joined, as usual, by synchondrosis. 



July 18, 1722, Mr. B. was sent for late at night. He found the woman with 

 true travail pains upon her. The throws were excessively violent, and the con- 

 tinued agony had almost quite exhausted her spirits; but the orifice of the 

 vagina was nowise sensibly dilated, though the anus, through the violence of 

 the throws, opened extremely wide. In vain were all endeavours to relieve her, 

 by thrusting up the child, and putting the mother in a proper posture. Vain 

 were her own throws and agonies. Convulsions now had seized her, and nature 

 seemed to have denied a longer life to the mother, or an entrance into it to the 

 child. 



Mr. B. was in the utmost perplexity what to do under these circumstances. 

 On the one hand he considered, that if there was not a passage made for the 

 child, and that by incision, both mother and child must speedily perish. On 



g2 



