OBSTETRICS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 249 



suspended from their profession and to inform the people of this fact in the 

 sermon oh the following Sunday." 



These words show that in each parish the missionary priests exercised 

 a certain control over a given number of midwives who received direct 

 instructions from them. These instructions, in a special manner, referred 

 to everything relating to proper baptism which, in cases of necessity, 

 was administered to the child either within or without the mother's 

 womb; but they also extensively entered into the manner of attending 

 parturients. A proof of this is found in the following paragraph taken 

 from the above-mentioned work of Father Gregorio Sanz, relative to the 

 treatment of abortions : 



"The first and most important thing is to advise the patient to remain in a 

 horizontal position and to preserve absolute repose of body and mind; the second 

 is to bleed the arm if the woman is robust, and if she is weak or nervous, to 

 apply ten or twelve leeches or cupping-glasses to the breasts, these being the 

 organs best indicated at this epoch; the blood-letting and likewise the applica- 

 tion of leeches should be employed only when recommended by a medical person; 

 at the same time a lemonade of cream of tartar, with sugar and small quantity of 

 saltpeter, should be administered and the loins and abdomen should be gently 

 rubbed with hot essence of mastic. 



"If the woman is in convulsions, or if she is nervous and suffers very intense 

 pain, then she must be given an antispasmodic potion composed of one ounce of 

 almond oil, another of simple sirup, and one grain of extract of henbane, of 

 which one spoonful must be taken every half hour; at the same time the 

 abdomen should be rubbed with a mixture of one ounce of henbane and one 

 drachm of tincture of opium. Experience has demonstrated that in the majority 

 of cases simple means are sufficient to check abortion at the outset, but as they 

 are not all within the reach of the native midwives, and it is not easy for all 

 to secure them, we shall indicate another remedy which is simpler, but assuredly 

 not so efficacious. 



"As soon as the pregnant woman feels the symptoms which we have indicated 

 above she must remain very quiet, speak very little and keep to her bed for 

 several days. Cupping-glasses may be applied to her arms and she may be given 

 copious drafts of common water prepared in this manner : Two ounces of unhusked 

 ' rice are boiled in half a ganta (1.5 liters) of water until the grains burst open; 

 then the water is strained and two spoonfuls of lemon juice are added. 



"She must abstain from eating meat, chicken, eggs and fish; her food should 

 consist of rice broth or puspas ( stewed rice and meat ) , of little substance if 

 the patient is robust or sanguine. She may also be given a light enema of a 

 decoction of mallow, with the yolk of an egg; but this is only in cases where the 

 evacuations are accompanied by tenemus, or where the bowels have not moved 

 for many days." 



The same author, who is more modern than Father Clain and who 

 seems to be inclined toward surgery, in an address to his colleagues, 

 the parish priests, wrote the following in connection with the Caesarian 

 section performed after the death of the mother : 



"Every curate should secure the proper instrument, which is none other than 

 a convex bistoury, the price of which is only one peso in Manila. Surgeons 



