XII, B. 6 Gomez: Mohammedan Medical Practice 277 



stage the expulsion of the child is helped by pushing the uterus 

 down. After the completion of the labor, the uterus is mas- 

 saged in an upward direction to return it in place. 



When the baby is born, the cord is not cut at once, but is 

 allowed to remain until the placenta is expelled. Then the child 

 and placenta are washed with cold water, and after this the cord 

 is extended up to the ear and cut at this level and wrapped with 

 a rag. The cord must be cut with a bamboo knife, because a steel 

 knife is liable to cause pain and inflammation. A steel knife 

 could be used in case of emergency. No medicine is placed at 

 the cut end of the cord. 



In a few days the cord falls off, and it is hung on the hammock 

 of the baby. When the baby suffers stomach ache, this dry cord 

 is placed in a cup of water, and the water is given to the child 

 to drink. When the child is older, the dry cord is given him 

 to use as haguimat (an ting-anting) to be wrapped up in his 

 belt, when he travels to distant places. 



The child is not given colostrum to suck, as it would give him 

 stomach ache ; it is bathed every day and allowed to go naked. 



The mother is allowed to get up after childbirth, and a string 

 is placed loosely around the waist. 



If the baby cannot be born, no operative interference is made 

 nor external violence performed, but prayer is offered by the 

 panditas and hadjis. 



At the time of quickening during pregnancy kilidin is per- 

 formed, which consists of manipulations by a midwife to 

 straighten the position of the child. This is always performed 

 in cases of primipara, when panditas and relatives of the hus- 

 band and wife are gathered and other ceremonies are performed, 

 such as, praying, sprinkling the husband and wife with coconut 

 water, etc. 



DENTISTRY 



The Maguindanaos know how to pull and medicate carious 

 teeth. For a carious tooth they apply ginger and salt heated 

 together and placed while hot in the hole of the tooth. 



They do not make any bridge work, but they can put on crowns 

 of silver and gold. One often sees around Cotabato Moros 

 with gold front teeth. These are made by Maguindanao silver- 

 smiths and consist, of a body of silver that ends at the base in 

 a nail that fits into the pulp cavity, and over the labial surface 

 a thin plate of gold is soldered. The root is prepared by cutting 

 the tooth at the neck. The pulp is allowed to decay, and after 

 a few days it is removed with a nail or wire and the false tooth 



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