[ 4«o ] 
A double uterus is deferibed by o. acrel, in a 
treatife printed at Stockholm, in 1762; and in the 
feventh volume of haller’s Elementa Ph\'fiologirc y 
various authors are referred to, who deferve to be 
confulted upon this fubjeCt. In fome of thefe we 
find examples of two wombs, or one uterus , divided 
into two cornua. In other inftances the uterus re- 
tained its proper external appearance, although it 
was really double, its cavity being divided by a 
feptum. 
Since, therefore, it is certain that, in the ftrudture 
of the parts of generation, Nature frequently de- 
viates from her ordinary courfe, practitioners in mid- 
wifery ought to confider how many difficulties they 
may, perhaps, be expofed to by not attending to 
the poffibiiity of fometimes meeting with thofe 
organs formed in the fame manner as in the fob- 
ject of this efiay. An attention of this kind would 
probably have been of the utmofl confequence in 
the prefent cafe ; for the orifice of the unimpreg- 
nated uterus was fo far dilated, as eafily to admit 
two fingers, which might have arifen from the at- 
tempts of the midwife to bring on delivery: nor 
can we conceive any thing more vexatious than fuch 
a cafe would prove, were it to fall into the hands 
of an inexperienced perfon ; as the orifices of the 
different wombs prefenting themfelves alternately to 
his touch, he might entertain doubts of the preg- 
nancy of his patient, even when her labour was 
approaching; and, by endeavouring to dilate the 
left vagina , all his efforts to promote delivery would 
only ferve to render it more difficult, or perhaps 
impracticable. 
XL VIII. d Letter 
