[ 3ia ] 
thought it my duty to accomplifh the remaining part of 
the labour, as foon as I could, confiftently with the fafety 
of the mother. Upon all occafions, when the con- 
comitant circumftances render it neceffary to turn a child 
in utero, it is of the utmoft confequence, to underhand, 
as nearly as we can, its general lituation, in order to de- 
liver with the greater eafe, fafety, and expedition. And 
to an experienced accoucheur, if the breech, knees, or 
feet, CIO not immediately prefent themfelves, the head 
and face of the child will, in moft cafes, be a fufiicient 
index to the polition of the other parts of its body. This 
circumftance arifes from the/^^/^/r commonl-y coiling it- 
felf up into an oblong, oval, fnug, compact figure, with 
its knees towards its chin, in order to take up as little 
room as pofiible, by being adapted to the cavity of the 
uterus. In the prefent cafe, when the patient was 
placed in a proper fituation, having introduced my hand 
as gently as pofiible through the vagina, cervix uteri, and 
inveloping membranes, and no part of the inferior ex- 
tremities, or breech, prefenting itfelf, I examined care- 
fully for the head of the child, as ufual, but without 
fuccefs. Thisdifappointment fomewhat embarraffed me. 
But as the woman’s fituation was become very ferious by 
the increafing uterine haemorrhage, I attempted without 
delay to get at the feet. T eafily fecured one of them; 
but though I made ufe of very little force in bringing it 
towards the os externum, the ftrudture was fo very tender 
that the tibia began to give way at its fuperior epiphyjis. 
On this account I was reduced to the difagreeable necef- 
a fity 
