MIDWIFERY. 
besides the bony parts of the pelvis lie so 
convenient, that we inay rest our instru- 
ment on almost any part of it; yet we 
should recollect that whatever part we 
convert into a fulcrum, we injure, more or 
less, according to circumstances : if we ap- 
ply it over the symphysis pubis, we press 
upon the urethra; or if in other situations, 
we shall injure the clitoris, or vagina. 
Wherever we find the ear, over that part 
is the application of the instrument to be 
made. The injury done to the soft parts 
will be greater in proportion as we atteijd 
loss to tlieir s;rfety, than to that of the 
perinceum. The integuments suffer again, 
if we attend to the fulcrum, by which we 
get a lacerated perinaeum. So that we 
either cannot use much force with the 
vectis, or, if we do, it will be to the cer* 
tainty of doing nmch mischief. All these 
circumstances will depend, however, on 
the smallness of the difficulty to be over- 
come ; and if there be, no great danger, there 
will not be much difficulty or pressure. 
The forceps has many advantages which 
are of some consequence to mention. The 
forceps has thinner blades than the vectis, 
and one objection against the use of the 
last instrument is, its being so very liable 
to do harm at its point of pressure ; while 
another objection is, that as the force is 
applied higher up, so it makes the head 
flatter in proportion, and increases its vo- 
lume in tlie direction in which it should be 
lessened. In the next place, if we con- 
sider the vectis, we find that w'henever its 
pressure is applied to the upper part of the 
pelvis, it must increase tlie volume of the 
head applied to the lower part of the 
pelvis ; while we know that the forceps, 
so far from increasing the size of the head 
itself, is capable of compressing the head 
in such a manner as to bring it into a less 
compass than before ; so much so, that the 
head included in the blades of the forceps 
shall altogether occupy less space than 
was before occupied by the head alone. 
It may here be objected, yes ; but the 
head is compressed by this means. Yet 
granting that it is, we know that at the 
same time the child is able to bear that 
compression without the least injury. Be- 
sides the practice is justifiable upon other 
grounds than that of the pressure not hurt- 
ing the child : for supposing that it did 
hurt the brain, no more force is used than 
what is necessary to bring the head along 
the cavity. It is only compressed to the 
size of tlie pelvis, and at any rate it must 
come through that cavity, therefore it must 
inevitably suffer that compression, whether 
conducted through by instruments or forced 
through by the labour pains of the woman 
herself. There are cases where the head 
being actually too large for the cavity of 
the pelvis, would never get throngli by the 
exertions of the woman alone. AVhat is 
to be done here ? if no other resource be at 
hand, we must open tire head : but here 
the forceps present, to save the child’s life 
by the compression they are able to make. 
The truth is that the brain of an infant will 
bear pressure very well, so that as far as 
this goes, the forceps may always be very 
safely applied. We see that they do not 
act by any partial pressure, and that the 
action is diffused. 
Another objection to the use of the 
vectis is, that it requires one of the hands 
to be eraplpyed as a fulcrum, in order to 
prevent injuring the soft parts against 
which it would otlierwise rest: and that 
while the hand is so employed, the perinae- 
um is neglected to the hazard of its being 
lacerated ; and that if we chose rather to 
take care of the perinamm, the sort parts 
are violently pressed against the bone, by 
which they suffer great pain and injury. 
The forceps consists, as we have already 
said, of two levers joined to each other in 
such a way that the fulcrum of each blade 
is found in the opposite half of the instru- 
ment ; and now leaving two levers untied 
by a joint, we need not look to the pelvis 
to furnish the fulcrum, neither need we 
neglect the perinaeum. There is still a 
query, that if tlie forceps be^o much better 
than the vectis, how is it that the vectis 
is still in use by some ? for no other reason 
than because it is easier to use ; for one in- 
strument requires less skill than two, and 
for that reason it is preferred by those who 
have not more skill than they know what 
to do w'ith. They say they think it is best, 
and with them so it is. The man is simple, 
the instrument should therefore be simple. 
The complex instruments are safer in the 
hands of those only who have learned all 
the uses of them as well as the modes 
of managing them. Though as to instru- 
ments of every kind the knowledge of them 
and the way to use them dextrously can 
never be taught ; they must be used be- 
fore the management of them is acquired. 
It is only learned by practice ; just as the 
habit of stopping the notes correctly on a 
stringed instrument of music. 
In the Application of the Forceps we must 
