FARTU 
one elfe'could' endure to look on it. A (hort time after 
they found fome little bones wrought out of it, which 
being fhown to me, (Mr. Chriftopher Birbeck, who tranf. 
mitted the account,) I found them to be the bones of a 
child’s finger, which made me curious of going to fee 
her. When I examined the place, I perceived the fcetus 
in a confufed heap, or mortified lump; for with my 
probe I felt feveral bones, and at that time extrafted 
(after I had feparated and dilated the mortification about 
it) above half the ribs, fome vertebrae of the back, and 
other bones, and cut out above a pound of the child’s 
mortified fubftance, as black as ink, with an extreme 
naufeous fmell. And every fecond or third day fora 
month, I extrafted what I could, being obliged to do it 
very (lowly on account of the exceeding weaknefs of the 
patient, who certainly would have died in the operation, 
had I forcibly extrafted it, and not given her time; for 
we were obliged every moment to fupport her with cor- 
dials; and after every operation (lie found herfelf light- 
fomer, and by degrees fweeter, which for the firft time 
gave me hopes of her recovery. For not only the linea 
alba and mufcles of the abdomen, but the peritonaeum 
and omentum, were mortified to a great breadth, and 
the inteftines lay fairly in view-, and expofed to the air a long¬ 
time. After extracting a part, and having a plentiful 
difcharge of thin fcetid matter, the other difcharge down¬ 
wards began to lefi'en and abate, fo that I endeavoured 
to afiift it by bandages and comprelTes, with deterging 
and drying injections up the vagina ; by which means in 
a little time there was no difcharge that way, and thofe 
parts foon became perfectly well; and in fome time after 
the ulcer feparated from its putrefaction, contracted and 
united, and has now been quite cicatrized near three 
months, all the abdomen being foft, eafy, and well- 
conditioned. The woman laboured all this feafon at hay 
and corn harvelt. I prefume that, by the forcible ex¬ 
traction of the fecundines, the uterus had been lacerated, 
and fo ulcerated ; and the woman being extremely weak, 
and conftantlydying in bed, gave the more liberty for 
its working upwards. Phil. Tranf. for 1701. p. 1000. 
Sarah M‘ Kinna, living at Bentram, two miles from 
Ciogher, in Ireland, was married at the age of fixteen 
years. Before her marriage (he never had the appearance 
peculiar to women ; but in a month after her marriage, 
thofe appearances (bowed themfelves. Ten months after 
her marriage, (lie found the fymptoms of pregnancy, and 
bore a child at the expiration of the ufual time. Ten 
months after (he was delivered of another; and each 
time had a fpeed-y and eafy delivery. 
Two months after her (econd delivery, fymptoms of 
pregnancy appeared again, and increafed in proportion 
to the time; but at the end of nine months thofe fymp¬ 
toms began to abate, and in a little time (lie had no other 
reafon for thinking (lie was with child, but an abfolute 
ftoppage of her catamenia. Nor had (he, during the 
fpace of fix years and fome months, any one return of 
them; but for the greateft part of that time, efpecially 
the firft four years, (he was perpetually afflifted with moil 
violent pains in the middle region of the abdomen. 
Some time in the feventh yearafterlierlaft pregnancy,which 
ended in fuchan unufual manner, a fuelling in her belly, 
and other fymptoms, made her conclude (he was again 
pregnant. About feven months after this uncertain ac¬ 
count, a boil, as (lie thought, appeared about an inch- 
and a half higher than her navel. During this time of- 
her pregnancy (lie often found the fymptoms of her being 
quick with child, till about fix weeks before this boil, 
as lhe called it, appeared. It was attended w-ith very, 
great pain. She fent for one O’Neill, a butcher. This 
man came to her the Sunday after her mefl'age, and found 
her in an expiring condition. By this time the impof- 
thumation had broken, and an elbow of the child had 
forced itfelf through it, and appeared in view. At the 
requeft of herfelf and friends, he undertook to adminilter 
relief to her, and madefo large an incilion above and be- 
l I T I O N. 699 
low the navel, as enabled him, by fixing his fingers under 
the jaws of the fcetus, to extract it; in which operation 
he met not with the lead impediment. He afterwards 
looked into her belly, and, feeing fomething black, he 
put in his hand, and extrafted, by pieces, a perfedl 
(keleton of a child, and feveral pieces of black putrefied 
fiefh. After the operation, he fwathed her up; and in 
fix weeks (lie purfued her bufinefs about the houfe. She 
had been in good health ever after; only lhe had a navel 
rupture, owing to the ignorance of the man in not ap- 
plyinga proper bandage. Phil. Tranf. for 1741. p. 814. 
An account has been inferted in the Medico-Chirur- 
gical Tranfaftions, vol. v. of a fcetus having been taken 
from the body of a woman where it had remained 52 years. 
The woman was a native of Gloucefter, had been taken 
in labour as ufual; but, owing to the unlkilfulnefs of 
the midwife, was not delivered; in a few days after the 
woman got well, and lived to the age of eighty years, 
when (he died of paralyfis. Dr. Cliefton, having learned 
the hiftory of the cafe, opened the body, and found an 
offified globe, which contained the perfeft child, the legs 
and arms of which were fomewhat comprefled by this 
ofleous mafs, and in fome parts abforption had taken 
place. The fcetus was livid, but not putrid ; the bony 
(hell in which it was enveloped was thick and hard. The 
labour occurred in December 1738 ; the woman died in 
February 1790. 
Other, and very ferious, impediments to labour are 
obftruftions arifing from the foft parts; fuch as, extreme 
narrownefs or cicatrix of the vagina, or cohefion of the 
labia; colleftion of faeces in the reftum ; or malforma¬ 
tion and extreme rigidity of the external parts. More 
ferious impediments are—tumours in the uterus, thick¬ 
ening and induration of the mouth of the uterus, inver- 
fion of the uterus, laceration of the uterus, &c, &c. 
Malformation or ftraitnefs of the external parts does 
not often prevent conception. Women have conceived 
though the orifice of the vagina has not been capable 
of permitting the introduction of even the little finger. 
And accidental obftruftions, fuch as the prefence of a 
hymen, or a cohefion of the labia, will not probably oc- 
cafion much embarraffment to the accoucheur. The 
aftion of the uterus will alone be fnfficient, in moft cafes, 
to overcome the difficulty. Should it, however, be found 
neceflary to do more, an incifion nutft be made through 
the obftruftion ; very great care being taken not 
wound or injure any contiguous part. 
Cicatrix of the vagina, in confequence of former in¬ 
jury. may appear at firft to impede the progrefs of the 
infant ; but it will always be found to yield to the pains, 
if the ft'rength of the patient be fupported, and proper 
means be adopted to counteract the eftefts of the Ioht- 
continued labour throes. A cafe occurred fome time 
ago to Dr. Hamilton, where a fubftance, of-the hardnefs 
of griftle, as thick as an ordinary-lized finger, placed 
between the vagina and reftum, and apparently extend¬ 
ing from the ramus of one ifchium to that of the other, 
prefented an unfurmountable obftacle to the paflage of 
the child. He was called in after an unfuccefsful attempt 
had been made to tear- away the infant, and found the 
woman in a (late of extreme danger. He was informed 
that five years before that period, (he had had a very fe- 
vere tedious labour, followed by great inflammation and 
fuppuration of the external parts. The indurated part 
was cut through without the patient making any com¬ 
plaint, and the child was very ealily extrafted 5 but (he 
furvived the delivery only two days. The relations 
would not permit the body to be opened. 
A colleftionof fasces within thereftum has been known 
to occaiion fuch refiftance to the paflage of the child, 
that the woman has died undelivered. In general 
however, it is in the power of an aftive praftitioner to 
empty the gut atthebeginning of labour. (See Duncan’s 
hied. Com. 1795. p. 340-47.) But if, from negleft, the 
head of the child be jammed in the pelvis, and imraov». 
ably 
