PARTURITION. 
714 
the funis drops off, which generally takes place in a few 
days, the part may be moiftened with a little goulard- 
water, and afterwards have applied to it a little fperma- 
ceti or Ample ointment, fpread on lint. This may be re¬ 
newed every time the child is drefled, till the wound is 
healed. 
Were it not that the brutal practice of forcibly prefling 
out the fluid which diftends the breads of fome new-born 
infants yet prevails, it would be unneceflary to refor to 
the unfeeling cuftom; nothing can juftify it, for not one 
child in a hundred requires any attention on this point, 
and when it does the opinion of the medical attendant 
fhould be taken. 
Theobjeft of clothing- is to defend us from cold ; and 
happy would it be for the riling generation if mothers 
and nurfes could be convinced that this may be accom- 
plilhed by light warm drefling, without confining the 
"body by bandages, or loading it with covering weighty 
enough for half a dozen children ; and furely nothing 
but a llavilh adherence to cuftom can fanftion a pradlice 
as abfurd as hurtful—the ridiculous length of an infant’s 
clothing, which in many cafes by its weight produces 
deformity of the feet, and muft always be a fource of 
confiderable pain to a feeble child. The eafe and 
comfort of a child may be confulted and promoted 
by avoiding all unneceflary bandaging. Every fpecies of 
fwathing prevents the free performance of the various 
functions. Flexion and extenfion of the joints fhould be 
quite unreftrained ; and clothing which in any degree im¬ 
pedes free motion, and thus counterafts, by its confine¬ 
ment, the natural efforts of a child, muft be extremely 
injurious. The modern art of drefling not only impedes 
the growth of children, but molt fenfibly diminiflies their 
enjoyment; for every attentive obferver muft have 
noticed the evident pleafure experienced by them 
when undrefled and permitted to roll about free and un- 
harnefled. 
Treatment of ftill-horn or weakly Infants. —i. Too many 
accoucheurs are in the habit of permitting what are 
called fill-born children to be laid afide as dead, without 
any efforts to afcertain whether the vital principle is ex- 
tinft, or whether animation is merely fufpended. 
Several very interefting and well-authenticated in- 
ftances are recorded of infants born apparently dead, 
who, by perfevering exertions, have been refufcitated, 
although, for nearly two hours after birth, the evidences 
of vitality were fo indiftindf, as to leave it doubtful whe¬ 
ther or not they exifted. Dr. Conqueft thinks that no¬ 
thing lefs than decompofition of animal ftrudture fhould 
be'"deemed a juftification for abandoning a ftill-born 
child ; and, if this proof of its death be wanting, all the 
ufual methods of reftoring fufpended animation fhould 
be had recourfe to, and fteadily perfevered in for at lead 
half an hour; for, even fhould there be no profpedt of 
fuccefs, the attempt is always pleafing to the parents of 
the infant, and fatisfadlory to a feeling mind. 
If there is no pulfation in the umbilical cord, the in¬ 
fant fhould be inftantly feparated from the mother, the 
cord being tied by a flip knot, and the body im- 
merfed in warm water. The lungs fhould be then 
diftended with air, by means of a bag of elaftic gum, or 
a common fyringe, (the pipe of which is to be inferted 
into one noftril, while the other and the mouth are care¬ 
fully clofed,) and again emptied by gentle preffure on 
the bread:. In this way an alternate diftention and cotn- 
preflion of the lungs fhould be continued for fome time. 
Should the adtion of the heart be now perceived, the 
fame means are to be continued, until the infant exhibits 
the ufual marks of beginning refpiration, when the arti¬ 
ficial diftention of the lungs is to be only occafionally re¬ 
peated, and all preffure on the bread is to be avoided. 
But if, notwithftanding thefe means, the pulfation of the 
heart be not reftored, the infant fhould be taken out of 
the warm water, placed before the fire, carefully rubbed, 
and then wrapped in warm flannel. A clyfter, confiding 
of a table-fpoonful of fpirits, and two or three table* 
fpoonfuls of warm water, fhould then be adminiftered,^ 
and the temples, noftrils, and teguments of the face 
round the mouth, fhould be gently touched with a 
feather dipped in vitriolic aether, or fpirits of hartfhorn. 
But, fecondly, if the pulfation in the cord of a ftill- 
born child is diftinft and foft, and the infant has the na¬ 
tural appearance, fc long as the placenta remains attached 
to the uterus, the child ought not to be feparated from 
the mother. The body fhould be carefully wrapped in 
warm flannel, the noftrils and fauces fhould be touched 
w'ith a feather dipped in vitriolic aether, and a little 
fpirits rubbed on the bresift. If the after-birth become 
detached, (which is known by the lengthening of the 
cord,) the child muft be immediately feparated, and the 
above means employed. Should the procefs of breathing 
commence after thefe means have been ufed for a few 
minutes, nothing elfe is to be done than keeping the in¬ 
fant warm, with its face freely expofed to the air. But 
fhould this not take place, the lungs •are to be diftended 
and again comprefled, as in the firft cafe. See Prof. Ha¬ 
milton’s Hints on the Difeafes of Infants, &c. 
2. Although alive when born, the infant, in fome in- 
ftances, lives only a fhort time. If the lips be pale, and 
the pulfation in the heart very feeble or flow, it may be 
fufpedfted that this originates from fome caufe which is 
not cognizable to the fenfes. On the fuppofition that it 
arifes from a deficiency of vitality, ftimulants have been 
applied to the furface, as a little brandy, or fpirits of 
hartfhorn, rubbed on the ribs and fpine, &c. and fuch 
means have occafionally proved efficacious, though in 
the majority of cafes they fail. When the extremities are 
of a purple or bluifh colour, and the breathing is impe¬ 
ded or unnatural, it is generally found that there is a 
defeft in the heart or lungs, which is beyond the power 
of any remedy. 
Children are not always born in a ftateof perfeftion in 
refpe <51 to the ftructure of their bodies; for foinetimes 
they have deficient, fuperfluous, or mifplaced, parts, na¬ 
tural paflages clofed, and various marks on the furface. 
Many of thefe itnperfeftions admit of no remedy; while 
others may be eafily reftified. The following are thofe 
which are moll frequently met with. 
Fiflures in the lips not only conftitute a remarkable 
deformity, but commonly prevent the child from fuck¬ 
ing. They appear under various forms. Sometimes the 
fiflure exifts only in one lip, generally the upper one, and 
is occalioned merely by a divifion of the foft parts: in 
other cafes there is a confiderable lofs of fubftance be¬ 
tween the divided parts: in fome inftances, again, there 
are two fiflures in one lip, or both lips are affe&ed : and, 
in others, the fiflure is not confined to the lips, but ex¬ 
tends along the roof of the mouth. All thefe different 
fpecies of the fame deformity receive the general name of 
hare-lip. 
The tongue is naturally bound down to the lower part 
of the mouth by a membranous cord, to prevent it from 
too great a degree of motion. Sometimes, however, the 
cord fixes it fo much, that the infant cannot fuck, in 
which cafe it is commonly faid to be tongue-tied. Women 
very often imagine that their children have this defeft, 
when it does not really exift: and perhaps one inftance of 
it does not occur in feveral hundreds of thofe that are 
born. The difeafe may be always difcovered by putting 
a finger gently into the child’s mouth ; for, if he be able 
to grafp it, as he would do the nipple in fucking, or if 
the tip of the tongue appear difengaged, the membrane 
does not require to be cut. The operation of dividing 
the frcenum, trifling as it may appear, requires fome cau¬ 
tion, in order to avoid wounding the fublingual veins, 
and cutting too deep ; for in the firft cafe a fatal hemor¬ 
rhage may enfue; and in the fecond, if the tongue is 
loofened too much, the tip may be turned back, and 
clofe up the throat; an accident that muft foon occafion 
death. It may be difcovered by the threatening fufto- 
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