A lecture introductory to the theory and practice of midwifery : including the history of that science; with a view of its several branches, and the proper means of attaining a perfect knowledge of the whole. Also animadversions on the qualification and deportment of an accoucheur: publicly delivered at his theatre, in Craven-Street, London / by John Leake ...

Date:
M,DCC,LXXXII. [1782]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A lecture introductory to the theory and practice of midwifery : including the history of that science; with a view of its several branches, and the proper means of attaining a perfect knowledge of the whole. Also animadversions on the qualification and deportment of an accoucheur: publicly delivered at his theatre, in Craven-Street, London / by John Leake ... Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    lungs, which being yet uninflated and comprefled, could not allow it to pafs through them; and had it not been for this curious and cunning device of Nature, fince the whole mafs could not circulate through the pulmonary artery, as in the adult, it would neceflarily have regurgitated on the heart and produced a mortal fuffocation. When the child has infpired air, the devious paffages already remarked, being ufelefs, are (hut up and obliterated, except in amphibious animals, where it is neceflary they fhould flill re- main open ; for, whilft they dive under water, their lungs mull ceafe to play, and the blood cannot then pafs through them ; fo that fuch creatures, though deprived of air, will flill fuftain life, and in the fame manner as they did in uteroi This pro;- bably may be the reafon, why young animals furvive longer? in the exhaufted receiver of the air-pump, than old ones of the fame fpecies ; and alfo w7hy drowned perfons, and thofe exe- cuted, have fometimes been furprizingly reftored to life. Hence alfo the whimfical attempt to render puppies or other young animals a7nphibious, by alternately putting their heads under water and into the common air ; for, in the firft cafe, it is pre- fumed the canalis. arteriofus remains open to the courfe of the. blood ; and in the laft, that it will only circulate through the lungs.