Placenta praevia / by G.M.B. Maughs.

  • Maughs, G. M. B. (George Madison Brown), 1821-1901.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Placenta praevia / by G.M.B. Maughs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    other uterine attacliiuent of the ovum. Dr. Simpson’s views as j to the source of hiemorrhage iu these cases, incorrect as they i were, had at least this plausible excuse, that after the complete separation of the placenta the hiemorrhage generally ceased, and this, whether the separation was produced by nature or art. With this observation a rule of practice was self-sugges- ted to artificially separate the entire placentii. Dr. Barnes has promulgated another theory as to the source and cause of hiemorrhage in these cases, equally at fault with Simpson’s, but entirely wanting in the plausibility of Simpson’s, not suggestive of any rule of practice and unsupported by a single fact, and yet^ by mere dint of reasserting it, has forced it into credit with some who ought to know better. Now, Dr. Barnes, though an honest, earnest and ardent worker, and a gentleman of much learning and ability, is never so much like himself as when astride a hobby, and is seldom found want- ing one, and here, iu despite of all known facts to the contrary, after relating (truly) that the hiemorrhage is caused by want of correspondence in development between uterine tissues and placenta, reverses the natural order of things by supposing the development of placenta is iu excess of i)lacental site of uterus, whereby the placental rootlets, cotyledons, iu their reachings, longings, for the beyond, drag other cotyledons after them, thus detaching placenta from uterine tissue. Now, this fanciful theory enforced with so much rhetoric but unsupported by a single fact, is abundantly refuted in the fact that placental growth is most active, is nearly or quite com- jdeted, during tlie first six months, before which time hauuorr- hage is rarely i)resent, and when so is most generally compari- tively unimportant; while during the last three months of ges- tation, at wliich time the i>lacenta has attained its almost full size, and is certainly no longer engaged in the unprofitable task of longing for the beyond, and sending out additioual cotyle- dons, that hauuorrhages are most common, most violent and dangerous, which i)laces this theory iu the position of being most potent iu results, when the producing causes are least so. Jactiuemier, who is indorsed by Cazeau, gave the true theory of bleeding in placenta prevria-, in referring it to the well known fact that during the first six months, the superior portion, or corpus uteri, is alone developed, while during the last three months, the development of the uterus is at the ex])ense of the lowei segment and neck, that during the time the uterine-