M. Giraud's physiological and practical observations on labours.

  • Giraud, M.
Date:
[between 1800 and 1809?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: M. Giraud's physiological and practical observations on labours. 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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    account. Probably, the best mode of removing the stric- ture would be to use injection of laudanum diluted with water. After the expulsion of the placenta, an uterine haemorrhage sometimes takes place, occasioned by the re- mains of the membranes and coagula which form within the uterus, or by the uterus not properly contracting. Of this occurrence I shall mention an instance. Case 11.—Marie Noel was delivered at her full time of a dead child ; the placenta soon followed, and a consider- able haemorrhage took place. 1 introduced my hand into the uterus ; the whole left side of this organ appeared wrinkled and furrowed, the right side had not at all con- tracted ; by irritating this side with my finger, contrac- tion took place, and the haemorrhage ceased. In a similar case, the accoucheur mistook the relaxed portion of the uterus for the placenta, and drew it down. This case, together with what I have before said, concerning the con- tractions of the uterus, and what other authors have writ- ten on the same subject, all tend to prove, that this organ is chiefly composed of muscles running in different direc- tions, and which can contract either together, or sepa- rately; if they are not muscles, its texture consists of a peculiar organization, which is capable of executing the same functions as muscular fibres ; but this Iasi opinion is not very probable, for then the human uterus would be different in its structure from that of other animals, w'hose mnscles are very evident ; from the uterus of rabbits, for instance, which clearl}' possesses transverse fibres. On the Head alone remabiinz in the Uterus. .Case 12.— Mad. Julien, at her full time, could not feel -the motion of the child ; it appeared to have been dead a fortnight; during the labour-pains the membranes rup- tured, .and the feet presented, the toes being turned to- wards the belly of the mother. As soon as the belly of the child was in part disengaged, I turned it, in order that the head might be placed in a good position ; in making ibis rotation I heard the ligaments of the cervical verte- bra; snap; and the body alone yielded to my efforts. Not-