A treatise on the diseases and physical education of children / by John Eberle.

  • Eberle, John, 1787-1838.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the diseases and physical education of children / by John Eberle. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Without doubt, many instances of pregnancy occur in which good health is enjoyed throughout its whole course, although little or no particular care is taken to avoid the usual sources of injury in such cases. Very frequently, however, the reverse ob- tains; and we daily witness much suffering and danger, both to the mother and child, from the influence of causes which, with proper care, might be avoided or rendered inoffensive. The most serious, and perhaps, most common injurious conse- quence resulting from errors in this respect is abortion. Females are not, in general, sufficiently impressed with the great im- portance of attending to the precautionary measures, which reason and experience dictate, in relation to the prevention of this acci- dent. They are apt to look upon abortion, as a temporary evil— an affair of a few hours, or at most of a few days suffering, and generally of no other serious consideration than that which may be due to the premature destruction of the embryo. This con- sideration might, indeed, be deemed a sufficient motive for the exercise of adequate care in this respect; but it may well be doubted, whether it often receives the regard which a proper sense of duty would dictate. In addition, however, to this appeal to the moral sentiment of the mother, there are other circumstances in relation to her own welfare, which when properly presented to her mind, seldom fail to excite a suitable attention to this import- ant subject. Besides the very distressing circumstance that abortion, is in general peculiarly liable to recur, after having once taken place, we may mention the following as among the ordinary evil consequences of this accident—namely leucorrhcea, menorr- hagia, dysmenorrhea, prolapsus uteri; schirrus uteri, various nervous affections, especially chronic hysteria, dyspepsia, and general debility and ill-health. It is indeed a very rare occurrence to meet with a healthy female who has aborted more than once. Permanent injury to health is much more apt to result from abortion than from regular parturition. The benevolent author of nature has endowed every being with powers adequate under ordinary circumstances, to sustain the natural operations which it is destined to perform, without any particular evil consequences. The premature separation and expulsion of the foetus, however, is an occurrence contrary to the design and regular course of nature and can not take place without more or less violence to the system and consequent disorder and infirmity. But it is not simply with the view of obviating this accident, that the pregnant female is so deeply concerned in guarding against the operation of injurious causes. The future health and vigour of the child may be materially affected by the conduct of the mother in this respect. Organic debility and morbid predispositions may be thus produced, which, in their ultimate