The misapplication of anaesthesia in childbirth, exemplified by facts / by G.T. Gream.

  • Gream, G. T. (George Thompson), 1812?-1888.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The misapplication of anaesthesia in childbirth, exemplified by facts / by G.T. Gream. 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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    The medical profession cannot be deceived into the belief of any such advantages—but the introduction of pamphlets into drawing-rooms—the exhibition of the effects of ether vapour at evening parties—the evidence given to amateur observers of the apparent absence of danger when anaesthesia is produced for the performance of operations—all have tended to lead to the belief that it is also unattended by danger in the practice of midwifery ; such, however, is not the case. The use of ether or chloroform vapours in surgery, and their employment in midwifery, are totally distinct both in their modes of action and in the amount of danger attending their employment. In surgery the agent is at once re- moved when complete ansBStliesia is produced; in midwifery its use must be prolonged, if pain is to be annulled, for an indefinite period ; and this is ene of its greatest dangers. When a person is under an operation he is in an unnatural position ; a shock may be saved to the system by allaying the pain attending the operation ; but a woman in natural labour is in a natural condi- tion ; to induce antesthesia in that woman is to endanger her life, and to reduce her to an abnormal state; by the pains of labour in patients under skilful hands life is never endangered. If their prolongation or intensity endanger life, means should be taken to shorten the labour, and thus to prevent the impending mischief; but I confess I have never yet seen an instance in which the pains of labour have endangered life. Then the am- putation of a limb does not occur in the generality of instances above once in life; a labour may occur annually—a risk may be run in one instance, but to repeat that risk would be dangerous and wrong. The anticipations of the use of the knife, and the pain attending it, without any intervals of rest, as in labour, are much •more frightful than the anticipation of parturient pains—except indeed in those instances in whieh women have been told before- hand that they are to suffer agony,—that the pains are indescrib- able,— comparable to no other pains, &c. I can readily under- stand sucli women—who have read pamphlets in which they are studiously told that their pains are most dreadful to be antici- pated—becoming alarmed in anticipation, and requiring more than the ordinary courage to bear up against the fear that has been engendered in them; but when we daily see women who have given birth to many children before, rejoicing in the con-