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.

    4/80 (page 4)
    made twice or thrice the number of inquiries, I should have become acquainted with a proportionately increased number of untoward events. The extent, therefore, of the havoc that would have attended the use of anaesthesia in midwifery, had no objec- tions been offered to it, is thus clearly made manifest. I have to return ray best thanks to those gentlemen who most kindly gave me information. I received none but the most cour- teous replies, although many of my correspondents were person- ally unknown to me; and I shall ever feel gratified in having had the opportunity of learning that so many eminent and scientific men coincide with me entirely in condemning the em- ployment of anaesthesia in midwifery. The majority of them gave me full permision, in publishing their replies, to add their names, but I have, nevertheless, declined availing myself of their kind- ness, although at the sacrifice of the influence this addition to the extracts from their letters would have had upon the reader. In thus withholding their names, I have acted as I thought was due to them. I would not take the responsibility of being personally instrumental in exposing them to the vituperation to which they would, without doubt, have been subjected; although probably by none, any more than by myself, would the least importance have been attached to it. The intended publication of a large work on Anaesthesia was announced to me many months ago, by a great advocate of anaesthetic midwifery. I learnt that it was to contain a number of certificates in favour of the practice, collected from various sources: the subsequent discQvery of such facts as are referred to in the following pages, has probably prevented the publication. But another work, no doubt equal in size, has arrived from America; it is full of cases and reasonings, all supposed to favour anaesthetic midwifery; but if confirmation of my arguments against it was required, I certainly should at once refer to this book; and I will urge those who seek objections to the use of anaesthesia in midwifery, to read and digest well this work of a 7