An essay on the signs of murder in new born children / translated from the French, of Dr. P.A.O. Mahon, ... by Christopher Johnson, surgeon, Lancaster: ... with a preface and notes by the translator.

  • Johnson Christopher.
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the signs of murder in new born children / translated from the French, of Dr. P.A.O. Mahon, ... by Christopher Johnson, surgeon, Lancaster: ... with a preface and notes by the translator. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    thora of the child^ either general, or confined to the head; debility of the vascular system, or the violent compression of the skull against the bones of the pelvis ? Even when there is an injury of One or both tables of the skull, when the dura mater is detached and blood is effused upon it, the thinness of the foetal skull; the hardness of the pelvis; the possibility of malconformation, which may have escaped notice; and the prodi- gious expelling power of the uterus; all these will doubless add weight to the considerations just enumerated CLXXXIV. In the successive examination of each part, the anatomist will have occasion for all his knowledge and dexterity. He must carefully distinguish between injuries produced by himself, in the prosecution of his perplexing enquiry, and those appearances which result from the natural * The translator has been favoured with a perusal of certain depositions, sworn before a coroner in this neighbourhood, by a physician and surgeon, who do not reside in or near Lancaster. On making an incision into the integuments at the crown, in a direction straight back, a quantity of extravasated blood rush- ed out, which, on extending the incisioii, was collected, to “ the quantity of half a tumbler glass. Proceeding to remove “ the scalp, the bones of the skull were covered with clotted ** blood, this being removed, both parietal bones were found fractured across; these are phenomena, however, sometimes pro- ** duced by the violence of a woman in labour.” It is needless to eay that the wonlan was acquitted.