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
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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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    lioetus might have drawn in the air by means of a rupture of the membranes, before it could be possibly extruded, by reason of that delay, and by this means have died in the birth, as Palfin also, among the rest, has admonished: although it can scarcely happen, that in this case, and the last preceding, wc shall be deceived by the craft of an old woman, since both of them require helping hands, nor the circumstances which pre- cede, or accompany, or are the consequence of them, can be easily either sufficiently concealed or dissembled.’* CDe Sedibus et causis Morborum, Alexander’s Translation, Letter XIX, § 45.) Additional Note C> page 89. THE blood of the foetus,** says Mr. Burns, differs from that of the adult. It forms a less solid coagulum, for in '‘place of fibrous matter, it yields a soft tissue almost gela- “ tinous. It is not rendered florid by exposure to air, and it contains “ no phosphoric salts. But soon after the foetus has respired, the colouring matter, exposed to oxygen, acquires the vermilion tint \ “ and salts are formed, particularly the phosphate of lime.’* (Introduction to Midwifery, p. 119.) Professor Berzelius, according to Dr. Young, makes the fol- lowing remarks. “ It has been supposed, that the blood of “ the foetus undergoes, in the placenta, a change similar to “ that which takes place in the lungs of the adult, and that “ it returns of a scarlet colour through the veins (vein) of the “ funis; but credible authors assure us, that in the foetus the “ eye cannot distinguish the venous blood from the arterial. “ The principal object of the process, which is carried on in the lungs, appears to be the preservation of temperature; “ while the foetus borrows its temperature from the surrounding medium, and consequently has no particular occasion for t supply of heat, which could only have the effect of raising Q