A dissertation on infanticide, in its relation to physiology and jurisprudence / by William Hutchinson.

  • Hutchinson, William
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dissertation on infanticide, in its relation to physiology and jurisprudence / by William Hutchinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

    13/114 page 5
    had shown signs of life ; and, if it had evinced them, what were the circumstances relating to it previous to its death, especially if it had cried, taken food, and voided its urine and feces ; and the length of time it has been dead. He will question respecting the mother: whether this was her first child; if her labour had been na- tural, easy, or difficult, and if it had presented any extraordinary circumstances ; what medical aid had been resorted to ; what was the state of . her health before and after parturition, especially whether she had suffered hemorrhage ; and what persons were present at her delivery. His con- duct in regard to the body w ill not vary essentially from that designated in the preceding section. § IV. There Is no occasion where the Medical iPractitioner should feel more deeply sensible of the importance and difficulty of the functions im- posed on him, than when he is required, by legal authority, to form a judgment on the nature and cause of death in a case of supposed infanticide. As his observations, and the inferences he forms from them, will always have very considerable influence on the jury, and often peremptorily di- rect their verdict, he should himself be calm GENERAL CONDUCT OF A MEDICAL PRACTITION- ER IN AN EN- QUIRY RE- SPECTING IN- FANTICIDE. . amidst the trouble and agitation which surround 1 him, and deaf to popular clamour and the vague ' reasonings and conjectures which the vulgar are ' always readily disposed to intrude on his atten- ) tion. He should contemplate nothing but hit B 3
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3