Deaths in childbed and our lying-in hospitals : together with a proposal for establishing a model maternity institution for affording clinical instruction and for training nurses / by Aeneas Munro.

  • Munro Aeneas.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Deaths in childbed and our lying-in hospitals : together with a proposal for establishing a model maternity institution for affording clinical instruction and for training nurses / by Aeneas Munro. 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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    identical with that contained in the above paragraph, so ably ex- pressed by Dr. M'Clintock. We think, however, that more blame is attributed when the death occurs from an accident of childbirth than from puerperal fever— unless two or three mothers in quick succession die under one doctor, and then he catches it sharp—his character, his skill, his public and private virtues or vices, his misdeeds or good deeds from boyhood up to the present, his parentage, his domestic affairs, all are overhauled and canvassed, pro or con, according to circumstances, and he is the subject of gossip all round the neighbourhood. Such a death occurring in the case of a young practitioner is almost fatal to his success—a ranic spreads at once which would greatly damage his prospects. Such is the public state of feeling in regard to this matter. Heart Disease returned for Rupture of Uterus.—We give the following case in the concise words of the doctor himself:—■ I was sent for on a Sunday morning, about ten, but had to ask a neighbouring medical man to attend, as I had another case in hand. My own case over, I called to see the other, and found the os of the size of half-a- crown. This was at six in the evening. My friend then handed the case over to me, and it went on quite naturally, the pains, however, very strong, and was finished about two the next morning. The only thing that attracted my attention at the time was a peculiar quick, catching respiration, which came on immediately after the last expulsive effort. I thought at the time it was simply due to exhaustion, but waited an hour with her. The breathing gradually got better, although not quite natural, and I left her, after having ordered fifteen minims of liquor morphia and the same of spiritus chloroformis every four hours. The pulse was quick, but I cannot remember the exact rate. I was sent for suddenly the next morning, but found life extinct. This was about nine o'clock. I learned from the friends that she had never slept; that her breathing had got worse after I left; and that she had attempted to get out of bed several times. Upon the doctor asking us what was the cause of death in this case, we replied, that it was difficult to form an opinion, not having seen the case j but if we were going to hazard a conjectural opinion, we should say the death was due to rupture of the uterus. So do I, the doctor replied, but I did not tell them that; I said it was due to heart disease,