Excerpt from The Principles and Practice of Midwifery With Some of the Diseases of Women There are not wanting many admirable works on the principles and practice of Obstetrics; but there are various principles and rules which the Author has found of inestimable service in his own practice, which are either not mentioned in these, or are referred to only in terms of disapprobation. These principles and rules have reference, more particularly, to the management of the second and third stages of labor. There is assuredly a wide and growing belief, not only among the younger practitioners, but also among not a few veteran brethren who have been able to emancipate themselves from the shackles of doubtful, if not injurious, traditions, that too great delay in the second stage of labor especially has hitherto been inculcated in the text-books, and that, had earlier interference been more widely taught and practiced, maternal and foetal mortality would have been greatly diminished. Recent investigations strengthen this view, bringing out, as they do very strikingly, the fact that delay has proved much more injurious than interference, and, moreover, has given a false complexion to operative procedure not necessarily attended with danger. These views, therefore, the Author has endeavored to give expression to, in the hope that good may gradually accrue. The seed he believes to be good, and he trusts that it may fructify in the course of time, and yield the welcome blossom of maternal safety. That is the harvest all obstetricians are earnestly striving after. Prominent notice has been taken of the operations of cephalotripsy and spondylotomy - operations which the Author believes are destined to limit considerably the difficulties and maternal dangers of craniotomy; and reference has been made, though briefly, to the influence of zymotic disease on gestation and the puerperal state. Had space permitted, he should have liked exceedingly to have entered more fully into these important topics. As regards the subject of Diseases of Women, he has to remark that, while an account of the great mass of these would have been quite foreign to the purpose of the work, he has yet introduced more of them than is usual in such manuals. He has, however, only touched on those closely connected with pregnancy and the puerperal state. He has not inserted many cases in illustration of principles and practice, but the reason is the want of space, and not the want of such cases. He has numerous notes; and he writes within gunshot of many brethren who have seen him operating in the more difficult cases of labor. These examples, if opportunity offers, he may yet bring together, either as a supplementary or separate work. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Women have engaged in healing from the beginning of history, often within the context of the home. This book studies the role, contributions and challenges faced by women healers in France, Spain, Italy and England, including medical practice among women in the Jewish and Muslim communities, from the later Middle Ages to approximately 1800.