anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第14部分

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ime　the　mother　had　borne　four　children。　It　was　argued　at　this　time　that　boys　were　conceived　on　the　right　side　and　girls　on　the　left；　and　in　commenting　on　this　Middleton　remarks　that　in　this　case　the　woman　had　three　boys　and　one　girl　after　the　right　fallopian　tube　had　lost　its　function。　Chester　cites　the　instance　of　a　fetus　being　retained　fifty…two　years；　the　mother　not　dying　until　her　eightieth　year。　Margaret　Mathew　carried　a　child　weighing　eight　pounds　in　her　abdomen　for　twenty…six　years；　and　which　after　death　was　extracted。　Aubrey　speaks　of　a　woman　aged　seventy　years　unconsciously　carrying　an　extrauterine　fetus　for　many　years；　which　was　only　discovered　postmortem。　She　had　ceased　to　menstruate　at　forty　and　had　borne　a　child　at　twenty…seven。　Watkins　speaks　of　a　fetus　being　retained　forty…three　years；　James；　others　for　twenty…five；　thirty；　forty…six；　and　fifty　years；　Murfee；　fifty…five　years；　Cunningham；　forty　years；　Johnson；　forty…four　years；　Josephi；　fifteen　years　（in　the　urinary　bladder）；　Craddock；　twenty…two　years；　and　da　Costa　Simoes；　twenty…six　years。

Long　Retention　of　Uterine　Pregnancy。Cases　of　long　retained　intrauterine　pregnancies　are　on　record　and　deserve　as　much　consideration　as　those　that　were　extrauterine。　Albosius　speaks　of　a　mother　carrying　a　child　in　an　ossified　condition　in　the　uterus　for　twenty…eight　years。　Cheselden　speaks　of　a　case　in　which　a　child　was　carried　many　years　in　the　uterus；　being　converted　into　a　clay…like　substance；　but　preserving　form　and　outline。　Caldwell　mentions　the　case　of　a　woman　who　carried　an　ossified　fetus　in　her　uterus　for　sixty　years。　Camerer　describes　the　retention　of　a　fetus　in　the　uterus　for　forty…six　years；　Stengel；　one　for　ten　years；　and　Storer　and　Buzzell；　for　twenty…two　months。　Hannaeus；　in　1686；　issued　a　paper　on　such　a　case　under　the　title；　〃Mater；　Infantis　Mortui　Vivum　Sepulchrum；〃　which　may　be　found　in　French　translation。　

Buchner　speaks　of　a　fetus　being　retained　in　the　uterus　for　six　years；　and　Horstius　relates　a　similar　case。　Schmidt's　Jahrbucher　contain　the　report　of　a　woman　of　forty…nine；　who　had　borne　two　children。　While　threshing　corn　she　felt　violent　pain　like　that　of　labor；　and　after　an　illness　suffered　a　constant　fetid　discharge　from　the　vagina　for　eleven　years；　fetal　bones　being　discharged　with　occasional　pain。　This　poor　creature　worked　along　for　eleven　years；　at　the　end　of　which　time　she　was　forced　to　bed；　and　died　of　symptoms　of　purulent　peritonitis。　At　the　necropsy　the　uterus　was　found　adherent　to　the　anterior　wall　of　the　abdomen　and　containing　remnants　of　a　putrid　fetus　with　its　numerous　bones。　There　is　an　instance　recorded　of　the　death　of　a　fetus　occurring　near　term；　its　retention　and　subsequent　discharge　being　through　a　spontaneous　opening　in　the　abdominal　wall　one　or　two　months　after。

Meigs　cites　the　case　of　a　woman　who　dated　her　pregnancy　from　March；　1848；　and　which　proceeded　normally　for　nine　months；　but　no　labor　supervened　at　this　time　and　the　menses　reappeared。　In　March；　1849；　she　passed　a　few　fetal　bones　by　the　rectum；　and　in　May；　1855；　she　died。　At　the　necropsy　the　uterus　was　found　to　contain　the　remains　of　a　fully　developed　fetus；　minus　the　portions　discharged　through　a　fistulous　connection　between　the　uterine　cavity　and　the　rectum。　In　this　case　there　had　been　retention　of　a　fully　developed　fetus　for　nine　years。　Cox　describes　the　case　of　a　woman　who　was　pregnant　seven　months；　and　who　was　seized　with　convulsions；　the　supposed　labor…pains　passed　off；　and　after　death　the　fetus　was　found　in　the　womb；　having　lain　there　for　five　years。　She　had　an　early　return　of　the　menses；　and　these　recurred　regularly　for　four　years。　Dewees　quotes　two　cases；　in　one　of　which　the　child　was　carried　twenty　months　in　the　uterus；　in　the　other；　the　mother　was　still　living　two　years　and　five　months　after　fecundation。　Another　case　was　in　a　woman　of　sixty；　who　had　conceived　at　twenty…six；　and　whose　fetus　was　found；　partly　ossified；　in　the　uterus　after　death。

There　are　many　narratives　of　the　long　continuation　of　fetal　movements；　and　during　recent　years；　in　the　Southern　States；　there　was　quite　a　prevalence　of　this　kind　of　imposters。　Many　instances　of　the　exhibition　of　fetal　movements　in　the　bellies　of　old　negro　women　have　been　noticed　by　the　lay　journals；　but　investigation　proves　them　to　have　been　nothing　more　than　an　exceptional　control　over　the　abdominal　muscles；　with　the　ability　to　simulate　at　will　the　supposed　fetal　jerks。　One　old　woman　went　so　far　as　to　show　the　fetus　dancing　to　the　music　of　a　banjo　with　rhythmical　movements。　Such　imposters　flourished　best　in　the　regions　given　to　〃voodooism。〃　We　can　readily　believe　how　easy　the　deception　might　be　when　we　recall　the　exact　simulation　of　the　fetal　movements　in　instances　of　pseudocyesis。

The　extraordinary　diversity　of　reports　concerning　the　duration　of　pregnancy　has　made　this　a　much　mooted　question。　Many　opinions　relative　to　the　longest　and　shortest　period　of　pregnancy；　associated　with　viability　of　the　issue；　have　been　expressed　by　authors　on　medical　jurisprudence。　There　is　perhaps　no　information　more　unsatisfactory　or　uncertain。　Mistakes　are　so　easily　made　in　the　date　of　the　occurrence　of　pregnancy；　or　in　the　date　of　conception；　that　in　the　remarkable　cases　we　can　hardly　accept　the　propositions　as　worthy　evidence　unless　associated　with　other　and　more　convincing　facts；　such　as　the　appearance　and　stage　of　development　of　the　fetus；　or　circumstances　making　conception　impossible　before　or　after　the　time　mentioned；　etc。　It　will　be　our　endeavor　to　cite　the　more　seemingly　reliable　instances　of　the　anomalies　of　the　time　or　duration　of　pregnancy　reported　in　reputable　periodicals　or　books。

Short　Pregnancies。Hasenet　speaks　of　the　possibility　of　a　living　birth　at　four　months；　Capuron　relates　the　instance　of　Fortunio　Liceti；　who　was　said　to　have　been　born　at　the　end　of　four　and　a　half　months　and　lived　to　complete　his　twenty…fourth　year。　In　the　case　of　the　Marechal　de　Richelieu；　the　Parliament　of　Paris　decreed　that　an　infant　of　five　months　possessed　that　capability　of　living　the　ordinary　period　of　existence；　i。e。；　the　〃viabilite；〃　which　the　law　of　France　requires　for　the　establishment　of　inheritance。　In　his　seventh　book　Pliny　gives　examples　of　men　who　were　born　out　of　time。　Jonston　gives　instances　of　births　at　five；　six；　seven；　and　eight　months。　Bonnar　quotes　5　living　births　before　the　one　hundred　and　fiftieth　day；　1　of　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　days；　1　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　days；　1　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…three　days；　surviving　to　twenty…one　months；　and　1　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　days'　pregnancy　surviving　to　eighty　years。　Maisonneuve　describes　a　case　in　which　abortion　took　place　at　four　and　a　half　months；　he　found　the　fetus　in　its　membranes　two　hours　after　delivery；　and；　on　laying　the　membranes　open；　saw　that　it　was　living。　He　applied　warmth；　and　partly　succeeded　in　restoring　it；　for　a　few　minutes　respiratory　movements　were　performed　regularly；　but　it　died　in　six　hours。　Taylor　quotes　Carter　concerning　the　case　of　a　fetus　of　five　months　which　cried　directly　after　it　was　born；　and　in　the　half　hour　it　lived　it　tried　frequently　to　breathe。　He　also　quotes　Davies；　mentioning　an　instance　of　a　fetus　of　five　months；　which　lived　twelve　hours；　weighing　2　pounds；　and　measuring　12　inches；　and　which　cried　vigorously。　The　pupillary　membrane　was　entire；　the　testes　had　not　descended；　and　the　head　was　well　covered　with　hair。　Usher　speaks　of　a　woman　who　in　1876　was　delivered　of　2　male　children　on　the　one　hundred　and　thirty…ninth　day；　both　lived　for　an　hour；　the　first　weighed　10　ounces　6　drams　and　measured　9　3/4　inches；　the　other　10　ounces　7　drams；　with　the　same　length　as　the　first。　Routh　speaks　of　a　Mrs。　F；　aged　thirty…eight；　who　had　borne　9　children　and　had　had　3　miscarriages；　the　last　conception　terminating　as　such。　Her　husband　was　away；　and　returned　October　9；　1869。　She　did　not　again　see　her　husband　until　the　3d　or　4th　of　January。　The　date　of　quickening　was　not　observed；　and　the　child　was　born　June　8；　1870。　During　gestation　she　was　much　frightened　by　a　rat。　The　child　was　weak；　the　testes　undescended；　and　it　lived　but　eighteen　days；　dying　of　symptoms　of　atrophy。　The　parents　were　poor；　of　excellent　character；　and　although；　according　to　the　evidence；　this　pregnancy　lasted　but　twenty…two　weeks　and　two　days；　there　was　absolutely　no　reason　to　suspect　infidelity。

Ruttel　speaks　of　a　child　of　five　months　who　lived　twenty…four　hours；　and　he　saw　male　twins　born　at　the　sixth　month　weighing　3　pounds　each　who　were　alive　and　healthy　a　year　after。　Barker　cites　the　case　of　a　female　child　born　on　the　one　hundred　and　fifty…eighth　day　that　weighed　1　pound　and　was　11　inches　long。　It　had　rudimentary　nails；　very　little　hair　on　the　head；　its　eyelids　were　closed；　and　the　skin　much　shriveled；　it　did　not　suckle　properly；　and　did　not　walk　until　nineteen　months　old。　Three　and　a　half　years　after；　the　child　was　healthy　and　thriving；　but　weighed　only　29　1/2　pounds。　At　the　time　of　birth　it　was　wrapped　up　in　a　box　and　placed　before　the　fire。　Brouzet　speaks　of　living　births　of　from　five　to　six　months'　pregnancy；　and　Kopp　speaks　of　a　six　months'　child　which　lived　four　days。　The　Ephemerides　contains　accounts　of　living　premature　births。

Newinton　describes　a　pregnancy　of　five　months　terminating　with　the　birth　of　twins；　one　of　whom　lived　twenty　minutes　and　the　other　fifteen。　The　first　was　11　1/2　inches　long；　and　weighed　1　pound　3　1/2　ounces；　and　the　other　was　11　inches　long；　and　weighed　1　pound。　There　is　a　recent　instance　of　premature　birth　following　a　pregnancy　of　between　five　and　a　half　and　six　months；　the　infant　weighing　955　grams。　One　month　after　birth；　through　the　good　offices　of　the　wet…nurse　and　M。　Villemin；　who　attended　the　child　and　who　invented　a　〃couveuse〃　for　the　occasion；　it　measured　38　cm。　long。

Moore　is　accredited　with　the　trustworthy　report　of　the　case　of　a　woman　who　bore　a　child　at　the　end　of　the　fifth　month　weighing　1　1/2　pounds　and　measuring　9　inches。　It　was　first　nourished　by　dropping　liquid　food　into　its　mouth；　and　at　the　age　of　fifteen　months　it　was　healthy　and　weighed　18　pounds。　Eikam　saw　a　case　of　abortion　at　the　fifth　month　in　which　the　fetus　was　6　inches　in　length　and　weighed　about　8　ounces。　The　head　was　sufficiently　developed　and　the　cranial　bones　co