anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第27部分

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om　the　uterus　four　days　before；　with　the　waters　and　membranes　intact；　but　which　had　not　been　recognized；　it　had　passed　through　the　os　without　pain　or　symptoms；　and　had　remained　alive　in　the　vagina　over　four　days；　from　whence　it　was　delivered；　presenting　by　the　foot。

The　state　of　intoxication　seems　by　record　of　several　cases　to　render　birth　painless　and　unconscious；　as　well　as　serving　as　a　means　of　anesthesia　in　the　preanesthetic　days。

The　feasibility　of　practising　hypnotism　in　child…birth　has　been　discussed；　and　Fanton　reports　12　cases　of　parturition　under　the　hypnotic　influence。　He　says　that　none　of　the　subjects　suffered　any　pain　or　were　aware　of　the　birth；　and　offers　the　suggestion　that　to　facilitate　the　state　of　hypnosis　it　should　be　commenced　before　strong　uterine　contractions　have　occurred。

Instances　of　parturition　or　delivery　during　sleep；　lethargies；　trances；　and　similar　conditions　are　by　no　means　uncommon。　Heister　speaks　of　birth　during　a　convulsive　somnolence；　and　Osiander　of　a　case　during　sleep。　Montgomery　relates　the　case　of　a　lady；　the　mother　of　several　children；　who　on　one　occasion　was　unconsciously　delivered　in　sleep。　Case　relates　the　instance　of　a　French　woman　residing　in　the　town　of　Hopedale；　who；　though　near　confinement；　attributed　her　symptoms　to　over…fatigue　on　the　previous　day。　When　summoned；　the　doctor　found　that　she　had　severe　lumbar　pains；　and　that　the　os　was　dilated　to　the　size　of　a　half…dollar。　At　ten　o'clock　he　suggested　that　everyone　retire；　and　directed　that　if　anything　of　import　occurred　he　should　be　called。　About　4　A。M。　the　husband　of　the　girl；　in　great　fright；　summoned　the　physician；　saying：　〃Monsieur　le　Medecin；　il　y　a　quelque　chose　entre　les　jambes　de　ma　femme；〃　and；　to　Dr。　Case's　surprise；　he　found　the　head　of　a　child　wholly　expelled　during　a　profound　sleep　of　the　mother。　In　twenty　minutes　the　secundines　followed。　The　patient；　who　was　only　twenty　years　old；　said　that　she　had　dreamt　that　something　was　the　matter　with　her；　and　awoke　with　a　fright；　at　which　instant；　most　probably；　the　head　was　expelled。　She　was　afterward　confined　with　the　usual　labor…pains。

Palfrey　speaks　of　a　woman；　pregnant　at　term；　who　fell　into　a　sleep　about　eleven　o'clock；　and　dreamed　that　she　was　in　great　pain　and　in　labor；　and　that　sometime　after　a　fine　child　was　crawling　over　the　bed。　After　sleeping　for　about　four　hours　she　awoke　and　noticed　a　discharge　from　the　vagina。　Her　husband　started　for　a　light；　but　before　he　obtained　it　a　child　was　born　by　a　head…presentation。　In　a　few　minutes　the　labor…pains　returned　and　the　feet　of　a　second　child　presented；　and　the　child　was　expelled　in　three　pains；　followed　in　ten　minutes　by　the　placenta。　Here　is　an　authentic　case　in　which　labor　progressed　to　the　second　stage　during　sleep。

Weill　describes　the　case　of　a　woman　of　twenty…three　who　gave　birth　to　a　robust　boy　on　the　16th　of　June；　1877；　and　suckled　him　eleven　months。　This　birth　lasted　one　hour。　She　became　pregnant　again　and　was　delivered　under　the　following　circumstances：　She　had　been　walking　on　the　evening　of　September　5th　and　returned　home　about　eleven　o'clock　to　sleep。　About　3　A。M。　she　awoke；　feeling　the　necessity　of　passing　urine。　She　arose　and　seated　herself　for　the　purpose。　She　at　once　uttered　a　cry　and　called　her　husband；　telling　him　that　a　child　was　born　and　entreating　him　to　send　for　a　physician。　Weill　saw　the　woman　in　about　ten　minutes　and　she　was　in　the　same　position；　so　he　ordered　her　to　be　carried　to　bed。　On　examining　the　urinal　he　found　a　female　child　weighing　10　pounds。　He　tied　the　cord　and　cared　for　the　child。　The　woman　exhibited　little　hemorrhage　and　made　a　complete　recovery。　She　had　apparently　slept　soundly　through　the　uterine　contractions　until　the　final　strong　pain；　which　awoke　her；　and　which　she　imagined　was　a　call　for　urination。

Samelson　says　that　in　1844　he　was　sent　for　in　Zabelsdorf；　some　30　miles　from　Berlin；　to　attend　Hannah　Rhode　in　a　case　of　labor。　She　had　passed　easily　through　eight　parturitions。　At　about　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning；　after　a　partially　unconscious　night；　there　was　a　sudden　gush　of　blood　and　water　from　the　vagina；　she　screamed　and　lapsed　into　an　unconscious　condition。　At　10。35　the　face　presented；　soon　followed　by　the　body；　after　which　came　a　great　flow　of　blood；　welling　out　in　several　waves。　The　child　was　a　male　middle…sized；　and　was　some　little　time　in　making　himself　heard。　Only　by　degrees　did　the　woman's　consciousness　return。　She　felt　weary　and　inclined　to　sleep；　but　soon　after　she　awoke　and　was　much　surprised　to　know　what　had　happened。　She　had　seven　or　eight　pains　in　all。　Schultze　speaks　of　a　woman　who；　arriving　at　the　period　for　delivery；　went　into　an　extraordinary　state　of　somnolence；　and　in　this　condition　on　the　third　day　bore　a　living　male　child。

Berthier　in　1859　observed　a　case　of　melancholia　with　delirium　which　continued　through　pregnancy。　The　woman　was　apparently　unconscious　of　her　condition　and　was　delivered　without　pain。　Cripps　mentions　a　case　in　which　there　was　absence　of　pain　in　parturition。　Depaul　mentions　a　woman　who　fell　in　a　public　street　and　was　delivered　of　a　living　child　during　a　syncope　which　lasted　four　hours。　Epley　reports　painless　labor　in　a　patient　with　paraplegia。　Fahnestock　speaks　of　the　case　of　a　woman　who　was　delivered　of　a　son　while　in　a　state　of　artificial　somnambulism；　without　pain　to　herself　or　injury　to　the　child。　Among　others　mentioning　painless　or　unconscious　labor　are　Behrens　（during　profound　sleep）；　Eger；　Tempel；　Panis；　Agnoia；　Blanckmeister；　Whitehill；　Gillette；　Mattei；　Murray；　Lemoine；　and　Moglichkeit。

Rapid　Parturition　Without　Usual　Symptoms。Births　unattended　by　symptoms　that　are　the　usual　precursors　of　labor　often　lead　to　speedy　deliveries　in　awkward　places。　According　to　Willoughby；　in　Darby；　February　9；　1667；　a　poor　fool；　Mary　Baker；　while　wandering　in　an　open；　windy；　and　cold　place；　was　delivered　by　the　sole　assistance　of　Nature；　Eve's　midwife；　and　freed　of　her　afterbirth。　The　poor　idiot　had　leaned　against　a　wall；　and　dropped　the　child　on　the　cold　boards；　where　it　lay　for　more　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour　with　its　funis　separated　from　the　placenta。　She　was　only　discovered　by　the　cries　of　the　infant。　In　〃Carpenter's　Physiology〃　is　described　a　remarkable　case　of　instinct　in　an　idiotic　girl　in　Paris；　who　had　been　seduced　by　some　miscreant；　the　girl　had　gnawed　the　funis　in　two；　in　the　same　manner　as　is　practised　by　the　lower　animals。　From　her　mental　imbecility　it　can　hardly　be　imagined　that　she　had　any　idea　of　the　object　of　this　separation；　and　it　must　have　been　instinct　that　impelled　her　to　do　it。　Sermon　says　the　wife　of　Thomas　James　was　delivered　of　a　lusty　child　while　in　a　wood　by　herself。　She　put　the　child　in　an　apron　with　some　oak　leaves；　marched　stoutly　to　her　husband's　uncle's　house　a　half　mile　distant；　and　after　two　hours'　rest　went　on　her　journey　one　mile　farther　to　her　own　house；　despite　all　her　exertions　she　returned　the　next　day　to　thank　her　uncle　for　the　two　hours'　accommodation。　There　is　related　the　history　of　a　case　of　a　woman　who　was　delivered　of　a　child　on　a　mountain　during　a　hurricane；　who　took　off　her　gown　and　wrapped　the　child　up　in　it；　together　with　the　afterbirth；　and　walked　two　miles　to　her　cottage；　the　funis　being　unruptured。

Harvey　relates　a　case；　which　he　learned　from　the　President　of　Munster；　Ireland；　of　a　woman　with　child　who　followed　her　husband；　a　soldier　in　the　army；　in　daily　march。　They　were　forced　to　a　halt　by　reason　of　a　river；　and　the　woman；　feeling　the　pains　of　labor　approaching；　retired　to　a　thicket；　and　there　alone　brought　forth　twins。　She　carried　them　to　the　river；　washed　them　herself；　did　them　up　in　a　cloth；　tied　them　to　her　back；　and　that　very　day　marched；　barefooted；　12　miles　with　the　soldiers；　and　was　none　the　worse　for　her　experience。　The　next　day　the　Deputy　of　Ireland　and　the　President　of　Munster；　affected　by　the　story；　to　repeat　the　words　of　Harvey；　〃did　both　vouchsafe　to　be　godfathers　of　the　infants。〃

Willoughby　relates　the　account　of　a　woman　who；　having　a　cramp　while　in　bed　with　her　sister；　went　to　an　outhouse；　as　if　to　stool；　and　was　there　delivered　of　a　child。　She　quickly　returned　to　bed；　her　going　and　her　return　not　being　noticed　by　her　sleeping　sister。　She　buried　the　child；　〃and　afterward　confessed　her　wickedness；　and　was　executed　in　the　Stafford　Gaol；　March　31；　1670。〃　A　similar　instance　is　related　by　the　same　author　of　a　servant　in　Darby　in　1647。　Nobody　suspected　her；　and　when　delivered　she　was　lying　in　the　same　room　with　her　mistress。　She　arose　without　awakening　anyone；　and　took　the　recently　delivered　child　to　a　remote　place；　and　hid　it　at　the　bottom　of　a　feather　tub；　covering　it　with　feathers；　she　returned　without　any　suspicion　on　the　part　of　her　mistress。　It　so　happened　that　it　was　the　habit　of　the　Darby　soldiers　to　peep　in　at　night　where　they　saw　a　light；　to　ascertain　if　everything　was　all　right；　and　they　thus　discovered　her　secret　doings；　which　led　to　her　trial　at　the　next　sessions　at　Darby。

Wagner　relates　the　history　of　a　case　of　great　medicolegal　interest。　An　unmarried　servant；　who　was　pregnant；　persisted　in　denying　it；　and　took　every　pains　to　conceal　it。　She　slept　in　a　room　with　two　other　maids；　and；　on　examination；　she　stated　that　on　the　night　in　question　she　got　up　toward　morning；　thinking　to　relieve　her　bowels。　For　this　purpose　she　secured　a　wooden　tub　in　the　room；　and　as　she　was　sitting　down　the　child　passed　rapidly　into　the　empty　vessel。　It　was　only　then　that　she　became　aware　of　the　nature　of　her　pains。　She　did　not　examine　the　child　closely；　but　was　certain　it　neither　moved　nor　cried。　The　funis　was　no　doubt　torn；　and　she　made　an　attempt　to　tie　it。　Regarding　the　event　as　a　miscarriage；　she　took　up　the　tub　with　its　contents　and　carried　it　to　a　sand　pit　about　30　paces　distant；　and　threw　the　child　in　a　hole　in　the　sand　that　she　found　already　made。　She　covered　it　up　with　sand　and　packed　it　firmly　so　that　the　dogs　could　not　get　it。　She　returned　to　her　bedroom；　first　calling　up　the　man…servant　at　the　stable。　She　awakened　her　fellow…servants；　and　feeling　tired　sat　down　on　a　stool。　Seeing　the　blood　on　the　floor；　they　asked　her　if　she　had　made　way　with　the　child。　She　said：　〃Do　you　take　me　for　an　old　sow？〃　But；　having　their　suspicions　aroused；　they　traced　the　blood　spots　to　the　sand