anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第28部分

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e　me　for　an　old　sow？〃　But；　having　their　suspicions　aroused；　they　traced　the　blood　spots　to　the　sand　pit。　Fetching　a　spade；　they　dug　up　the　child；　which　was　about　one　foot　below　the　surface。　On　the　access　of　air；　following　the　removal　of　the　sand　and　turf；　the　child　began　to　cry；　and　was　immediately　taken　up　and　carried　to　its　mother；　who　washed　it　and　laid　it　on　her　bed　and　soon　gave　it　the　breast。　The　child　was　healthy　with　the　exception　of　a　club…foot；　and　must　have　been　under　ground　at　least　fifteen　minutes　and　no　air　could　have　reached　it。　It　seems　likely　that　the　child　was　born　asphyxiated　and　was　buried　in　this　state；　and　only　began　to　assume　independent　vitality　when　for　the　second　time　exposed　to　the　air。　This　curious　case　was　verified　to　English　correspondents　by　Dr。　Wagner；　and　is　of　unquestionable　authority；　it　became　the　subject　of　a　thorough　criminal　investigation　in　Germany。

During　the　funeral　procession　of　Marshal　MacMahon　in　Paris　an　enormous　crowd　was　assembled　to　see　the　cortege　pass；　and　in　this　crowd　was　a　woman　almost　at　the　time　of　delivery；　the　jostling　which　she　received　in　her　endeavors　to　obtain　a　place　of　vantage　was　sufficient　to　excite　contraction；　and；　in　an　upright　position；　she　gave　birth　to　a　fetus；　which　fell　at　her　feet。　The　crowd　pushed　back　and　made　way　for　the　ambulance　officials；　and　mother　and　child　were　carried　off；　the　mother　apparently　experiencing　little　embarrassment。　Quoted　by　Taylor；　Anderson　speaks　of　a　woman　accused　of　child　murder；　who　walked　a　distance　of　28　miles　on　a　single　day　with　her　two…days…old　child　on　her　back。

There　is　also　a　case　of　a　female　servant　named　Jane　May；　who　was　frequently　charged　by　her　mistress　with　pregnancy　but　persistently　denied　it。　On　October　26th　she　was　sent　to　market　with　some　poultry。　Returning　home；　she　asked　the　boy　who　drove　her　to　stop　and　allow　her　to　get　out。　She　went　into　a　recess　in　a　hedge。　In　five　minutes　she　was　seen　to　leave　the　hedge　and　follow　the　cart；　walking　home；　a　distance　of　a　mile　and　a　half。　The　following　day　she　went　to　work　as　usual；　and　would　not　have　been　found　out　had　not　a　boy；　hearing　feeble　cries　from　the　recess　of　the　hedge；　summoned　a　passer…by；　but　too　late　to　save　the　child。　At　her　trial　she　said　she　did　not　see　her　babe　breathe　nor　cry；　and　she　thought　by　the　sudden　birth　that　it　must　have　been　a　still…born　child。

Shortt　says　that　one　day；　while　crossing　the　esplanade　at　Villaire；　between　seven　and　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　perceived　three　Hindoo　women　with　large　baskets　of　cakes　of　〃bratties〃　on　their　heads；　coming　from　a　village　about　four　miles　distant。　Suddenly　one　of　the　women　stood　still　for　a　minute；　stooped；　and　to　his　surprise　dropped　a　fully　developed　male　child　to　the　ground。　One　of　her　companions　ran　into　the　town；　about　100　yards　distant；　for　a　knife　to　divide　the　cord。　A　few　of　the　female　passers…by　formed　a　screen　about　the　mother　with　their　clothes；　and　the　cord　was　divided。　The　after…birth　came　away；　and　the　woman　was　removed　to　the　town。　It　was　afterward　discovered　that　she　was　the　mother　of　two　children；　was　twenty…eight　years　old；　had　not　the　slightest　sign　of　approaching　labor；　and　was　not　aware　of　parturition　until　she　actually　felt　the　child　between　her　thighs。

Smith　of　Madras；　in　1862；　says　he　was　hastily　summoned　to　see　an　English　lady　who　had　borne　a　child　without　the　slightest　warning。　He　found　the　child；　which　had　been　born　ten　minutes；　lying　close　to　the　mother's　body；　with　the　funis　uncut。　The　native　female　maid；　at　the　lady's　orders；　had　left　the　child　untouched；　lifting　the　bed…clothes　to　give　it　air。　The　lady　said　that　she　arose　at　5。30　feeling　well；　and　during　the　forenoon　had　walked　down　a　long　flight　of　steps　across　a　walk　to　a　small　summer…house　within　the　enclosure　of　her　grounds。　Feeling　a　little　tired；　she　had　lain　down　on　her　bed；　and　soon　experienced　a　slight　discomfort；　and　was　under　the　impression　that　something　solid　and　warm　was　lying　in　contact　with　her　person。　She　directed　the　servant　to　look　below　the　bed…clothes；　and　then　a　female　child　was　discovered。　Her　other　labors　had　extended　over　six　hours；　and　were　preceded　by　all　the　signs　distinctive　of　childbirth；　which　fact　attaches　additional　interest　to　the　case。　The　ultimate　fate　of　the　child　is　not　mentioned。　Smith　quotes　Wilson；　who　said　he　was　called　to　see　a　woman　who　was　delivered　without　pain　while　walking　about　the　house。　He　found　the　child　on　the　floor　with　its　umbilical　cord　torn　across。

Langston　mentions　the　case　of　a　woman；　twenty…three；　who；　between　4　and　5　A。M。；　felt　griping　pains　in　the　abdomen。　Knowing　her　condition　she　suspected　labor；　and　determined　to　go　to　a　friend's　house　where　she　could　be　confined　in　safety。　She　had　a　distance　of　about　600　yards　to　go；　and　when　she　was　about　half　way　she　was　delivered　in　an　upright　position　of　a　child；　which　fell　on　the　pavement　and　ruptured　its　funis　in　the　fall。　Shortly　after；　the　placenta　was　expelled；　and　she　proceeded　on　her　journey；　carrying　the　child　in　her　arms。　At　5。50　the　physician　saw　the　woman　in　bed；　looking　well　and　free　from　pain；　but　complaining　of　being　cold。　The　child；　which　was　her　first；　was　healthy；　well　nourished；　and　normal；　with　the　exception　of　a　slight　ecchymosis　of　the　parietal　bone　on　the　left　side。　The　funis　was　lacerated　transversely　four　inches　from　the　umbilicus。　Both　mother　and　child　progressed　favorably。　Doubtless　the　intense　cold　had　so　contracted　the　blood…vessels　as　to　prevent　fatal　hemorrhage　to　mother　and　child。　This　case　has　a　legal　bearing　in　the　supposition　that　the　child　had　been　killed　in　the　fall。

There　is　reported　the　case　of　a　woman　in　Wales；　who；　while　walking　with　her　husband；　was　suddenly　seized　with　pains；　and　would　have　been　delivered　by　the　wayside　but　for　the　timely　help　of　Madame　Patti；　the　celebrated　diva；　who　was　driving　by；　and　who　took　the　woman　in　her　carriage　to　her　palatial　residence　close　by。　It　was　to　be　christened　in　a　few　days　with　an　appropriate　name　in　remembrance　of　the　occasion。　Coleman　met　an　instance　in　a　married　woman；　who　without　the　slightest　warning　was　delivered　of　a　child　while　standing　near　a　window　in　her　bedroom。　The　child　fell　to　the　floor　and　ruptured　the　cord　about　one　inch　from　the　umbilicus；　but　with　speedy　attention　the　happiest　results　were　attained。　Twitchell　has　an　example　in　the　case　of　a　young　woman　of　seventeen；　who　was　suddenly　delivered　of　a　child　while　ironing　some　clothes。　The　cord　in　this　case　was　also　ruptured；　but　the　child　sustained　no　injury。　Taylor　quotes　the　description　of　a　child　who　died　from　an　injury　to　the　head　caused　by　dropping　from　the　mother　at　an　unexpected　time；　while　she　was　in　the　erect　position；　he　also　speaks　of　a　parallel　case　on　record。

Unusual　Places　of　Birth。Besides　those　mentioned；　the　other　awkward　positions　in　which　a　child　may　be　born　are　so　numerous　and　diversified　that　mention　of　only　a　few　can　be　made　here。　Colton　tells　of　a　painless　labor　in　an　Irish　girl　of　twenty…three；　who　felt　a　desire　to　urinate；　and　while　seated　on　the　chamber　dropped　a　child。　She　never　felt　a　labor…pain；　and　twelve　days　afterward　rode　20　miles　over　a　rough　road　to　go　to　her　baby's　funeral。　Leonhard　describes　the　case　of　a　mother　of　thirty…seven；　who　had　borne　six　children　alive；　who　was　pregnant　for　the　tenth　time；　and　who　had　miscalculated　her　pregnancy。　During　pregnancy　she　had　an　attack　of　small…pox　and　suffered　all　through　pregnancy　with　constipation。　She　had　taken　a　laxative；　and　when　returning　to　bed　from　stool　was　surprised　to　find　herself　attached　to　the　stool　by　a　band。　The　child　in　the　vessel　began　to　cry　and　was　separated　from　the　woman；　who　returned　to　bed　and　suddenly　died　one…half　hour　later。　The　mother　was　entirely　unconscious　of　the　delivery。　Westphal　mentions　a　delivery　in　a　water…closet。

Brown　speaks　of　a　woman　of　twenty…six　who　had　a　call　of　nature　while　in　bed；　and　while　sitting　up　she　gave　birth　to　a　fine；　full…grown　child；　which；　falling　on　the　floor；　ruptured　the　funis。　She　took　her　child；　lay　down　with　it　for　some　time；　and　feeling　easier；　hailed　a　cab；　drove　to　a　hospital　with　the　child　in　her　arms；　and　wanted　to　walk　upstairs。　She　was　put　to　bed　and　delivered　of　the　placenta；　there　being　but　little　hemorrhage　from　the　cord；　both　she　and　her　child　made　speedy　recoveries。　Thebault　reports　an　instance　of　delivery　in　the　erect　position；　with　rupture　of　the　funis　at　the　placenta。　There　was　recently　a　rumor；　probably　a　newspaper　fabrication；　that　a　woman　while　at　stool　in　a　railway　car　gave　birth　to　a　child　which　was　found　alive　on　the　track　afterward。

There　is　a　curious　instance　on　record　in　which　a　child　was　born　in　a　hip…bath　and　narrowly　escaped　drowning。　The　mother　was　a　European　woman　aged　forty；　who　had　borne　two　children；　the　last　nine　years　before。　She　was　supposed　to　have　dropsy　of　the　abdomen；　and　among　other　treatments　was　the　use　of　a　speculum　and　caustic　applications　for　inflammation　of　the　womb。　The　escape　of　watery　fluid　for　two　days　was　considered　evidence　of　the　rupture　of　an　ovarian　cyst。　At　the　end　of　two　days；　severe　pains　set　in；　and　a　warm　hip…bath　and　an　opiate　were　ordered。　While　in　the　bath　she　bore　a　fully…matured；　living；　male　child；　to　the　great　surprise　of　herself　and　her　friends。　The　child　might　have　been　drowned　had　not　assistance　been　close　at　hand。

Birth　by　the　Rectum。In　some　cases　in　which　there　is　some　obstacle　to　the　delivery　of　a　child　by　the　natural　passages；　the　efforts　of　nature　to　expel　the　product　of　conception　lead　to　an　anomalous　exit。　There　are　some　details　of　births　by　the　rectum　mentioned　in　the　last　century　by　Reta　and　others。　Payne　cites　the　instance　of　a　woman　of　thirty…three；　in　labor　thirty…six　hours；　in　whom　there　was　a　congenital　absence　of　the　vaginal　orifice。　The　finger；　gliding　along　the　perineum；　arrived　at　a　distended　anus；　just　inside　of　which　was　felt　a　fetal　head。　He　anesthetized　the　patient　and　delivered　the　child　with　forceps；　and　without　perineal　rupture。　There　was　little　hemorrhage；　and　the　placenta　was　removed　with　slight　difficulty。　Five　months　later；　Payne　found　an　unaltered　condition　of　the　perineum　and　vicinity；　there　was　absence　of　the　vaginal　orifice；　and；　on　introducing　the　finger　along　the　anterior　wall　of　the　rectum；　a　fistula　was　found；　co