anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第37部分

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hild　was　dead　（recently）。　Examination　after　the　birth　of　the　first　child　disclosed　the　existence　of　more　than　one　remaining　fetus。　The　membranes　protruded　and　became　tense　with　each　contraction。　The　presentation　was　a　transverse　one。　In　this　case　also　there　was　little　difficulty　in　effecting　internal　version。　The　child　lived　a　couple　of　hours。　The　third　fetus　was　also　enclosed　in　a　separate　sac；　which　had　to　be　ruptured。　The　child　presented　by　the　breech　and　was　delivered　naturally；　and　lived　for　an　hour。　In　the　fourth　case　the　membranes　had　likewise　to　be　ruptured；　and　alarming　hemorrhage　ensued。　Version　was　at　once　practised；　but　the　chin　became　locked　with　that　of　the　remaining　fetus。　There　was　some　difficulty　and　considerable　delay　in　freeing　the　children；　though　the　extent　of　locking　was　not　at　any　time　formidable。　The　child　was　dead　（recently）。　The　fifth　fetus　presented　by　the　head　and　was　delivered　naturally。　It　lived　for　half　an　hour。　The　placenta　was　delivered　about　five　minutes　after　the　birth　of　the　last　child；　and　consisted　of　two　portions　united　by　a　narrow　isthmus。　One；　the　smaller；　had　two　cords　attached　centrally　and　close　together；　the　other；　and　larger；　had　two　cords　attached　in　a　similar　way　and　one　where　it　was　joined　to　the　isthmus。　The　organ　appeared　to　be　perfectly　healthy。　The　cord　of　the　fourth　child　was　so　short　that　it　had　to　be　ligated　in　the　vagina。　The　children　were　all　females　and　of　about　the　same　size；　making　a　total　weight　of　8　pounds。　The　mother　rallied　quickly　and　got　on　well。

Trustworthy　records　of　sextuplets　are；　of　course；　extremely　scarce。　There　are　few　catalogued　at　Washington；　and　but　two　authentic　cases　are　on　record　in　the　United　States。　On　December　30；　1831；　a　woman　in　Dropin　was　delivered　of　6　daughters；　all　living；　and　only　a　little　smaller　than　usual　in　size。　The　mother　was　not　quite　twenty　years　old；　but　was　of　strong　constitution。　The　6　lived　long　enough　to　be　baptized；　but　died　the　evening　of　their　births。　There　was　a　case　a　of　sextuplets　in　Italy　in　1844。　In　Maine；　June　27；　1847；　a　woman　was　delivered　of　6　children；　2　surviving　and；　together　with　the　mother；　doing　well。　In　1885　there　was　reported　the　birth　of　sextuplets　in　Lorca；　Spain；　of　which　only　one　survived。　At　Dallas；　Texas；　in　1888；　Mrs。　George　Hirsh　of　Navarro　County　gave　birth　to　6　children；　the　mother　and　the　children　all　doing　well。　There　were　4　boys　and　2　girls；　and　they　were　all　perfect；　well　formed；　but　rather　small。

Valsalli　gives　an　instance　which　is　quoted　by　the　Medical　News　without　giving　the　authority。　Valsalli's　account；　which　differs　slightly　from　the　account　in　the　Medical　News；　is　briefly　as　follows：　While　straining　at　stool　on　the　one　hundred　and　fifteenth　day　of　pregnancy　the　membranes　ruptured　and　a　foot　prolapsed；　no　pain　having　been　felt　before　the　accident。　A　fetus　was　delivered　by　the　midwife。　Valsalli　was　summoned　and　found　the　woman　with　an　enormously　distended　abdomen；　within　which　were　felt　numerous　fetal　parts；　but　no　fetal　heart…sounds　or　movements　were　noticed。　The　cervix　was　only　slightly　dilated；　and；　as　no　pains　were　felt；　it　was　agreed　to　wait。　On　the　next　day　the　membranes　were　ruptured　and　4　more　fetuses　were　delivered。　Traction　on　the　umbilical　cord　started　hemorrhage；　to　check　which　the　physician　placed　his　hand　in　the　uterine　cavity。　In　this　most　arduous　position　he　remained　four　hours　until　assistance　from　Lugano　came。　Then；　in　the　presence　of　the　three　visiting　physicians；　a　sixth　amniotic　sac　was　delivered　with　its　fetus。　The　woman　had　a　normal　convalescence；　and　in　the　following　year　gave　birth　to　healthy；　living　twins。　The　News　says　the　children　all　moved　vigorously　at　birth；　there　were　4　males　and　2　females；　and　for　the　6　there　was　only　one　placenta　The　mother；　according　to　the　same　authority；　was　thirty…six　years　of　age；　and　was　in　her　second　pregnancy。

Multiple　Births　over　Six。When　we　pass　sextuplets　the　records　of　multiple　births　are　of　the　greatest　rarity　and　in　modern　records　there　are　almost　none。　There　are　several　cases　mentioned　by　the　older　writers　whose　statements　are　generally　worthy　of　credence；　which；　however　incredible；　are　of　sufficient　interest　at　least　to　find　a　place　in　this　chapter。　Albucasis　affirms　that　he　knew　of　the　birth　of　seven　children　at　one　time；　and　d'Alechampius　reports　that　Bonaventura；　the　slave　of　one　Savelli；　a　gentleman　of　Siena；　gave　birth　to　7　children；　4　of　whom　were　baptized。　At　the　Parish　of　San　Ildefonso；　Valladolid；　Julianna；　wife　of　Benito　Quesada；　gave　birth　to　3　children　in　one　day；　and　during　the　following　night　to　4　more。　Sigebert；　in　his　Chronicles；　says　that　the　mother　of　the　King　of　Lombardy　had　borne　7　children　at　a　birth。　Borellus　says　that　in　1650　the　lady　of　the　then　present　Lord　Darre　gave　birth　to　eight　perfect　children　at　one　parturition　and　that　it　was　the　unusual　event　of　the　country。

Mrs。　Timothy　Bradlee　of　Trumbull　County；　Ohio；　in　1872　is　reported　to　have　given　birth　to　8　children　at　one　time。　They　were　healthy　and　living；　but　quite　small。　The　mother　was　married　six　years　previously　and　then　weighed　273　pounds。　She　had　given　birth　to　2　pairs　of　twins；　and；　with　these　3　boys　and　5　girls；　she　had　borne　12　children　in　six　years。　She　herself　was　a　triplet　and　her　father　and　her　mother　were　of　twin　births　and　one　of　her　grandmothers　was　the　mother　of　5　pairs　of　twins。　This　case　was　most　celebrated　and　was　much　quoted；　several　British　journals　extracting　it。

Watering　of　Maregnac　speaks　of　the　simultaneous　birth　of　8　children　at　one　time。　When　several　months　pregnant　the　woman　was　seized　with　colicky　pains　and　thought　them　a　call　of　nature。　She　went　into　a　vineyard　to　answer　it；　and　there；　to　her　great　astonishment；　gave　birth　to　8　fetuses。　Watering　found　them　enclosed　in　a　sac；　and　thought　they　probably　had　died　from　mutual　pressure　during　growth。　The　mother　made　a　good　recovery。

In　1755　Seignette　of　Dijon　reports　the　simultaneous　birth　of　nine　children。　Franciscus　Picus　Mirandulae；　quoted　by　Pare；　says　that　one　Dorothea；　an　Italian；　bore　20　children　at　2　confinements；　the　first　time　bearing　9　and　the　second　time　eleven。　He　gives　a　picture　of　this　marvel　of　prolificity；　in　which　her　belly　is　represented　as　hanging　down　to　her　knees；　and　supported　by　a　girdle　from　the　neck。　In　the　Annals；　History；　and　Guide　to　Leeds　and　York；　according　to　Walford；　there　is　mention　of　Ann　Birch；　who　in　1781　was　delivered　of　10　children。　One　daughter；　the　sole　survivor　of　the　10；　married　a　market　gardener　named　Platt；　who　was　well　known　in　Leeds。　Jonston　quotes　Baytraff　as　saying　that　he　knew　of　a　case　in　which　9　children　were　born　simultaneously；　and　also　says　that　the　Countess　of　Altdorf　gave　birth　to　twelve　at　one　birth。　Albucasis　mentions　a　case　of　fifteen　well…formed　children　at　a　birth。　According　to　Le　Brun；　Gilles　de　Trazegines；　who　accompanied　Saint　Louis　to　Palestine；　and　who　was　made　Constable　of　France；　was　one　of　thirteen　infants　at　a　simultaneous　accouchement。　The　Marquise；　his　mother；　was　impregnated　by　her　husband　before　his　departure；　and　during　his　absence　had　13　living　children。　She　was　suspected　by　the　native　people　and　thought　to　be　an　adulteress；　and　some　of　the　children　were　supposed　to　be　the　result　of　superfetation。　They　condemned　them　all　to　be　drowned；　but　the　Marquis　appeared　upon　the　scene　about　this　time　and；　moved　by　compassion；　acknowledged　all　13。　They　grew　up　and　thrived；　and　took　the　name　of　Trazegines；　meaning；　in　the　old　language；　13　drowned；　although　many　commentaries　say　that　〃gines〃　was　supposed　to　mean　in　the　twelfth　century　〃nes；〃　or；　in　full；　the　interpretation　would　be　〃13　born。〃

Cases　in　which　there　is　a　repetition　of　multiple　births　are　quite　numerous；　and　sometimes　so　often　repeated　as　to　produce　a　family　the　size　of　which　is　almost　incredible。　Aristotle　is　credited　with　saying　that　he　knew　the　history　of　a　woman　who　had　quintuplets　four　times。　Pliny's　case　of　quintuplets　four　times　repeated　has　been　mentioned；　and　Pare；　who　may　be　believed　when　he　quotes　from　his　own　experience；　says　that　the　wife　of　the　last　Lord　de　Maldemeure；　who　lived　in　the　Parish　of　Seaux；　was　a　marvel　of　prolificity。　Within　a　year　after　her　marriage　she　gave　birth　to　twins；　in　the　next　year　to　triplets；　in　the　third　year　to　quadruplets；　in　the　fourth　year　to　quintuplets；　and　in　the　fifth　year　bore　sextuplets；　in　this　last　labor　she　died。　The　then　present　Lord　de　Maldemeure；　he　says；　was　one　of　the　final　sextuplets。　This　case　attracted　great　notice　at　the　time；　as　the　family　was　quite　noble　and　very　well　known。　Seaux；　their　home；　was　near　Chambellay。　Picus　Mirandulae　gathered　from　the　ancient　Egyptian　inscriptions　that　the　women　of　Egypt　brought　forth　sometimes　8　children　at　a　birth；　and　that　one　woman　bore　30　children　in　4　confinements。　He　also　cites；　from　the　history　of　a　certain　Bishop　of　Necomus；　that　a　woman　named　Antonia；　in　the　Territory　of　Mutina；　Italy；　now　called　Modena；　had　brought　forth　40　sons　before　she　was　forty　years　of　age；　and　that　she　had　had　3　and　4　at　a　birth。　At　the　auction　of　the　San　Donato　collection　of　pictures　a　portrait　of　Dianora　Frescobaldi；　by　one　of　the　Bronzinos　in　the　sixteenth　century；　sold　for　about　3000。　At　the　bottom　of　this　portrait　was　an　inscription　stating　that　she　was　the　mother　of　52　children。　This　remarkable　woman　never　had　less　than　3　at　a　birth；　and　tradition　gives　her　as　many　as　6。

Merriman　quotes　a　case　of　a　woman；　a　shopkeeper　named　Blunet；　who　had　21　children　in　7　successive　births。　They　were　all　born　alive；　and　12　still　survived　and　were　healthy。　As　though　to　settle　the　question　as　to　whom　should　be　given　the　credit　in　this　case；　the　father　or　the　mother；　the　father　experimented　upon　a　female　servant；　who；　notwithstanding　her　youth　and　delicateness；　gave　birth　to　3　male　children　that　lived　three　weeks。　According　to　despatches　from　Lafayette；　Indiana；　investigation　following　the　murder；　on　December　22；　1895；　of　Hester　Curtis；　an　aged　woman　of　that　city；　developed　the　rather　remarkable　fact　that　she　had　been　the　mother　of　25　children；　including　7　pairs　of　twins。

According　to　a　French　authority　the　wife　of　a　medical　man　at　Fuentemajor；　in　Spain；　forty…three　years　of　age；　was　delivered　of　triplets　13　times。　Puech　read　a　paper　before　the　French　Academy　in　which