anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第7部分

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ne；　weighing　7　pounds；　and　afterward　died　in　convulsions。　The　infant's　left　foot　had　but　3　toes。　The　young　mother　at　the　time　of　delivery　was　only　nine　years　and　eight　months　old；　and　consequently　must　have　been　impregnated　before　the　age　of　nine。　Meyer　gives　an　astonishing　instance　of　birth　in　a　Swiss　girl　at　nine。　Carn　describes　a　case　of　a　child　who　menstruated　at　two；　became　pregnant　at　eight；　and　lived　to　an　advanced　age。　Ruttel　reports　conception　in　a　girl　of　nine；　and　as　far　north　as　St。　Petersburg　a　girl　has　become　a　mother　before　nine　years。　The　Journal　de　Scavans；　1684；　contains　the　report　of　the　case　of　a　boy；　who　survived；　being　born　to　a　mother　of　nine　years。

Beck　has　reported　an　instance　of　delivery　in　a　girl　a　little　over　ten　years　of　age。　There　are　instances　of　fecundity　at　nine　years　recorded　by　Ephemerides；　Wolffius；　Savonarola；　and　others。　Gleaves　reports　from　Wytheville；　Va。；　the　history　of　what　he　calls　the　case　of　the　youngest　mother　in　Virginia　Annie　H。who　was　born　in　Bland　County；　July　15；　1885；　and；　on　September　10；　1895；　was　delivered　of　a　well…formed　child　weighing　5　pounds。　The　girl　had　not　the　development　of　a　woman；　although　she　had　menstruated　regularly　since　her　fifth　year。　The　labor　was　short　and　uneventful；　and；　two　hours　afterward；　the　child…mother　wanted　to　arise　and　dress　and　would　have　done　so　had　she　been　permitted。　There　were　no　developments　of　the　mammae　nor　secretion　of　milk。　The　baby　was　nourished　through　its　short　existence　（as　it　only　lived　a　week）　by　its　grandmother；　who　had　a　child　only　a　few　months　old。　The　parents　of　this　child　were　prosperous；　intelligent；　and　worthy　people；　and　there　was　no　doubt　of　the　child's　age。　〃Annie　is　now　well　and　plays　about　with　the　other　children　as　if　nothing　had　happened。〃　Harris　refers　to　a　Kentucky　woman；　a　mother　at　ten　years；　one　in　Massachusetts　a　mother　at　ten　years；　eight　months；　and　seventeen　days；　and　one　in　Philadelphia　at　eleven　years　and　three　months。　The　first　case　was　one　of　infantile　precocity；　the　other　belonging　to　a　much　later　period；　the　menstrual　function　having　been　established　but　a　few　months　prior　to　conception。　All　these　girls　had　well…developed　pelves；　large　mammae；　and　the　general　marks　of　womanhood；　and　bore　living　children。　It　has　been　remarked　of　3　very　markedly　precocious　cases　of　pregnancy　that　one　was　the　daughter　of　very　humble　parents；　one　born　in　an　almshouse；　and　the　other　raised　by　her　mother　in　a　house　of　prostitution。　The　only　significance　of　this　statement　is　the　greater　amount　of　vice　and　opportunity　for　precocious　sexual　intercourse　to　which　they　were　exposed；　doubtless　similar　cases　under　more　favorable　conditions　would　never　be　recognized　as　such。

The　instance　in　the　Journal　decavans　is　reiterated　in　1775；　which　is　but　such　a　repetition　as　is　found　all　through　medical　literature〃new　friends　with　old　faces；〃　as　it　were。　Haller　observed　a　case　of　impregnation　in　a　girl　of　nine；　who　had　menstruated　several　years；　and　others　who　had　become　pregnant　at　nine；　ten；　and　twelve　years　respectively。　Rowlett；　whose　case　is　mentioned　by　Harris；　saw　a　child　who　had　menstruated　the　first　year　and　regularly　thereafter；　and　gave　birth　to　a　child　weighing　7　3/4　pounds　when　she　was　only　ten　years　and　thirteen　days　old。　At　the　time　of　delivery　she　measured　4　feet　7　inches　in　height　and　weighed　100　pounds。　Curtis；　who　is　also　quoted　by　Harris；　relates　the　history　of　Elizabeth　Drayton；　who　became　pregnant　before　she　was　ten；　and　was　delivered　of　a　full…grown；　living　male　child　weighing　8　pounds。　She　had　menstruated　once　or　twice　before　conception；　was　fairly　healthy　during　gestation；　and　had　a　rather　lingering　but　natural　labor。　To　complete　the　story；　the　father　of　this　child　was　a　boy　of　fifteen。　One　of　the　faculty　of　Montpellier　has　reported　an　instance　at　New　Orleans　of　a　young　girl　of　eleven；　who　became　impregnated　by　a　youth　who　was　not　yet　sixteen。　Maygrier　says　that　he　knew　a　girl　of　twelve；　living　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　who　was　confined。

Harris　relates　the　particulars　of　the　case　of　a　white　girl　who　began　to　menstruate　at　eleven　years　and　four　months；　and　who　gave　birth　to　an　over…　sized　male　child　on　January　21；　1872；　when　she　was　twelve　years　and　nine　months　old。　She　had　an　abundance　of　milk　and　nursed　the　child；　the　labor　was　of　about　eighteen　hours'　duration；　and　laceration　was　avoided。　He　also　speaks　of　a　mulatto　girl；　born　in　1848；　who　began　to　menstruate　at　eleven　years　and　nine　months；　and　gave　birth　to　a　female　child　before　she　reached　thirteen；　and　bore　a　second　child　when　fourteen　years　and　seven　months　old。　The　child's　father　was　a　white　boy　of　seventeen。

The　following　are　some　Indian　statistics：　1　pregnancy　at　ten；　6　at　eleven；　2　at　eighteen；　1　at　nineteen。　Chevers　speaks　of　a　mother　at　ten　and　others　at　eleven　and　twelve；　and　Green；　at　Dacca；　performed　craniotomy　upon　the　fetus　of　a　girl　of　twelve。　Wilson　gives　an　account　of　a　girl　thirteen　years　old；　who　gave　birth　to　a　full…grown　female　child　after　three　hours'　labor。　She　made　a　speedy　convalescence；　but　the　child　died　four　weeks　afterward　from　bad　nursing。　The　lad　who　acknowledged　paternity　was　nineteen　years　old。　King　reports　a　well…verified　case　of　confinement　in　a　girl　of　eleven。　Both　the　mother　and　child　did　well。

Robertson　of　Manchester　describes　a　girl；　working　in　a　cotton　factory；　who　was　a　mother　at　twelve；　de　La　Motte　mentions　pregnancy　before　twelve；　Kilpatrick　in　a　negress；　at　eleven　years　and　six　months；　Fox；　at　twelve；　Hall；　at　twelve；　Kinney；　at　twelve　years；　ten　months；　and　sixteen　days；　Herrick；　at　thirteen　years　and　nine　months；　Murillo；　at　thirteen　years；　Philippart；　at　fourteen　years；　Stallcup；　at　eleven　years　and　nine　months；　Stoakley；　at　thirteen　years；　Walker；　at　the　age　of　twelve　years　and　eight　months；　another　case；　at　twelve　years　and　six　months；　and　Williams；　at　eleven。

An　editorial　article　in　the　Indian　Medical　Gazette　of　Sept。；　1890；　says：

〃The　appearance　of　menstruation　is　held　by　the　great　majority　of　natives　of　India　to　be　evidence　and　proof　of　marriageability；　but　among　the　Hindu　community　it　is　considered　disgraceful　that　a　girl　should　remain　unmarried　until　this　function　is　established。　The　consequence　is　that　girls　are　married　at　the　age　of　nine　or　ten　years；　but　it　is　understood　or　professed　that　the　consummation　of　the　marriage　is　delayed　until　after　the　first　menstrual　period。　There　is；　however；　too　much　reason　to　believe　that　the　earlier　ceremony　is　very　frequently；　perhaps　commonly；　taken　to　warrant　resort　to　sexual　intercourse　before　the　menstrual　flux　has　occurred：　it　may　be　accepted　as　true　that　premenstrual　copulation　is　largely　practised　under　the　cover　of　marriage　in　this　country。

〃From　this　practice　it　results　that　girls　become　mothers　at　the　earliest　possible　period　of　their　lives。　A　native　medical　witness　testified　that　in　about　20　per　cent　of　marriages　children　were　born　by　wives　of　from　twelve　to　thirteen　years　of　age。　Cases　of　death　caused　by　the　first　act　of　sexual　intercourse　are　by　no　means　rare。　They　are　naturally　concealed；　but　ever　and　anon　they　come　to　light。　Dr。　Chevers　mentioned　some　14　cases　of　this　sort　in　the　last　edition　of　his　'Handbook　of　Medical　Jurisprudence　for　India；'　and　Dr。　Harvey　found　5　in　the　medicolegal　returns　submitted　by　the　Civil　Surgeons　of　the　Bengal　Presidency　during　the　years　1870…71…72。

〃Reform　must　come　from　conviction　and　effort；　as　in　every　other　case；　but　meantime　the　strong　arm　of　the　law　should　be　put　forth　for　the　protection　of　female　children　from　the　degradation　and　hurt　entailed　by　premature　sexual　intercourse。　This　can　easily　be　done　by　raising　the　age　of　punishable　intercourse；　which　is　now　fixed　at　the　absurd　limit　of　ten　years。　Menstruation　very　seldom　appears　in　native　girls　before　the　completed　age　of　twelve　years；　and　if　the　'age　of　consent'　were　raised　to　that　limit；　it　would　not　interfere　with　the　prejudices　and　customs　which　insist　on　marriage　before　menstruation。〃

In　1816　some　girls　were　admitted　to　the　Paris　Maternite　as　young　as　thirteen；　and　during　the　Revolution　several　at　eleven；　and　even　younger。　Smith　speaks　of　a　legal　case　in　which　a　girl；　eleven　years　old；　being　safely　delivered　of　a　living　child；　charged　her　uncle　with　rape。　Allen　speaks　of　a　girl　who　became　pregnant　at　twelve　years　and　nine　months；　and　was　delivered　of　a　healthy；　9…pound　boy　before　the　physician's　arrival；　the　placenta　came　away　afterward；　and　the　mother　made　a　speedy　recovery。　She　was　thought　to　have　had　〃dropsy　of　the　abdomen；〃　as　the　parents　had　lost　a　girl　of　about　the　same　age　who　was　tapped　for　ascites。　The　father　of　the　child　was　a　boy　only　fourteen　years　of　age。

Marvelous　to　relate；　there　are　on　record　several　cases　of　twins　being　born　to　a　child　mother。　Kay　reports　a　case　of　twins　in　a　girl　of　thirteen；　Montgomery；　at　fourteen；　and　Meigs　reports　the　case　of　a　young　girl；　of　Spanish　blood；　at　Maracaibo；　who　gave　birth　to　a　child　before　she　was　twelve　and　to　twins　before　reaching　fourteen　years。

In　the　older　works；　the　following　authors　have　reported　cases　of　pregnancy　before　the　appearance　of　menstruation：　Ballonius；　Vogel；　Morgagni；　the　anatomist　of　the　kidney；　Schenck；　Bartholinus；　Bierling；　Zacchias；　Charleton；　Mauriceau；　Ephemerides；　and　Fabricius　Hildanus。

In　some　cases　this　precocity　seems　to　be　hereditary；　being　transmitted　from　mother　to　daughter；　bringing　about　an　almost　incredible　state　of　affairs；　in　which　a　girl　is　a　grandmother　about　the　ordinary　age　of　maternity。　Kay　says　that　he　had　reported　to　him；　on　〃pretty　good〃　authority；　an　instance　of　a　Damascus　Jewess　who　became　a　grandmother　at　twenty…one　years。　In　France　they　record　a　young　grandmother　of　twenty…eight。　Ketchum　speaks　of　a　negress；　aged　thirteen；　who　gave　birth　to　a　well…developed　child　which　began　to　menstruate　at　ten　years　and　nine　months　and　at　thirteen　became　pregnant；　hence　the　negress　was　a　grandmother　at　twenty…five　years　and　nine　months。　She　had　a　second　child　before　she　was　sixteen；　who　began　to　menstruate　at　seven　years　and　six　months；　thus　proving　the　inheritance　of　this　precocity；　and　leaving　us　at　sea　to　figure　what　degree　of　grandmother　she　may　be　if　she　lives　to　an　advanced　age。　Another　interesting　case　of　this　nature　is　that　of　Mrs。　C。；　bor