A general system of surgery. Containing the doctrine and management I. Of wounds, fractures, luxations, tumours, and ulcers ... II. Of ... operations ... III. Of ... bandages ... / To which is prefixed an introduction concerning the nature, origin, progress, and improvements of surgery ... Translated into English. From the Latin.

  • Heister, Lorenz, 1683-1758
Date:
1743
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A general system of surgery. Containing the doctrine and management I. Of wounds, fractures, luxations, tumours, and ulcers ... II. Of ... operations ... III. Of ... bandages ... / To which is prefixed an introduction concerning the nature, origin, progress, and improvements of surgery ... Translated into English. From the Latin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    traCted, either by the Hands or Inftruments. The Caule of this Difficulty is commonly attributed to the Largenefs of the Infant’s Head, but generally with¬ out Reafon ♦, becaufe we find it has been fmall enough to pafs through the nar¬ row Os Uteri; I fhould rather imagine it to proceed from an oblique Situation of the Os Uteri, or from the Refifiance which the Shoulders meet with againft the Os pubis, when the Infant prefents fide-ways, *, which may be generally known by one of its Ears being upward, and the other downward. In this dif¬ ficult Cafe there are two Methods to be followed: i. By palling the two Fore¬ fingers of each Hand, at the Time when the Pains urge, in order to prefs back the ReCtum and Os coccyx, that the Head may defcend as low as poflible, and then to pafs all the four Fingers of each Hand about the Head, fo as to lay hold of it, and, by dilating the Parts, at the fame time to free it as much as poffible from the Stricture, till the Hands can pafs behind the Ears and Occiput, fo as to have fufficient Hold for extracting it: But fometimes this alone will not be fufficient; but it is alfo necefiary to draw out one of the Arms, efpecially the lowermoft, in order thereby to extract the Foetus, and free it from the Refifiance of the Os pubis. 2. The other Method is, when the Rectum has been prefifed back, as before, to pafs the left Hand under the Head of the Fcetus, after it has been firft lubricated with Oil, to grafp it as a Globe, and then to pafs the Fin¬ gers of the right Hand above the Head under the Os pubis, endeavouring to extract it, prefling a little backward, and advifing the Mother to exert her Strength at the fame time, as Hoornius obferves. The Head thus extracted, the Neck of the Fcetus may be then taken hold of by one Hand, and the Head drawn forward, by moving it from one Side to the other, while the Hand, which is under the Neck of the Foetus, extracts the neareft Arm, and, by turning the Infant upon its Belly, drawing it gently forward at the fame time, it comes forth almoft of itfelf. But when all thefe Artifices prove fruitlefs, the Mother’s Strength gradually decays, and her Life is threatned with the molt malignant Symptoms, the Operator is then obliged to lay afide Compaflion, and extract the Foetus, whether dead or alive, by Inftruments, which may be done, either i. by opening the Head with an Incifion-knife, or Pair of Scifiars, and extracting the Brain with the Fingers or a Scoop, after which the Head col- lapfing, it may be more eafily taken hold of and extracted, either by the Hand, a Pair of large Stone Forceps, or as Deventer advifes, by binding a broad Tape about its Neck behind the Head, which laft Method, he afferts, will frequently fucceed, without extracting the Brain ; but if, notwithftanding the Extraction of the Brain, it does not come forward, the Shoulders are to be freed from the Os pubis, and the Foetus thereby extracted. 2. The Extraction may be made with a Hook reprefented in 'Tab. XXXIII. Fig. 17 & 18. in de¬ fect of which, in Cafe of Neceflity, Hoornius ufes a large Nail, bent in form of a Hook, to which a Ligature is fattened, that it may be held and drawn with more Eafe ; or, 3. it may be performed by the Inftrument of Mauri- ceau, which he defcribes, and calls Tire-tete •, which is, however, in my O- pinion lefs commodious than the Hook of Deventer and Hoorn. And al- moft in the fame manner is the Foetus to be extracted, when it cannot be deli¬ vered by the Hands in many other Cafes, which threaten the Life of the Mo¬ ther, as in monftrous Births, where there are two Heads, &V. Ff 2 CHAP.