The Dublin practice of midwifery.

  • Maunsell, Henry, 1806-1879.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Dublin practice of midwifery. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

    37/372 (page 17)
    the upper part of the occiput. It usually measures four inches and a half, being about half an inch longer than the last. This comes to be the op- posing diameter in that variety of head presenta- tion in which the head is extended upon the neck and the forehead applied towards the pubis, called also the fontanelle presentation, in consequence of the anterior fontanelle being in such cases the presenting part. The longest diameter of the head is that be- tween the point of the chin and the vertex. It measures five inches, and is the opposing diameter in another variety of natural presentation, viz. when the face is the presenting part: it must be obvious that this position of the head will mate- rially increase the difficulties of its transit. The depth of the head., from the sagittal suture to the occipital foramen, may be estimated at about three inches and a quarter. The dimensions, of course, vary in different individuals, but those we have given are about the average. The heads of female children are usually somewhat less than those of males; Dr. Joseph Clarke* estimates the difference at one-twenty- eighth or 0De-thirtieth of the circumference. The movements of the head now claim a little attention. These are, flexion forwards and ex- tension backwards, both, especially the former, * Phil. Trans, y. 76. C