Download or read book The Homeopathic Journal of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Paedology, 1891, Vol. 13 (Classic Reprint) written by A. L. Chatterton and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2018-01-21 with total page 596 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Homeopathic Journal of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Paedology, 1891, Vol. 13 When the first few successful experiments with ether and chloroform had been published to the world, forty years ago, it was but a few months till they were in use in every civilized country on the globe, and scarce two years till a surgical operation of any importance without the aid of anesthesia was well nigh as rare a thing as it is now. It is now quite two score years since Sir James Y. Simpson's first successful experiments were made with chloroform in mid wifery, and yet it is doubtful if the solace of anesthesia is granted to one tenth Of the women in this country who, at the present day, are called upon to endure the pain of child birth, a pain which is in most cases much greater than the pain of any surgical Operation. There are several reasons for this, some well founded, and some based on sheer fogy ism. One thing is surely true and that is, that it is just as much a mercy to relieve the great pain of the parturient woman, as the no greater pain that must be endured by the subject of a surgical operation, and, provided it can be done as safely, it is just as imperative. The objections urged against the use Of anesthetics in ordinary cases of midwifery are that there is always some degree of danger in giving anesthetics, which is true, as every conscientious surgeon will admit, and it is further charged that the use Of anes thetics retards uterine contractions, and increases the ten deacy to post-partum hemorrhage, each of which charges may be admitted as perhaps true in some cases, but by no means as a rule. On. The contrary, it is a common experi ence to find the pulse improve and the pains grow more eflicient and regular as soon as enough chloroform or ether has been given to considerably numb the sensation and give freedom from pain and dread of pain in intervals. This is all the more true in those cases in which that feeling of dread anxiety, which is nearly always present in some degree, is especially great. I have never seen but two cases in which chloroform, carefully given, retarded the pains to any material extent. In one of these ether was well borne and did not seem to interfere with either the force or frequency Of the pains. In the other case the labor pains were very feeble and in frequent before chloroform was given, and the interval was decidedly lengthened by the exhibition Of the anesthetic. In ordinary cases the pains will not be retarded at all, but are, on the other hand, not infrequently increased in strength and the interval shortened. This eflect, I think, comes from the fact that the nervousness and dread of pain some times inhibits to some degree the oncoming uterine con traction, and again, the more complete rest which the pa tient has under chloroform allows for a quicker return Of the contraction and likewise for greater uterine force. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.