ANOTHERPreternatural Accidentto which theBIRTHis also sometimes liable, is theFalling down of thePlacentainto theOrificeof theWomb; which of course must needs obstruct thePassage, and prevent the timelyEgressof theINFANT.
NOWtho’ the ignorantMidwifeoften occasions this untowardAccidentby her own unskilful and imprudentTreatment, or rough and indecentUsage; yet the IngeniousMIDWIFEdiscovers thisCasein time bytwocertain differentWays: Namely,First, by theTouch, when she can neither feel theMEMBRANE, nor the nakedHEAD; but (on the contrary) perceives a thick, soft, fleshy, bonelessSubstance:Secondly, by aBloody Flooding, which constantly attends thisCondition; whereby both theMOTHERand theCHILDare imminently endangered, as is already more abundantly set forth[180]: Unless the skilfulMIDWIFEcan prevent the fatalConsequence, by accelerating theBIRTH; which, however yet, is not to be rashly attempted without due Circumspection.
BUTnotwithstanding the daringDifficulties, and time-servingPrecautions, mentioned by mostAuthorsof my reading and revolving, in thisCase; I can conceive no extraordinaryPerplexitywhich can attend it, if theDELIVERYbe buttimelyorseasonablyundertaken, before theWoman’s StrengthandBloodbe too much exhausted. I knowDaventer,Peu, and someothers, make longAmbagesor Circumlocutions upon thisHead; forsomeare at great Pains to teach us how to perforate theSECUNDINEwith aHair-Needleinstead of ourFingers, andothershow to keep it back, until theINFANTbe first born: But for my part, as I already foresee sundryDifficultiesthat will arise in these Practices, so I shall be loth to come into them, and that because——
FIRST, in penetrating thePlacentawith anyacute Instrument, theCHILD(if not theMOTHERalso) may be easily wounded:Secondly, supposing it to be done with theFingers, theHolemust be dilated in proportion to theApertureof the Mouth of theWomb, and thenthismangledMassmust be dispersed toall Sidesof theOrifice; by which Means,Daventerhimself acknowledges, that it often perfectlycongealswithBlood, and sticks so fast to theWomborVagina, that theIgnorantwould not only take them to begrown together, but also believe them rather to beone and the same Body: Which consequently must require both greatPainsandDifficultyto be separated, and at last a very diligentScrutinymust be made, that noFragmentbe left any whereBehind, since in thisConditionno justConjecturecan be made by the Eye:Thirdly, by retaining theSECUNDINEin theWomb, when its heaviest and most bulkyPart(thePlacenta) is fallen down into theEntrance, let it be never so judiciously managed and moved, it possesses a considerable deal ofRoom, and consequently obstructs theOperationof theMIDWIFE’sHand, lying as a cross thwartingImpedimentin her way, which at the same Timeblockadesor totally shuts up thePassageof theCHILD.
WHEREFORE, and considering that thisBody, when so loosened and separated from theWomb, can never possibly be any moreserviceable; but, on the contrary, highlydetrimentalto both theMOTHERand theINFANT, as aforesaid; I cannot but be of Opinion, that it is both the safest and shortest Way, to extract theSECUNDINE first; by which expeditiousStep, theMIDWIFEnot only gains moreRoomto turn theChild, but also (this being done) she can much more commodiously draw it out by theHeels: Animadverting always by the way, that in this criticalCondition, theBIRTHmust immediately follow theSECUNDINE, without the Loss of one Moment’s Time, andthatespecially for stopping theFloodings, which would otherways not only soon suffocate the weakInfant, but also in a short Space of Time effect the certainDeathof the tenderMother.