anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第15部分

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s　in　length　and　weighed　about　8　ounces。　The　head　was　sufficiently　developed　and　the　cranial　bones　considerably　advanced　in　ossification。　He　tied　the　cord　and　placed　the　fetus　in　warm　water。　It　drew　up　its　feet　and　arms　and　turned　its　head　from　one　side　to　the　other；　opening　its　mouth　and　trying　to　breathe。　It　continued　in　this　wise　for　an　hour；　the　action　of　the　heart　being　visible　ten　minutes　after　the　movements　ceased。　From　its　imperfectly　developed　genitals　it　was　supposed　to　have　been　a　female。　Professor　J。　Muller；　to　whom　it　was　shown；　said　that　it　was　not　more　than　four　months　old；　and　this　coincided　with　the　mother's　calculation。

Villemin　before　the　Societe　Obstetricale　et　Gynecologique　reported　the　case　of　a　two…year…old　child；　born　in　the　sixth　month　of　pregnancy。　That　the　child　had　not　had　six　months　of　intrauterine　life　he　could　vouch；　the　statement　being　borne　out　by　the　last　menstrual　period　of　the　mother；　the　date　of　the　first　fetal　movements；　the　child's　weight；　which　was　30　1/2　ounces；　and　its　appearance。　Budin　had　had　this　infant　under　observation　from　the　beginning　and　corroborated　Villemin's　statements。　He　had　examined　infants　of　six　or　seven　months　that　had　cried　and　lived　a　few　days；　and　had　found　the　alveolar　cavities　filled　with　epithelial　cells；　the　lung　sinking　when　placed　in　a　vessel　of　water。　Charpentier　reported　a　case　of　premature　birth　in　his　practice；　the　child　being　not　more　than　six　and　a　half　months　and　weighing　33　1/2　ounces。　So　sure　was　he　that　it　would　not　live　that　he　placed　it　in　a　basin　while　he　attended　to　the　mother。　After　this　had　been　done；　the　child　being　still　alive；　he　wrapped　it　in　cotton　and　was　surprised　next　day　to　find　it　alive。　It　was　then　placed　in　a　small；　well…heated　room　and　fed　with　a　spoon　on　human　milk；　on　the　twelfth　day　it　could　take　the　breast；　since　which　time　it　thrived　and　grew。

There　is　a　case　on　record　of　a　child　viable　at　six　months　and　twenty　days。　The　mother　had　a　miscarriage　at　the　beginning　of　1877；　after　which　menstruation　became　regular；　appearing　last　from　July　3　to　9；　1877。　On　January　28；　1878；　she　gave　birth　to　a　male　infant；　which　was　wrapped　in　wadding　and　kept　at　an　artificial　temperature。　Being　unable　to　suckle；　it　was　fed　first　on　diluted　cow's　milk。　It　was　so　small　at　birth　that　the　father　passed　his　ring　over　the　foot　almost　to　the　knee。　On　the　thirteenth　day　it　weighed　1250　grams；　and　at　the　end　of　a　week　it　was　taking　the　breast。　In　December；　1879；　it　had　16　teeth；　weighed　10　kilograms；　walked　with　agility；　could　pronounce　some　words；　and　was　especially　intelligent。　Capuron　relates　an　instance　of　a　child　born　after　a　pregnancy　of　six　and　a　half　months　and　in　excellent　health　at　two　years；　and　another　living　at　ten　years　of　the　same　age　at　birth。　Tait　speaks　of　a　living　female　child；　born　on　the　one　hundred　and　seventy…ninth　day；　with　no　nails　on　its　fingers　or　toes；　no　hair；　the　extremities　imperfectly　developed；　and　the　skin　florid　and　thin。　It　was　too　feeble　to　grasp　its　mother's　nipple；　and　was　fed　for　three　weeks　by　milk　from　the　breast　through　a　quill。　At　forty　days　it　weighed　3　pounds　and　measured　13　inches。　Before　the　expiration　of　three　months　it　died　of　measles。　Dodd　describes　a　case　in　which　the　catamenia　were　on　the　24th　of　June；　1838；　and　continued　a　week；　the　woman　bore　twins　on　January　11；　1839；　one　of　which　survived；　the　other　dying　a　few　minutes　after　birth。　She　was　never　irregular；　prompt　to　the　hour；　and　this　fact；　coupled　with　the　diminutive　size　of　the　children；　seemed　to　verify　the　duration　of　the　pregnancy。　In　1825；　Baber　of　Buxur；　India；　spoke　of　a　child　born　at　six　and　a　half　months；　who　at　the　age　of　fifty　days　weighed　1　pound　and　13　ounces　and　was　14　inches　long。　The　longest　circumference　of　the　head　was　10　inches　and　the　shortest　9。1　inches。　The　child　suckled　freely　and　readily。　In　Spaeth's　clinic　there　was　a　viable　infant　at　six　and　a　half　months　weighing　900　grams。　Spaeth　says　that　he　has　known　a　child　of　six　months　to　surpass　in　eventual　development　its　brothers　born　at　full　term。

In　some　cases　there　seems　to　be　a　peculiarity　in　women　which　manifests　itself　by　regular　premature　births。　La　Motte；　van　Swieten；　and　Fordere　mention　females　who　always　brought　forth　their　conceptions　at　the　seventh　month。

The　incubator　seems　destined　to　be　the　future　means　of　preserving　these　premature　births。　Several　successful　cases　have　been　noticed；　and　by　means　of　an　incubator　Tarnier　succeeded　in　raising　infants　which　at　the　age　of　six　months　were　above　the　average。　A　full　description　of　the　incubator　may　be　found。　The　modified　Auvard　incubator　is　easily　made；　the　accompanying　illustrations　（Figs。　5；　6；　and　7）　explain　its　mechanism。　Several　improved　incubators　have　been　described　in　recent　years；　but　the　Auvard　appears　to　be　the　most　satisfactory。

The　question　of　retardation　of　labor；　like　that　of　premature　birth；　is　open　to　much　discussion；　and　authorities　differ　as　to　the　limit　of　protraction　with　viability。　Aulus　Gellius　says　that；　after　a　long　conversation　with　the　physicians　and　wise　men；　the　Emperor　Adrian　decided　in　a　case　before　him；　that　of　a　woman　of　chaste　manners　and　irreproachable　character；　the　child　born　eleven　months　after　her　husband's　death　was　legitimate。　Under　the　Roman　law　the　Decenviri　established　that　a　woman　may　bear　a　viable　child　at　the　tenth　month　of　pregnancy。　Paulus　Zacchias；　physician　to　Pope　Innocent　X；　declared　that　birth　may　be　retarded　to　the　tenth　month；　and　sometimes　to　a　longer　period。　A　case　was　decided　in　the　Supreme　Court　of　Friesland；　a　province　in　the　northern　part　of　the　Netherlands；　October；　1634；　in　which　a　child　born　three　hundred　and　thirty…three　days　after　the　death　of　the　husband　was　pronounced　legitimate。　The　Parliament　of　Paris　was　gallant　enough　to　come　to　the　rescue　of　a　widow　and　save　her　reputation　by　declaring　that　a　child　born　after　a　fourteen　months'　gestation　was　legitimate。　Bartholinus　speaks　of　an　unmarried　woman　of　Leipzig　who　was　delivered　after　a　pregnancy　of　sixteen　months。　The　civil　code　of　France　provides　that　three　hundred　days　shall　constitute　the　longest　period　of　the　legitimacy　of　an　infant；　the　Scottish　law；　three　hundred　days；　and　the　Prussian　law；　three　hundred　and　one　days。

There　are　numerous　cases　recorded　by　the　older　writers。　Amman　has　one　of　twelve　months'　duration；　Enguin；　one　of　twelve　months'；　Buchner；　a　case　of　twelve　months'；　Benedictus；　one　of　fourteen　months'；　de　Blegny；　one　of　nineteen　months'；　Marteau；　Osiander；　and　others　of　forty…two　and　forty…four　weeks'；　and　Stark's　Archives；　one　of　forty…five　weeks'；　living；　and　also　another　case　of　forty…four　weeks'。　An　incredible　case　is　recorded　of　an　infant　which　lived　after　a　three　years'　gestation。　Instances　of　twelve　months'　duration　are　also　recorded。　Jonston　quotes　Paschal　in　relating　an　instance　of　birth　after　pregnancy　of　twenty…three　months；　Aventium；　one　after　two　years；　and　Mercurialis；　a　birth　after　a　four　years'　gestationwhich　is；　of　course；　beyond　belief。

Thormeau　writes　from　Tours；　1580；　of　a　case　of　gestation　prolonged　to　the　twenty…third　month；　and　Santorini；　at　Venice；　in　1721；　describes　a　similar　case；　the　child　reaching　adult　life。　Elvert　records　a　case　of　late　pregnancy；　and　Henschel　one　of　forty…six　weeks；　but　the　fetus　was　dead。　Schneider　cites　an　instance　of　three　hundred　and　eight　days'　duration。　Campbell　says　that　Simpson　had　cases　of　three　hundred　and　nineteen；　three　hundred　and　thirty…two；　and　three　hundred　and　thirty…six　days'；　Meigs　had　one　of　four　hundred　and　twenty。　James　Reid；　in　a　table　of　500　mature　births；　gives　14　as　being　from　three　hundred　and　two　to　three　hundred　and　fifteen　days'。

Not　so　long　ago　a　jury　rendered　a　verdict　of　guilty　of　fornication　and　bastardy　when　it　was　alleged　that　the　child　was　born　three　hundred　and　seventeen　days　after　intercourse。　Taylor　relates　a　case　of　pregnancy　in　which　the　wife　of　a　laborer　went　to　America　three　hundred　and　twenty…two　days　before　the　birth。　Jaffe　describes　an　instance　of　the　prolongation　of　pregnancy　for　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　days；　in　which　the　developments　and　measurements　corresponded　to　the　length　of　protraction。　Bryan　speaks　of　a　woman　of　twenty…five　who　became　pregnant　on　February　10；　1876；　and　on　June　17th　felt　motion。　On　July　28th　she　was　threatened　with　miscarriage；　and　by　his　advice　the　woman　weaned　the　child　at　the　breast。　She　expected　to　be　confined　the　middle　of　November；　1876；　but　the　expected　event　did　not　occur　until　April　26；　1877；　nine　months　after　the　quickening　and　four　hundred　and　forty　days　from　the　time　of　conception。　The　boy　was　active　and　weighed　nine　pounds。　The　author　cites　Meigs'　case；　and　also　one　of　Atlee's；　at　three　hundred　and　fifty…six　days。

Talcott；　Superintendent　of　the　State　Homeopathic　Asylum　for　the　Insane；　explained　the　pregnancy　of　an　inmate　who　had　been　confined　for　four　years　in　this　institution　as　one　of　protracted　labor。　He　said　that　many　such　cases　have　been　reported；　and　that　something　less　than　two　years　before　he　had　charge　of　a　case　in　which　the　child　was　born。　He　made　the　report　to　the　New　York　Senate　Commission　on　Asylums　for　the　Insane　as　one　of　three　years'　protraction。　Tidd　speaks　of　a　woman　who　was　delivered　of　a　male　child　at　term；　and　again　in　ten　months　delivered　of　a　well…developed　male　child　weighing　7　1/4　pounds；　he　relates　the　history　of　another　case；　in　Clifton；　W。　Va。；　of　a　woman　expecting　confinement　on　June　1st　going　over　to　September　16th；　the　fetus　being　in　the　uterus　over　twelve　months；　and　nine　months　after　quickening　was　felt。

Two　extraordinary　cases　are　mentioned；　one　in　a　woman　of　thirty…five；　who　expected　to　be　confined　April　24；　1883。　In　May　she　had　a　few　labor…pains　that　passed　away；　and　during　the　next　six　months　she　remained　about　as　large　as　usual；　and　was　several　times　thought　to　be　in　the　early　stages　of　labor。　In　September　the　os　dilated　until　the　first　and　second　fingers　could　be　passed　directly　to　the　head。　This　condition　lasted　about　a　month；　but　passed　away。　At　times　during　the　last　nine　months　of　pregnancy　she　was　almost　unable　to　endure　the　movements　of　the　child。　Finally；　on　the　morning　of　November　6th；　after　a　pregnancy　of　four　hundred　and　seventy…six　days；　she　was　delivered　of　a　male　child　weighing　13　pounds