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e full term； and being safely delivered； the placenta following。 Crisp says of a case of labor that the head of the child was obstructed by a round body； the nature of which he was for some time unable to determine。 He managed to push the obstructing body up and delivered a living； full…term child； this was soon followed by a blighted fetus； which was 11 inches long； weighed 12 ounces； with a placenta attached weighing 6 1/2 ounces。 It is quite common for a blighted fetus to be retained and expelled at term with a living child； its twin。
Bacon speaks of twin pregnancy； with the death of one fetus at the fourth month and the other delivered at term。 Beall reports the conception of twins； with one fetus expelled and the other retained； Beauchamp cites a similar instance。 Bothwell describes a twin labor at term； in which one child was living and the other dead at the fifth month and macerated。 Belt reports an analogous case。 Jameson gives the history of an extraordinary case of twins in which one （dead） child was retained in the womb for forty…nine weeks； the other having been born alive at the expiration of nine months。 Hamilton describes a case of twins in which one fetus died from the effects of an injury between the fourth and fifth months and the second arrived at full period。 Moore cites an instance in which one of the fetuses perished about the third month； but was not expelled until the seventh； and the other was carried to full term。 Wilson speaks of a secondary or blighted fetus of the third month with fatty degeneration of the membranes retained and expelled with its living twin at the eighth month of uterogestation。
There was a case at Riga in 1839 of a robust girl who conceived in February； and in consequence her menses ceased。 In June she aborted； but； to her dismay； soon afterward the symptoms of advanced pregnancy appeared； and in November a full…grown child； doubtless the result of the same impregnation as the fetus； was expelled at the fourth month。 In 1860 Schuh reported an instance before the Vienna Faculty of Medicine in which a fetus was discharged at the third month of pregnancy and the other twin retained until full term。 The abortion was attended with much metrorrhagia； and ten weeks afterward the movements of the other child could be plainly felt and pregnancy continued its course uninterrupted。 Bates mentions a twin pregnancy in which an abortion took place at the second month and was followed by a natural birth at full term。 Hawkins gives a case of miscarriage； followed by a natural birth at full term； and Newnham cites a similar instance in which there was a miscarriage at the seventh month and a birth at full term。
Worms in the Uterus。Haines speaks of a most curious casethat of a woman who had had a miscarriage three days previous； she suffered intense pain and a fetid discharge。 A number of maggots were seen in the vagina； and the next day a mass about the size of an orange came away from the uterus； riddled with holes； and which contained a number of dead maggots； killed by the carbolic acid injection given soon after the miscarriage。 The fact seems inexplicable； but after their expulsion the symptoms immediately ameliorated。 This case recalls a somewhat similar one given by the older writers； in which a fetus was eaten by a worm。 Analogous are those cases spoken of by Bidel of lumbricoides found in the uterus； by Hole； in which maggots were found in the vagina and uterus； and Simpson； in which the abortion was caused by worms in the wombif the associate symptoms were trustworthy。
We can find fabulous parallels to all of these in some of the older writings。 Pare mentions Lycosthenes' account of a woman in Cracovia in 1494 who bore a dead child which had attached to its back a live serpent； which had gnawed it to death。 He gives an illustration showing the serpent in situ。 He also quotes the case of a woman who conceived by a mariner； and who； after nine months； was delivered by a midwife of a shapeless mass； followed by an animal with a long neck； blazing eyes； and clawed feet。 Ballantyne says that in the writings of Hippocrates there is in the work on 〃Diseases〃； which is not usually regarded as genuine； a some what curious statement with regard to worms in the fetus。 It is affirmed that flat worms develop in the unborn infant； and the reason given is that the feces are expelled so soon after birth that there would not be sufficient time during extrauterine life for the formation of creatures of such a size。 The same remark applies to round worms。 The proof of these statements is to be found in the fact that many infants expel both these varieties of parasites with the first stool。 It is difficult to know what to make of these opinions； for； with the exception of certain cases in some of the seventeenth and eighteenth century writers； there are no records in medicine of the occurrence of vermes in the infant at birth。 It is possible that other things； such as dried pieces of mucus； may have been erroneously regarded as worms。
CHAPTER III。
OBSTETRIC ANOMALIES。
General Considerations。In discussing obstetric anomalies we shall first consider those strange instances in which stages of parturition are unconscious and for some curious reason the pains of labor absent。 Some women are anatomically constituted in a manner favorable to child…birth； and pass through the experience in a comparatively easy manner； but to the great majority the throes of labor are anticipated with extreme dread； particularly by the victims of the present fashion of tight lacing。
It seems strange that a physiologic process like parturition should be attended by so much pain and difficulty。 Savages in their primitive and natural state seem to have difficulty in many cases； and even animals are not free from it。 We read of the ancient wild Irish women breaking the pubic bones of their female children shortly after birth； and by some means preventing union subsequently； in order that these might have less trouble in child…birthas it were； a modified and early form of symphysiotomy。 In consequence of this custom the females of this race； to quote an old English authority； had a 〃waddling； lamish gesture in their going。〃 These old writers said that for the same reason the women in some parts of Italy broke the coccyxes of their female children。 This report is very likely not veracious； because this bone spontaneously repairs itself so quickly and easily。 Rodet and Engelmunn； in their most extensive and interesting papers on the modes of accouchement among the primitive peoples； substantiate the fear； pain； and difficulty with which labor is attended； even in the lowest grades of society。
In view of the usual occurrence of pain and difficulty with labor； it seems natural that exceptions to the general rule should in all ages have attracted the attention of medical men； and that literature should be replete with such instances。 Pechlin and Muas record instances of painless births。 The Ephemerides records a birth as having occurred during asphyxia； and also one during an epileptic attack。 Storok also speaks of birth during unconsciousness in an epileptic attack； and Haen and others describe cases occurring dur