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ribes the case of a negro woman who； being unable to bear the pains of labor any longer； took a sharp knife and made a deep incision in her bellydeep enough to wound the buttocks of her child； and extracted the child； placenta and all。 A negro horse…doctor was called； who sewed the wound up in a manner similar to the way dead bodies are closed at the present time。
Barker gives the instance of a woman who； on being abused by her husband after a previous tedious labor； resolved to free herself of the child； and slyly made an incision five inches long on the left side of the abdomen with a weaver's knife。 When Barker arrived the patient was literally drenched with blood and to all appearance dead。 He extracted a dead child from the abdomen and bandaged the mother； who lived only forty hours。 In his discourses on Tropical Diseases Moseley speaks of a young negress in Jamaica who opened her uterus and extracted therefrom a child which lived six days； the woman recovered。 Barker relates another case in Rensselaer County； N。Y。； in which the incision was made with the razor； the woman likewise recovering。 There is an interesting account of a poor woman at Prischtina； near the Servian frontier； who； suffering greatly from the pains of labor； resolved to open her abdomen and uterus。 She summoned a neighbor to sew up the incision after she had extracted the child； and at the time of report； several months later； both the mother and child were doing well。
Madigan cites the case of a woman of thirty…four； in her seventh confinement； who； while temporarily insane； laid open her abdomen with a razor； incised the uterus； and brought out a male child。 The abdominal wound was five inches long； and extended from one inch above the umbilicus straight downward。 There was little or no bleeding and the uterus was firmly contracted。 She did not see a physician for three hours。 The child was found dead and； with the placenta； was lying by her side。 The neighbors were so frightened by the awful sight that they ran away； or possibly the child might have been saved by ligature of the funis。 Not until the arrival of the clergyman was anything done； and death ultimately ensued。
A most wonderful case of endurance of pain and heroism was one occurring in Italy； which attracted much European comment at the time。 A young woman； illegitimately pregnant； at full term； on March 28th； at dawn； opened her own abdomen on the left side with a common knife such as is generally used in kitchens。 The wound measured five inches； and was directed obliquely outward and downward。 She opened the uterus in the same direction； and endeavored to extract the fetus。 To expedite the extraction； she drew out an arm and amputated it； and finding the extraction still difficult； she cut off the head and completely emptied the womb； including the placenta。 She bound a tight bandage around her body and hid the fetus in a straw mattress。 She then dressed herself and attended to her domestic duties。 She afterward mounted a cart and went into the city of Viterbo； where she showed her sister a cloth bathed in blood as menstrual proof that she was not pregnant。 On returning home； having walked five hours； she was seized with an attack of vomiting and fainted。 The parents called Drs。 Serpieri and Baliva； who relate the case。 Thirteen hours had elapsed from the infliction of the wound； through which the bulk of the intestines had been protruding for the past six hours。 The abdomen was irrigated； the toilet made； and after the eighteenth day the process of healing was well progressed； and the woman made a recovery after her plucky efforts to hide her shame。
Cases like the foregoing excite no more interest than those on record in which an abdominal section has been accidental； as； for instance； by cattle…horns； and the fetus born through the wound。 Zuboldie speaks of a case in which a fetus was born from the wound made by a bull's horn in the mother's abdomen。 Deneux describes a case in which the wound made by the horn was not sufficiently large to permit the child's escape； but it was subsequently brought through the opening。 Pigne speaks of a woman of thirty…eight； who in the eighth month of her sixth pregnancy was gored by a bull； the horn effecting a transverse wound 27 inches long； running from one anterior spine to the other。 The woman was found cold and insensible and with an imperceptible pulse。 The small intestines were lying between the thighs and covered with coagulated blood。 In the process of cleansing； a male child was expelled spontaneously through a rent in the uterus。 The woman was treated with the usual precautions and was conscious at midday。 In a month she was up。 She lived twenty years without any inconvenience except that due to a slight hernia on the left side。 The child died at the end of a fortnight。
In a very exhaustive article Harris of Philadelphia has collected nearly all the remaining cases on record； and brief extracts from some of them will be given below。 In Zaandam； Holland； 1647； a farmer's wife was tossed by a furious bull。 Her abdomen was ripped open； and the child and membranes escaped。 The child suffered no injuries except a bruised upper lip and lived nine months。 The mother died within forty hours of her injuries。 Figure 19 taken from an engraving dated 1647； represents an accouchement by a mad bull； possibly the same case。 In Dillenberg； Germany； in 1779； a multipara was gored by an ox at her sixth month of pregnancy； the horn entered the right epigastric region； three inches from the linea alba； and perforated the uterus。 The right arm of the fetus protruded； the wound was enlarged and the fetus and placenta delivered。 Thatcher speaks of a woman who was gored by a cow in King's Park； and both mother and child were safely delivered and survived。
In the Parish of Zecoytia； Spain； in 1785； Marie Gratien was gored by an ox in the superior portion of her epigastrium； making a wound eight inches long which wounded the uterus in the same direction。 Dr。 Antonio di Zubeldia and Don Martin Monaco were called to take charge of the case。 While they were preparing to effect delivery by the vagina； the woman； in an attack of singultus； ruptured the line of laceration and expelled the fetus； dead。 On the twenty…first day the patient was doing well。 The wound closed at the end of the sixteenth week。 The woman subsequently enjoyed excellent health and； although she had a small ventral hernia； bore and nursed two children。
Marsh cites the instance of a woman of forty…two； the mother of eight children； who when eight months pregnant was horned by a cow。 Her clothes were not torn； but she felt that the child had slipped out； and she caught it in her dress。 She was seen by some neighbors twelve yards from the place of accident； and was assisted to her house。 The bowels protruded and the child was separated from the funis。 A physician saw the woman three…quarters of an hour afterward and found her pulseless and thoroughly exhausted。 There was considerable but not excessive loss of blood； and several feet of intestine protruded through the wound。 The womb was partially inverted through the wound； and the placenta was still attached to the inverted portion。 Th