. Obstetrics: the science and the art. st, the head may be actually turned over backwards, permittingthe childs face to fall down into thepelvis. In face presentations, as de-lineated in Fig. 79, annexed, the chinis on one side, and the t o p of theforehead upon the other side of thepelvis. The face seems to be look-ing directly downwards into the ex-cavation or the lower basin. Thiscould not be the case without com-plete departure of the chin fromthe breast (see the figure), andan absolute overset of the headbackwards, as in a person who should be looking upwards at anobject directly overhead
. Obstetrics: the science and the art. st, the head may be actually turned over backwards, permittingthe childs face to fall down into thepelvis. In face presentations, as de-lineated in Fig. 79, annexed, the chinis on one side, and the t o p of theforehead upon the other side of thepelvis. The face seems to be look-ing directly downwards into the ex-cavation or the lower basin. Thiscould not be the case without com-plete departure of the chin fromthe breast (see the figure), andan absolute overset of the headbackwards, as in a person who should be looking upwards at anobject directly overhead. These are what are denominated FacePresentations: a sort of labors that are now thought to be less un-natural and dangerous, than in former times. I am clearly of opinionthat face cases may well be included among the natural labors, ex-cept where some failure in the powers of the woman should causeus to convert them into preternatural ones, feeling obliged to turnand deliver by the feet; to restore tlic vertex by some serious opera-. FACE PRESENTATIONS. 383 tion; or to extract with the forceps, or other instrument. The foetalhead being an oval, five inches long, from the vertex to the chin,and more than three and a half inches wide at the widest part, it oughtto make no difference, as far as the mere head itself is concerned,whether the chin or the vertex advances first in labor, because, ineither case, the same circumferences of the head are presented to thesame planes through which they are to be transmitted. The foramenmagnum of the occipital bone being nearly equidistant from thevertex and chin, and situated on one side of the ovoid, the peculiardifficulties and hazards of these labors are attributable, rather tothe nature of the articulation by which the neck and head are con-joined, than to the form of the head itself when advancing with theface downwards. The nature of this articulation is such, that ex-tension of the head cannot take place so well as flexion ; hence t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectobstetrics, bookyear1
