. Obstetrics: the science and the art. minutes of pain. 86. Os Coecygis.—I here present a figure that represents the ter-minal or caudal extremity of the spinal column, of the natural is called os coecygis or cuckoo-bone, in vulgar language the crup-per-bone. It consists of three pieces, altogether about an inch anda half long, that are separable in the young,^^ ? but become anchylosed into one solid piece as advance is made in years. Two styloid pro-cesses ascend from the posterior lateral sur-faces to rest upon the back part of the apex ofthe sacrum, and prevent the point of thecoccy
. Obstetrics: the science and the art. minutes of pain. 86. Os Coecygis.—I here present a figure that represents the ter-minal or caudal extremity of the spinal column, of the natural is called os coecygis or cuckoo-bone, in vulgar language the crup-per-bone. It consists of three pieces, altogether about an inch anda half long, that are separable in the young,^^ ? but become anchylosed into one solid piece as advance is made in years. Two styloid pro-cesses ascend from the posterior lateral sur-faces to rest upon the back part of the apex ofthe sacrum, and prevent the point of thecoccyx from being driven too far backwardsby the displacing pressure of the foetus inlabor. These c o r n u a, however, are notstrong enough always to resist, and they oc-casionally break off with a loud sound. Thesound may be heard at the distance of manyfeet from the woman in travail. In general, no very great incon-venience is produced by this fracture; although there are instancesin which a long-continued pain follows the THE PELVIS. 53 37. In young women, as the articulation of the coccyx and sacrumis a movable one, anchylosis taking place only in those who beginto grow old, it is better that a woman should have her first child before this bony anchylosis takes place, inasmuch as, when the sacrumand coccyx have become immovably joined together, the point ofthe little bone may arrest or distressingly retard the acts of child-birth. 38. The movableness of the coccyx upon the sacrum is muchrelied upon as a means of amplifying the antero-posterior diameterof the lower strait of the pelvis; but I do not think that the pointof the coccyx usually recedes much during the transit of the foetalhead in parturition. Though most writers attribute to the coccyx apower to recede very considerably, my own observation has led meto regard this recession as less than it is generally reputed to be,and reflection confirms this doubt. The point cannot go very farbackwards but at the exp
Size: 1331px × 1877px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectobstetrics, bookyear1
