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GESTATION AND PARTURITION. 441
walk, instead of saving her
womb begins to dilate, as
well as the vagina. There
is a disposition to evacuate
the bladder and rectum
with unusual frequency.
Sometimes there is chill or
tremor at the beginning.
The preparatory processes
with the
are accompanied
exudation of a glairy mu
cus, which continues dur
ing the whole process.
When the labor is pain
ful, it is divided into two
—the stages pains of dilata
tion and those of expulsion.
But both processes may
take place with little or no
pain. At first the efforts
occur at long intervals : the
pain is in the small of the
back. They are sharp,
grinding pains,
and seem,
as the patient says, to do
no good. But after the
mouth of the uterus is
dilated, the action changes.
The body of the uterus
contracts with all its fibers,
and with wonderful force.
This action is quite invol-
Gravid uterus,with the bag of waters
protruding into the vagina.
Fig. 71.
uccessive positions of the head in
most frequent presentations, the
; to the sacrum.