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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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Obstetrics and Gynecology 213to build these ly<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong> quarters <strong>in</strong> the vic<strong>in</strong>ity <strong>of</strong> runn<strong>in</strong>g water when possible.This provided an opportunity for the puerpera to bathe herself andher baby soon after delivery with a m<strong>in</strong>imum danger <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>fection s<strong>in</strong>cerunn<strong>in</strong>g water tends to sterilize itself. Hemorrhage was treated <strong>in</strong> sometribes by squirt<strong>in</strong>g cold water on the abdomen or immers<strong>in</strong>g the patient <strong>in</strong>runn<strong>in</strong>g water.Nurs<strong>in</strong>g was started anywhere from the first to the fourth day and wascont<strong>in</strong>ued for one or two years. Castor bean juice was rubbed on the breastto stimulate milk flow. Asafoetida or charcoal was applied to the breastwhen the baby was weaned. The Indians knew noth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> breast <strong>in</strong>fectionsor milk fever.Transverse presentations were among the most serious complications <strong>of</strong>labor <strong>in</strong> the Indian women, usually end<strong>in</strong>g fatally due to uter<strong>in</strong>e rupture.The outcome was accepted philosophically by the Indians who blamed themalposition on the baby and assumed that, because it was so evil, the tribewas better <strong>of</strong>f than if it had been born alive and developed <strong>in</strong>to a troublemaker<strong>in</strong> its later life.Early age<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Indian women was not characteristic. Little was known<strong>of</strong> the age at which the menopause occurred because few Indian womenknew their age.The facts regard<strong>in</strong>g Indian obstetrics are difficult to ascerta<strong>in</strong> becausethere is extreme reticence on the part <strong>of</strong> the Indians to discuss these subjectswith white people. White doctors are rarely called <strong>in</strong> to assist, even<strong>in</strong> serious cases.The Rise <strong>of</strong> Specialization <strong>in</strong> Obstetrics and GynecologyIn order to understand the specific problems that confronted the earlypractitioners, one must view the general field <strong>of</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> that period.Noth<strong>in</strong>g was known about bacteriology as such and its relationship tothe <strong>practice</strong> <strong>of</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e. Organisms were known to exist, but their significance<strong>in</strong> obstetric and gynecologic problems was just beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to besensed by pioneer th<strong>in</strong>kers like Oliver Wendell Holmes <strong>in</strong> 1843 an

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