Vagitus Uterinus.—Dr. Landsberg, in a long article on the hydro-
static test, in Henke’s ‘ Zeitschrift,’ relates a case of this which occur-
red in the person of a stout muscular woman, who continued in strong
labor-pains from the Saturday to the Thursday, when the liquor amnii
was discharged, and a normal occipital presentation felt. While the
author, finding no cause for interference, was counselling patience to
a very unruly subject, he and others in the small chamber distinctly
heard the voice of the child proceeding from the mother’s belly, sound-
ing just as it would if issuing from underneath a covering. It ceased
after a-while ; and as no progress in the labor seemed to be taking
place, Dr. Landsberg delivered the woman with the forceps, of a still-
born child, which, however, was soon reanimated. He observes, there
was not here the large pelvis which some authors represent as always
found in such cases.
He adds, that there thus may occur cases, in which, although it is
evident the child has breathed, it becomes difficult or impossible to de-
clare whether respiration commenced in utero and became arrested
during the progress of birth, or whether it commenced first after birth,
and was then obstructed by forcible prevention of the entrance of air
into'the passages. In most cases, we have evidence of external vio-
lence, while vagitus uterinus must always be considered a most rare oc-
currence, happening for the most part, only in very tedious labors,
while clandestine labors are usually very rapid ones, the child meeting
its death then from blows, falls, or other injury. As a general rule, we
may say that vagitus uterinus can be supposed to have occurred only—
1. When the labor has been very tedious ; 2, When the liquor amnii
has been long discharged; 3, When there are no objective signs of vi-
olence having been employed upon the child ; 4, When none of the
signs of the accidents are present which commonly result from a tedious
labor, especially apoplexy. Dr. Landsberg, however, quotes a case
related by Zitterland (Henke’s Zeitschrift, 1823, p. 237), in which the
child is stated to have cried long and distinctly before the least signs of
labor came on, the first pains, and the opening of the os uteri not taking
place until the following day. The child was still-born, but restored to
life.
Two other cases, besides the one quoted in our last, have been re-
cently published. One of these occurred to Dr. Falkenbach, who,
during the operation for turning for a cross-birth, and while the child
was undoubtedly entirely within, the uterus, heard it cry loudly several
times, as did other persons in the room. The other case, too, related
by Dr. Koehler, occurred during the attempt to bring down a second
foot in turning. The tone of voice was just like that peculiar one
uttered by the new-born child, but somewhat duller, as though the child
were in a cellar or lower apartment. It continued crying at intervals
for two or three minutes. After this, the delivery was accomplished
quickly, until the shoulders arrived in the pelvis, which was rather nar-
row, while the child was a large one. Both they and the head passed
through with great difficulty, and the child was born dead, beyond re-
covery. The child’s cries, while in utero, were heard by three other
people in the room, as well as by the midwife, who was hard of hear-
ing. The chest was examined twenty-four hours afterwards, and was
found to be well expanded. The convexity of the diaphragm upwards
was less than in the foetal state. Although the lungs did not completely
fill the cavity of the chest, they did so to a considerable extent, in part
covering the pericardium. The lungs, heart, and a very large thymus
gland were removed, and, being placed unseparated in a small vessel
of cold water, swam completely. The lungs were of a bright red,
with here and there some blueish spots. On incision they crepitated,
and some foam and a little blood flowed out. When cut under water,
large air-bubbles rose to the surface, and when divided into small por-
tions, each of these swam. The air-cells of the periphery had alone
not become completely filled with air, whence the blueish spots found
there ; but still, not the smallest portion of the structure sank.—Henke's
Zeitschrift, Suppl.
[This last case is certainly one of high interest in reference to the
inferences to be drawn from the application of the hydrostatic test.
A train of circumstances can be easily imagined, which might have
led to an unjust charge of infanticide, if this test possessed the judicial
authority which it once did.—Ibid.