Statistics of the Lying-in Hospital at Berlin.—The number of ac-
couchements from 1st January, 1836, till 31st December, 1841, was
4124, of which 1435 were primiparce. The number of women delivered
in the hospital was 1349, of whom 27 died. The number delivered in
their own houses was 2775, of whom 33 died. The number of twin
cases was 58. Of the 4182 children, 2141 were males, 1997 females,
and of 44 the sex is not given. Of 4080 born at the full time, 262
were still-born; of these 56 were in the hospital, and 206 in the
patients’ houses. 102 were born before the full period. Presentations
—of head 3846, face 26, brow 3, breech 98, footling 63, knee 2, 83
completely irregular. In 61 cases of premature labor the presentation
could not be discovered. 3572 deliveries took place without assistance;
while in 552 the following assistance was required :—In 358 the for-
ceps were applied; 101 extractions of the child ; 2 irregular presenta-
tions rectified; 14 turning on the head, 1 on the breech, 75 on the feet;
7 forced deliveries, 7 premature deliveries; 6 cases of perforation; 8 of
breaking down the head; 1 embryotomy; 2 caesarian operations during
the life of the mother, 1 after death; in 9 cases the cord, having pro-
lapsed alongside of the head, was replaced; the placenta was artificially
removed in 110 cases ; in 3 the perineum was incised.
There were 67 cases of contraction of the pelvis from rickets. Of
these, delivery was effected in 3 by the caesarian section, in 1 by em-
bryotomy, in 5 by perforation, in 8 by breaking down the head, in 5 by
inducing premature labor, in 41 by the forceps, and in 2 by bringing
down the feet.
Of the above 67, 9 mothers died; 2 after the caesarian operation, 1
after embryotomy, 1 after perforation, 1 after breaking down the head,
2 after difficult delivery by the forceps, and 2 of haemorrhage, following
in one case, perforation, in the other, the application of the forceps.
In these cases 36 children were delivered dead, 32 (1 case of twins)
were delivered alive.
Of the children born dead 5 were delivered by perforation, 8 by
breaking down the head, 1 by embryotomy, 1 by artificial premature
birth, 5 by turning and extraction by the feet, 1 by delivery by the
feet, 14 by application of the forceps, and 1 by the caesarian opera-
tion.— Glasgow Med. Journ. from A. Lereboullet und M. Ruefz. Zeits-
chrift fur Geburtskunde.