Steinmann, in 1881, further studied this question, and the conclusions he reaches from his experiments are nearly the reverse from those stated above. What in general, then, are we to conclude from these varying experimental studies? That it is of advantage not to hasten the third stage of labor, and this means the rejection of Crea's method. [That Charpentier is in error is apparent from our previous statements in regard to Cred•'s method. We repeat again, that Crede's method does not has ten the third stage of labor, if rightly performed.—Ed.] The cord should not be tied till pulsation has ceased. But is the advantage thus gained as great as Budin, Ribemont, and the partisans in favor of tardy ligature, insist? We do not believe it. During its first life days the infant is sub jected to too many influences which may alter its weight, to warrant us in laying the entire increase to the credit of tardy ligature. In our opin ion, the infant's increase in weight depends rather on the manner and method of its feeding. The amount of milk absorbed by the infant, dur ing the first few days is not always the same, even in perfectly healthy infants. The infant which receives an abundance of milk, which nurses long and vigorously, will always lose less in weight, than the infant under different conditions. It is not sufficient, therefore, to weigh the infant, but we must also compare the quality of milk furnished, and the quantity taken by the infant, not only in twenty-four hours, but after each nursing, or at least obtain the mean amount; we must further weigh the excrement passed by the infant, for thus alone can we obtain all the factors in the problem. The infant, under perfect hygienic and alimentary conditions, not only will lose less in weight, but will also gain more rapid ly, than under the reverse conditions. As for the icterus on which I'orak lays stress, we may generally affirm that it is chiefly in case of feeble, poorly-developed, premature, incompletely, and insufficiently nourished infants, that we see this icterus. As for bleeding frOm the cord, we will
refer to this shortly.
The cord having been tied, the nurse should rub its body with grease or oil to remove the vernix caseosa, and then place it in a warm bath. The physician should assure himself of the temperature of this bath, and it ought not to range above F. Simpson has pointed out the danger to the infant of placing it in a hot bath. At the end of a few minutes, the infant is removed from the bath, wiped perfectly dry, powdered from head to foot with rice-powder. The cord is then to be dressed as follows: It is passed through the centre of a greased piece of linen, which is wrapped around it, and the cord is then laid against the left side of the abdomen, and over it the binder. [A neater method of dressing the cord is to wrap around it a piece of absorbent cotton. This will cling effi ciently, and, not having been greased, the cord is kept dry, and mummi fication progresses to better advantage and without odor.—Ed.] We now proceed to dress the infant, and the clothing varies according to the coun try. The main thing is that the infant be warm. The infant's head should be covered and kept warm, and it is to be placed in its crib, and bottles filled with hot water placed under the crib covering. [We would advise rather that the infant's head be not covered, as is often the case, by the bed-clothes. The child needs pure air, and this it cannot obtain with covered face. Wo have never seen any harm result from never covering the head, whether awake or asleep and letting the child breathe the atmosphere of the nursery. In this country, where means for heating our houses are more perfect than in France, it seems un necessary to place hot water bottles in the infant's crib.—Ed.]