University of Virginia Library

3. Prone upon the Stomach.

This peculiar position has but few adherents; in fact, I can find no traces of it elsewhere than among the Creeks, who assume an over-done knee-chest position; i. e., prone upon chest and stomach, in ordinary cases. "When the fetus is about to be expelled the mother straps the belt

across her chest, allowing it to extend somewhat on to the abdomen. As the labor proceeds the strap is buckled tighter and tighter, until the expulsion is accomplished; meantime the position assumed by the mother is prone upon her face, her chest and abdomen across the pillow; in this position she remains until the expulsion. She then stands up, resting on a stick of some sort, with the feet spread wide apart. This is to let the blood flow more freely, and, so they think, to allow the placenta to be more rapidly and easily delivered.''[139]

Upon the Island of Ceram, as well as in Loango, and other districts of Central Africa, the patient is placed upon her stomach if labor does not progress in the ordinary position,

and the expulsion of the child is hastened by kneading or tramping upon the back of the sufferer.

A peculiar custom may yet be mentioned which is still observed, to the great discomfort of the parturient woman, among some of our western Indians, as well as among the more civilized natives of Syria; and that is, to toss the suffering patient in a blanket, the four corners of which are held by stout men, so that she is well shaken, with a view, probably, of rectifying the malposition, and shaking out the fetus from the unwilling womb.