Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Stofft.
The friendly relations between some german and french physicians played an important part in the progress of science, chiefly during the nineteenth century. As concerns the present study, the 1831 Paris journey of Eduard von Siebold, obstetrician and historian, constitutes a significant episode.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The authors report one case of idiopathic dilatation of the colon (O'Gilvie's syndrome) which was complicated by perforation of the caecum following a caesarean operation. They study the cases associated with pregnancy from 1913 to 1984. They discuss pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. They insist on the usefulness of colonoscopy.
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Laennec wrote in the second edition of his Treaty on Auscultation (1826, II, 457) : "I never thought of applying auscultation to studying the phenomena of pregnancy. This fortunate idea came to my compatriot and friend Monsieur le docteur de Kergaradec." It was in fact on the 26th December 1821 that Kergaradec read his "Memoire on Auscultation as applied to the study of pregnancy" and posed the vital question : "Would it not be possible to judge the state of health or illness of the fetus from the variations in the strength and frequency of the fetal heart beat?" The answer 160 years later, after so much work has been done by innumerable authors is : yes, the fetal heart does make it possible to judge as to the vitality or the distress of the fetus! It is right that today obstetricians should stop a little and think about Kergaradec's existence on earth and on the everlastingness of his inspired prophecy, for he was the first to think of it.
What shall we do in front of a new born looking as a dead one? François Chaussier (1746-1828) recommended Oxygen gas (Dijon 1781) and, further laryngo-intubation (Paris 1806). Closely versed in basic sciences, it did not need to be very bold to do the trick in such an occurence. Senior-Physician in Paris Maternity Hospital from 1804 to his death, he was Senior-Obstetricians' intimate friend (Jean-Louis Baudelocque and, after 1810, Antoine and Paul Dubois) as well as with Senior-Midwives, chiefly Madame La chapelle who died in 1821. Then, that Maternity Hospital, not only reputed for obstetrics success get mother-and-baby pathology top marks under Chaussier.
Surgery forerunner, Ambroise Pare was an obstetrical tiptop man, too. As soon as he began to study midwifery, he gave a sharp look upon podalic version which he published in 1549-1550 and 1573 arousing a lot of eminent followers. Among them: Jacques Guillemeau et Louise Bourgeois (1609), Nicolas Puzos (1743), William Smellie (1752), Jean-Francois Malgaigne (1841), Eduard von Siebold (1845), Karl Schroder (1870), Francois-Joseph Herrgott (1882), Vittorio Pedote (1966). Nevertheless, if, nowadays, podalic version is becoming scarce, it remains useful from time to time.