supposed to hold the
flaccid, empty womb in place. This it does not do and we are of the
opinion, that it, in many instances, according to how it is put on,
compresses the womb out of place. The binder is certainly appreciated by
most patients because of its snug, comfortable feeling; and in cases when
the abdominal wall is fat and the muscles soft, it holds them together in a
way that is impossible by the use of any other device. To claim that the
binder prevents hemorrhages is absurd. Our personal rule is to put one on
if the patient wants one, or if she has previously had one. To be
effective, in any sense, the binder should extend from the waist line down
to halfway between the hips and knees and should be snugly, but not too
tightly pinned.

SANITARY NAPKINS.--These can be purchased already prepared in most drug
stores, or they can be made in the following manner: Take an ordinary grade
of cheese cloth, wash it, and when dry, cut it into half yard squares. In
the center of each square place a strip, six or eight inches long, of
absorbent cotton and fold the gauze lengthwise over it so as to make a pad.
These can be used as napkins, and after they are soiled can be burned. It
is absolutely wrong to use rags or any old cloths for napkins, as the
patient can be infected and made seriously sick by this procedure.

HOW TO CALCULATE THE PROBABLE DATE OF THE CONFINEMENT.--The duration of
pregnancy extends for 280 days from the end of the last menstruation. Add
seven days to the date of the last menstruation, and from that date count
ahead nine months, or backward three months and you may have the probable
date of the confinement. Should you pass this time you will probably go on
for two additional weeks. The reason for this is that the most susceptible
time for conception to occur is either during the week following
menstruation or a few days before menstruation. If, therefore, you pass the
above probable date which was calculated from the end of the last
menstruation, it shows that conception did not take place during the [67]
week following that menstruation; and the assumption will be that it took
place a few days before the next menstruation, which will be about two
weeks later than the date as calculated above.

If, for example, a pregnant woman was last sick from January 1st to 5th we
add seven days to the 5th, which is the 12th, to which we add nine months,
which will give us, as the probable date of confinemen