should now be given one teaspoonful of the fluid extract of
ergot, which should be repeated in an hour. Should there be an excessive
flow of blood after this period it may be again repeated at the third hour.

CUTTING THE CORD.--As soon as the child is born, and of course long before
the after-birth is expelled, the physician will tie the cord. This is best
done at two places, one about two inches from the child, and the other two
or three inches nearer the mother. Cut the cord about one-half inch beyond
the first ligature, which will be between the two ligatures. The cord
should be tied with sterile tape made for the purpose, or heavy twisted
ligature silk, or a narrow, ordinary, strong tape, previously boiled. It
should be tied firmly and inspected a number of times within one hour of
its birth. It is possible for a baby to lose enough blood from a cord badly
tied to cause its death. A very good way to ensure against such an accident
is to cut the cord one inch from the ligature nearest the baby, then turn
this inch backward and retie with the same ligature, thus making a double
tie at the same spot. Cut the cord with scissors that have been boiled and
reserved for this purpose.

WASHING BABY'S EYES AND MOUTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH.--As soon after birth
as is practicable, wash the baby's eyes with a saturated solution of
boracic acid.

Immediately after the eyes have been washed the physician will drop into
them a solution of silver nitrate, three drops of a two per cent. solution
in each eye, or argyrol, three drops 20 per cent. solution. This precaution
is taken against possible infection during labor and, as explained
elsewhere, it is a preventive against certain diseased conditions which, if
present, would result in blindness.

The physician should then wind a little sterile cotton round his moistened
little finger, dip it in the boracic solution, and holding the baby up by
the feet head down, insert this finger into the throat, thus clearing it of
mucus. The tongue and mouth may be gently washed with the same [103]
solution.

After the baby has cried lustily as an evidence of life and strength, he
should be wrapped up in a warm blanket quickly, and immediately put in a
cozy basket in a warm place, and left there undisturbed, with his eyes
shaded from the light until the nurse is ready to attend to him. The baby
should be laid on his right side.

CONDUCT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING LABOR.--As soon as the p