labor.

When the baby is born it is fully formed but its lungs have never
contained air. At the first cry the air rushes into the lungs and
expands them. At birth there is a change in the circulation of the blood
of the baby. Before this time, the blood has passed to and from the
placenta through the cord but now this is stopped. Before birth there
was an opening between the right and left sides of the heart but this
closes during the first few days of the child's life. To assist in this
closure, it is wise to keep the child on its right side for a few days.
Rarely, this opening never closes and we have what is called a "blue
baby," which seldom lives very long.

In a great many cases, painless childbirth could be a possibility by a
little attention to diet, exercise and other hygienic measures during
the last few months of pregnancy. Knowing this, it seems inconceivable
that any woman would neglect to so fully inform herself on these matters
that both she and her child could have all benefit of the investigations
of science.

CHAPTER IX

ABORTIONS

Sometimes through an accident or on account of disease, the womb expels
the foetus before it is fully developed. If this occurs before the end
of the third month we call it an abortion; if it occurs between the
third and seventh months we call it a miscarriage; while if it occurs
after the seventh month but before the normal time of labor we call it a
premature labor.

Formerly it was considered that there was no possibility of the child
living if it were born before the seventh month. Now, by the aid of
incubators, even those born at five months have a chance to live. By
that time the body is fully formed, so the chief requirements are a
steady temperature and proper care and food. Great care must be
exercised, as a slight cooling of the air may result in the death of the
babe.

Abortions are either accidental, criminal, or justifiable, that is,
brought on to preserve the life of the mother. Accidental abortions may
follow a sudden fall or a sudden shock, either mental or physical, to
the mother. They may be due to some disease either of the mother or of
the foetus. Of the diseases responsible for abortions the one with the
largest percentage is syphilis. It is estimated that this disease is
responsible for forty per cent. of accidental abortions and
miscarriages. Whenever a physician has for a patient a woman who gives a
history of having had several abo