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IF
on the contrary, and what the most frequently happens, you
fall into the hands of one of the common men-midwives, either
of that multitude of disciples of Dr. Smellie, trained up
at the feet of his artificial doll, or in short of those self-constituted
men-midwives made out of broken barbers, tailors, or even
pork-butchers
(I know myself one of this last trade, who, after passing
half his life in stuffing sausages, is turned an intrepid
physician and man-midwife) must not, I say, practitioners
of this stamp be admirably fitted, as well for the manual
operation, as for the prescriptions? If then it is from thrift
they are employed, by way of sparing fees to a real physician,
I own, I think this is pushing savingness too far; as I
should be almost as much afraid of the prescriptions of these
mock-doctors as of their operation. I should have more confidence
in the advice of a discreet matron, or of a skilful midwife,
who, by habit and a long experience of seeing ladies in their
lyings-in attended by the best physicians, is in the most
common cases of the labor-pains,
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