She was never
irregular, prompt to the hour, and this fact, coupled with the
diminutive size of the children, seemed to verify the duration of
the pregnancy. In 1825, Baber of Buxur, India, spoke of a child
born at six and a half months, who at the age of fifty days
weighed 1 pound and 13 ounces and was 14 inches long. The longest
circumference of the head was 10 inches and the shortest 9.1
inches. The child suckled freely and readily. In Spaeth's clinic
there was a viable infant at six and a half months weighing 900
grams. Spaeth says that he has known a child of six months to
surpass in eventual development its brothers born at full term.
In some cases there seems to be a peculiarity in women which
manifests itself by regular premature births. La Motte, van
Swieten, and Fordere mention females who always brought forth
their conceptions at the seventh month.
The incubator seems destined to be the future means of preserving
these premature births. Several successful cases have been
noticed, and by means of an incubator Tarnier succeeded in
raising infants which at the age of six months were above the
average. A full description of the incubator may be found. The
modified Auvard incubator is easily made; the accompanying
illustrations (Figs.
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