This at
least is the view taken by Hoffman and others in the solution of
these strange cases.
Antepartum Crying of the Child.--There are on record fabulous
cases of children crying in the uterus during pregnancy, and all
sorts of unbelievable stories have been constructed from these
reported occurrences. Quite possible, however, and worthy of
belief are the cases in which the child has been heard to cry
during the progress of parturition--that is, during delivery.
Jonston speaks of infants crying in the womb, and attempts a
scientific explanation of the fact. He also quotes the following
lines in reference to this subject:--
"Mirandum foetus nlaterna clausus in alvo
Dicitur insuetos ore dedisse sonos.
Causa subest; doluit se angusta sede telleri
Et cupiit magnae cernere moliis opus.
Aut quia quaerendi studio vis fessa parentum
Aucupii aptas innuit esse manus."
The Ephemerides gives examples of the child hiccoughing in the
uterus. Cases of crying before delivery, some in the vagina, some
just before the complete expulsion of the head from the os uteri,
are very numerous in the older writers; and it is quite possible
that on auscultation of the pregnant abdomen fetal sounds may
have been exaggerated into cries.
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