Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].

sometimes carried out during ancBsthesia, and thus the woman's co-operation is excluded. But there are also many cases in which anaesthesia is contraindicated for a variety of reasons, or even unavailable. And if there is a simultaneous lack of trained assistance, then indeed, the life of the baby and the future welfare of the mother—her health, her power to work and her sexual efficiency, even her life itself—may all depend on her power to co-operate, to help the process she is undergoing, rather than attempt to hinder it. On these grounds alone, both medical practitioners, who take obstetric cases, and, in especial, midwives and maternity nurses (who often have to work under the greatest difficulties and without any expert co-operation) should advocate the general practice of pelvic exercises among women in order that those whom they work for may, at need, help them- selves. Watcher's suspension attitude may even help the progress of parturition, by itself alone, without change to flexion and without further manipulations, where it is necessary to counterbalance a slight inadequacy of the upper pelvic circumference or an unfavourable position of the head. In such cases, the patient may be placed on the edge of a bed or couch (which should not be either very low or very soft!) so that her legs hang down and only touch the ground with the toes. But it is necessary to take care that this (suspension) attitude should only be taken during the contraction of the womb (actual pains). In the intervals between these paroxysms the feet should be supported on footstools or low chairs. Even with this modification " suspension " is quite un- comfortable for a woman who has no previous experience of (or association with) it. Accordingly, far too little use is made of it in our obstetric practice ! Another main reason for preparation and practice on the lines of Film No. 12. Modern obstetric practice is not the originator of modifica- tions in pelvic posture during birth. This has been proved both in social history and ethnology and on Plate IX. (Figs, a to d) some illustrative material relevant to these customs has been reproduced They offer striking confirma-