_Diet during labour._ The diet of the patient during labour should be simple and unirritating; if every thing is going on naturally and briskly, some gruel or tea, with or without a little biscuit or bread and butter, will be quite sufficient; but if the process is becoming tedious and exhausting, some beef-tea, broth, or any other mild nourishment of this sort will be required to support the strength. During the first stage of labour there is no need for the practitioner to be constantly in the room, nor even during the early part of the second, unless the pains are very violent and protrusive; for, by taking frequent opportunities of quitting the patient for a few minutes, she is left more free from restraint, and the presence of the practitioner becomes less irksome when it is really necessary; whereas, if he continues at the bed-side, she is justified in expecting that the labour must be advancing rapidly to demand so unremitting an attendance, and, therefore, becomes disappointed and impatient to find that his presence has been of so little use to her. The conversation should be light and cheerful, and every means taken to encourage her and keep up her spirits. _Supporting the perineum._ As the head approaches the os externum our attention must be directed to giving the perineum such a degree of support, as shall secure it from any serious degree of laceration during its passage. The greatest danger of ruptured perineum is in primiparæ, for the soft parts never having been subjected to such a degree of dilatation before, do not yield so readily as in multiparæ. The anterior margin of the perineum, called _frænulum_, is, we believe almost invariably ruptured in every first case; but the laceration ought not to extend farther. The more gradual the advance of the head is through the os externum, the better will be the dilatation of the soft parts: hence therefore, when the pains are violent, and the head is thrust with great force against the perineum, it will be desirable to restrain it in some degree, until the parts shall have had sufficient time to yield; on the other hand, where the pains are more gradual, the perineum and os externum may receive the whole dilating force of the head, and every succeeding pain will show that a progressive advance is taking place.