LA MOTTE had the same case happened under his hands, which I need not repeat here, being inserted in the first part of this work, where, p. 131, I ventured to promise an essay of mine, to give a less unsatisfactory reason of such deaths, than what is to be found even in those two celebrated authors whom our cotemporaries consider as their masters in the art of midwifery. These impute those unforeseen deaths to occult and inevitable _causes_. I own, I do not intirely think them either occult or inevitable. I doubtless may be mistaken, but of this I am sure, I shall advance nothing but what is authenticated to me by my own observation and experience. AN over-repletion of blood, and a defect in the contraction of the uterus, of which all the vessel being open are too slow in recovering their occlusion, are generally speaking, the causes of these diseases. I could support this opinion by some chirurgical axioms, but I presume it will be thought more satisfactorily proved by the success of the method of practice, which I would recommend to prevent or cure those dangerous or rather fatal causes. AS to know that a woman may thus perish unexpectedly a quarter of an hour after delivery, is enough to require the being on one’s guard for using a salutary prevention; I would advise attention, especially to her constitution. WHENEVER therefore a pregnant woman is observed to be remarkably corpulent, and full of blood, with a good constitution, she should be advised to lose some blood, once or twice during her pregnancy, by way of precaution. This is of great service to rarefy the blood, and obviate those excessive hemorrhages, which are to be dreaded on their lying-in. Then nothing is to be precipitated during their labors, that Nature may have full time to predispose the uterus to enter into contraction by due degrees, that is to say, neither too quick, not too slow. But if, notwithstanding these precautions, there should, after delivery, supervene any considerable loss of blood, followed with faintings or oppressions, the patient must be stirred, excited to cough and sneeze contributively to the evacuation of the blood, which otherwise is apt to clot in the uterus, and would suffocate her if not expelled. IF by this mean the evacuation does not naturally take place, which may be perceived by the faintings of the patient, the midwife must, without losing time, put her hand into the bowel, and extract all the clots of blood she will not fail of finding there, and of which the presence, as being extraneous matter, necessarily oppose the contraction of this organ, and quickly suffocates the woman, if she is not timely relieved.