UPON this point of touching there occurs a consideration, on which I have before just transiently touched, and beg leave, for the sake of its importance, to give it some expansion. IN my objection to a man’s practising this branch of art, TOUCHING, I wave here the natural repugnance all the parties must have to it, even the man-midwife himself, on any footing but of that of interest, allowing an exclusion of any libertine design, I wave especially the argument against it, from its being a kind of invasion of a husband’s incommunicable prerogative; I even wave the breach of modesty, I suppose all this to be answered by the plea of superior safety, however false and imaginary that plea may be. But surely it will be allowed me to pity the unfortunate condition of a woman, subjected to so disagreeable a visitation; a visitation which, instead of being performed in the gentle, congenial, and especially, as to the end, satisfactory manner, of which the women alone are capable, must furnish a scene, not only unprofitable, disgustfully coarse, and even ridiculous, but also most probably a very painful one. Figure to yourself that respectable personage a He-midwife, quite as grave and solemn as you please, with a look composed to all that “DELICACY _of_ DECORUM,” recommended by Dr. Smellie, and so suitable to the high DIGNITY of the _office_ he is undertaking of _touching_ the unhappy woman, subjected to his pretentions of useful discovery by it. What must not parts, which dispute exquisiteness of sensibility with the eye itself, suffer from hands, naturally none of the softest, and perhaps callous with handling iron and steel instruments, from some hands, in short, scarce less hard than the instruments themselves, boisterously grabbling and rummaging for such nice indications, as their want of fineness in the touch must for ever refuse them? what if they may possibly, by such coarse _touching_, find some common, obvious signs presenting themselves, so that the grossest touch cannot escape distinguishing them; does it therefore follow, that the nicer points on which so much may depend for preparatory disposal, will not escape hands, scarce not less disqualified for the necessary discernment, than a midwife’s if she had gloves on? in the mean while, what torture must not the poor woman endure, in every sense, from the wounds of modesty, and even of her person? and for what? that the doctor may, with a significant nod, or silent shrug, give himself the false air of being satisfied about what he was pretending to look for; or, if he speaks, come off with some jargon, only the more respectfully received by the patient, for its neither being common sense, nor intelligible to her; or perhaps, if he has any by-ends in view, or is a man of gallantry, here is a fine occasion for his placing a compliment. But for any essential advantage to her, from such a quackery of painful perquisition, she need not expect it.