How few are there such? consequently how great the danger of such instruments, even if they were good for any thing, to be introduced into _common_ practice? Footnote 39: As the practice of midwifery is, properly speaking, under no regulation, may not this be too often the case? Footnote 40: If any one doubts of this, he, in order to settle his opinion, needs but to peruse the instructions given by Levret, and other instrumentarians, for the use especially of the forceps. He will find such obscurity, such intrepidity of practices upon flesh not their own, as would make one shudder. The very cautions against _locking in_ a part of the uterus between the blades of the instrument, prove the existence of a danger no caution can scarce answer for its being able to avoid. What do you think of young or unskilful practitioners thrusting up instruments at RANDOM into such a place? yet Dr. Smellie, p. 288, expressly tells you, there is a case in which “_The forceps_ MUST _be introduced at random_.” This however may give the practitioner boldness, that whatever is his fault, the poor woman it is that is sure to suffer for it, and how cruelly! Footnote 41: “The forceps may be introduced with great _ease_ and _safety_, like a pair of _artificial hands_, by which the head is very _little_ (if at all) _marked_, and the woman very _seldom tore_.” Smell. p. 257. Footnote 42: In this case of a monster of two heads, which happens so rarely as that it might almost be reputed null or of no consideration, _once more_, it is neither a midwife’s business, nor even of one of the common men-practitioners of midwifery. Application should be instantly made to one of the best and ablest surgeons procurable, for reasons too obvious to need specification. Footnote 43: Smellie, p. 248. Footnote 44: See Reaumur’s art of hatching domestic fowls, &c. Footnote 45: If any of my readers imagine that I have, in my objection to the men-midwives, exagerated matters, I intreat of them to consider the following quotation from a _male-practitioner_, from Daventer, who endeavoured, as much as Nature would allow him, to be a good midwife, however he fell short of it. These are his own words translated, from p. 11. of the French quarto edition.