By which a fœtus is extracted from the uterus of the mother through a wound, made for that purpose, in the abdomen. The term _Cæsarean_, according to some authors, is derived from the operation “_cæso matris utero_,” while others have supposed that it owes its origin to the fact, recorded by _Suidas_, of Julius Cæsar having been cut from the womb of his dead mother in the ninth month. Although _Hippocrates_, _Celsus_, _Paulus_, _Ægineta_, and _Albucasis_, all treat upon the subject of instrumental labours, not the slightest allusion is made to the _cæsarean_ section. The _Chirurgia Guidonis Cauliaci_ is the first work in which any mention is made of the operation; and this was published about the middle of the fourteenth century, but the author only describes it as a resource to save the child after the death of the mother, as, says he, happened at the birth of _Julius Cæsar_. _Parè_ also considered the operation as one that ought never to be attempted on the living subject; _Rousset_, however, his cotemporary, published a work[454] in its favour, which becoming popular, was, through the medium of a latin translation by _Caspar Bauhine_ in 1601, quickly circulated throughout Europe; from this period, the cæsarean section acquired a certain degree of vogue, and began to be performed in cases of extreme difficulty, particularly on the continent, where it has not unfrequently proved successful. In this country the operation has been generally fatal: a very extraordinary case[455] is, however, stated to have occurred in Ireland, and however incredible the story may appear, says _Dr. Merriman_,[456] there seems no reason to doubt its truth; it is related by _Mr. Duncan Stewart_, surgeon, in Dungannon, who saw the patient some days after the operation; and the account is confirmed by _Dr. Gabriel King_ of Armagh, who says, that he drew out the needles, which the midwife had left to keep the lips of the wound together. The patient’s name was _Alice O’Neil_, and the operator was an illiterate midwife, one _Mary Dunally_; the instrument used was a razor, with which she first cut through the containing parts of the abdomen, and then the uterus. “She held the lips of the wound together with her hand, till some one went a mile and returned with silk and the common needles which tailors use; with these she joined the lips in the manner of the stitch employed ordinarily for the hare-lip, and dressed the wound with whites of eggs.” The woman recovered in twenty-seven days. It has often been an object of inquiry, why this operation[457] should have been more successful upon the continent than in this country? the answer to this question is obvious and satisfactory. In this country we have only had recourse to it as an operation of necessity, where we can neither accomplish the delivery by diminishing the bulk of the child, nor by any of the other resources already explained; whereas the practitioners of