As regards the first and second of these queries collectively, I remark, that in 1843 I commenced the practice of midwifery according to the hydropathic plan, and have, from time to time since that period, published articles on the subject of pregnancy and childbirth, and have put forth, also, a small work which has had a wide circulation, and been the means of doing some good. There is, doubtless, no branch or department of the medical art in which a judicious regulation of water, air, exercise, and diet, are more strikingly beneficial than in that now under consideration. I would speak earnestly on this point, and as to the truthfulness of what I affirm, I may confidently refer to the experience of those who have a knowledge of the subject—_to those who have themselves experienced the effects of hydropathy_. We do _not_ hear persons say, “We have resorted to the water-treatment in childbirth and have found it to be an injury to us;” but on the contrary, we _do_ hear it said, “We had borne a number of children under the old methods, suffering at each time more than mortal tongue can describe; but now, since we have become informed on the subject of Water-Cure, we find childbirth—hard as it necessarily is—a much more easy thing to bear.” I repeat, the _uniformity of the testimony_ in favor of water-treatment among those who have in their own persons tested it, is remarkable and without parallel in the healing art. But I must here allude to the fact, that different practitioners in the new system must, some of them at least, entertain honest differences of opinion in regard to the hydropathic uses of water in pregnancy and childbirth. One tells us that too much bathing is usually practiced on such occasions; another that too little is done. One tells us that water patients are everywhere allowed to get up _too soon_ after childbirth; another that they are kept in bed too long. One says that the vagina syringe is almost the all in all for woman kind, and would almost make us believe that women were made for syringes, and not syringes for women. Another says that the vagina syringe, so far as labor and the getting up are concerned, is at best comparatively only a poor affair; that it is not in accordance with the principles of sound physiology or pathology to throw _cold water_ upon any bleeding surface—external or internal of the body; that the use of the vagina syringe is revolting to the feelings of nine tenths of all midwifery patients who have had it used; that so far as the limited experience of hydropathic practitioners extends in this department, it would appear that those who have not in their practice thus used cold water internally, have had, at least, as good success as those who have.