A humane midwife will use every ingenious effort in her power to quiet the useless fears, and support and comfort the patient. A crowd of frightened, hysterical women, assailing the ears of the woman with tales of woe and sad disasters that have happened should be admonished. Half a dozen midwives, each making pretensions to great skill, ambition, and competition for obstetric fame, assembled around a feeble woman when labor is of a lingering character, is always an unfortunate circumstance, and it would be much better if nearly every one were afar off. When the pains become very severe, quickly succeeding each other, the midwife, or the person who officiates, may sit by the side of the woman, and, upon every severe pain, may keep her hand upon the parts, even though no manner of assistance can be afforded, and occasionally, when the head of the child presses hard, it may be gently touched or pressed with the longest finger, in order to ascertain the parts that prevent the progress of labor, as well as to be able to give from time to time suitable encouragement: not only so; in the last stage of labor the hand may be kept near the parts, to know the moment when the head of the child presents, as some little assistance at this time is called for; but not by supporting the perinæum, as some advise, but, _First._ To remove any obstruction which often arises from the clothes. _Second._ To support the child in its passage, and in the interval of pains; and to keep the head from pitching downward, and thus obstructing the labor. _Third._ To detach the umbilical cord or navel-string from the neck when it encircles it, as is often the case, and which endangers the life of the child.