I knew a lady myself who had given birth, at full term, to _seven_ children, all of which were torn from her with instruments, _dead_, owing to the smallness of the pelvis. When pregnant with the _eighth_, premature delivery was brought on, at my suggestion, at about _seven months and a half_. The fœtus was born with comparative ease, and _lived_. But for this operation she probably would never have been blessed with a living child at all. Since then she has avoided conception. TUMORS IN THE PELVIS. Tumors of various kinds are met with, both in the bones of the pelvis and attached to the soft parts. They frequently offer the most serious impediments to delivery, and baffle the skill of the most experienced obstetricians. In fact they differ so much in their structure, their size, and their situation, that but few general directions can be given as to their management. In every case where one exists pregnancy should never occur, if possible to be prevented, before it is removed; for though it may cause no inconvenience at other times, yet during delivery it may necessitate very serious operations, or even cause death. Some of these tumors are mere vesicles, or bags, filled with fluid, and may be punctured and their contents let out, so as to make them less. Others are more or less solid but moveable, and may often be supported above the upper strait till after the child is born. When they are so large as to block up the passage, and are either fixed or cannot be carried up into the Womb, there is often no other choice than to either cut them out or open the child's head; the practice being determined by the circumstances of the case. In some instances the bladder itself, distended with urine, has impeded delivery, and been mistaken for a tumor; and in other instances stones in the bladder have caused the same error. A specimen of one of these tumors is represented in Plate XLVII, and one of a Polypus in Plate XLVIII. PLATE XLVII. This represents an Ovarian Tumor, which has descended before the head of the child, and completely blocked up the passage. The delivery, it will be seen, is utterly impossible in such a case, unless the Tumor can either be pushed away, or reduced in size. [Illustration: Plate XLVII. Case of Tumor.] PLATE XLVIII.