Procidentia of the cord may be very serious for the child; in fact, it is a frequent cause of its death. The reason of this will be evident when the functions of the cord are borne in mind. The circulation in it is as necessary for the life of the child before birth, as breathing is after, and when protruded first it can seldom escape being so pressed upon as to stop its circulation, and hence the danger. To the mother it makes no difference whatever, unless it be told and alarm her; or unless violent efforts are made to correct it. She had therefore better not know if it occurs. If assistance is not rendered in this accident the consequences are almost always fatal to the child, though in some instances the cord has remained hanging from the Vulva several inches, for an hour or more, and still the infant has been saved. If the fallen cord is detected before the membranes are broken, it may frequently be put back into the Womb without much difficulty. The accoucheur must wait till the mouth of the Womb is fully dilated, and then watch his opportunity, in an interval between two contractions, to push the cord upwards, between the fœtus and the uterine walls. If he succeeds in this, as is usually the case, he must then break the membranes during the next pain, and this will bring the presenting part at once into the upper strait, and so block up the passage. To effect this manœuvre it is requisite to introduce two or three fingers, and sometimes even the whole hand. It must never be attempted till the mouth is fully dilated, otherwise the membranes may be ruptured too soon, and the delivery be delayed, thus increasing the danger. After the rupture of the membranes the replacing of the cord becomes a much more difficult matter, and frequently cannot be effected at all; particularly if the head be descended far down. Every effort however must be made, and if unsuccessful the delivery should be hastened as much as possible. In many such cases the _forceps_ are applied, and the child brought away at once, because every moment's delay increases the risk to its life. Several different kinds of instruments have been invented to return the cord, but they are seldom at hand when needed, and none of them are so good as the hand itself. If the return of the cord cannot be effected, and the progress of the labor will allow of it, the hand is introduced and the child turned, unless the position of the head will allow of the advantageous application of the forceps, in which case they are mostly resorted to. The only general rule is, to terminate the labor as speedily as possible, consistent with the welfare of the mother. In spite of all that can be done the pulsation is often found to cease, and when the child is born it is either quite dead or breathes but a few times.