In the preface to this work I remarked that a great part, and, perhaps, nearly the whole, of the suffering and danger to which parturient females are exposed, arises, undoubtedly, from their bad physical education and mode of life; and that, in a more rational state of existence, it was probable that both would be so slight as to excite no apprehension. This improved state of things is much to be desired, and should, of course, be striven for by all friends of humanity. But, in the mean time, it is proper to consider whether there are any means by which those now living can be relieved in their hours of distress. The agony which many females endure at this time is so great that there are few circumstances under which relief is more needed, or would be more acceptable; and I, for one, cannot subscribe to the doctrine that such relief would be improper, unless it prove to be injurious. There are some persons, I know, who say that this suffering has been _ordained_ for woman, and that it _ought to be_ endured. This notion, I think, needs no refutation, it being just as unreasonable as to say that the sick should be allowed to suffer and die without assistance, because _their_ condition has been ordained. There are others, and men of science, too, who think that the pains of childbirth are necessary to its safe accomplishment, and that they are also valuable in a _moral_ point of view. This opinion will be examined by and by, and the facts on which it is founded, carefully analyzed; but it is first necessary to state the means of prevention usually employed, and to note their mode of action, and effects. Some years ago, a celebrated physiologist, who supposed that the chief cause of pain and difficulty in labor was the size and hardness of the child's _bones_, advanced the theory that if these bones were less developed, and softer, the pain and difficulty would be materially lessened, if not entirely removed. He proposed, therefore, since the hardness of the bones is caused by the deposition of _lime_ in them, which is derived, of course, from the blood of the mother, that she should avoid taking anything to eat or drink, during pregnancy, that contained lime. This, he supposed, would keep the bones of the child soft till after birth, and so allow them to give way and crush together during delivery, and thus prevent the suffering and difficulty usually experienced. It was also thought that the bones of the mother would be partially softened at the same time, and give way a little, so as to facilitate the process still more.