I have had it happen, and others must have had the same experience, that the womb closes and contracts firmly in ten to twenty minutes after delivery, the afterbirth becoming tightly inclosed so that one not experienced would be frightened into the belief, Oh! here the placenta has grown to the womb. This is a delusion which may lead to an interference that may entail dangerous consequences to the mother. The condition is simply this, that as the afterbirth was not completely detached at the birth of the child, the uterus contracted immediately upon and around the retained placenta, and for two physiological reasons: (1) to accomplish the very object which was imagined was not accomplished, namely, by contracting, the uterus naturally peels itself off from the placental attachment, and (2) were it not for this immediate contraction of the uterus after the expulsion of the child, the mother would likely _flood_ from the uterine vessels of the partly detached placenta. Of late years I never experienced a single case in which the placenta did not detach itself, and if I had known twenty years ago as I do now, I never would have had one. After the delivery of the child, the woman should be made as comfortable as possible for the time being, and by the time the child is washed and dressed, the placenta will generally present itself in the vulva. If the afterbirth has not come away at once there is no need to become alarmed. I have waited for six to eight hours for that event to take place, and if there is delay over an hour, two teaspoonfuls of fluid extract of ergot will so excite contractions of the womb that its contents will be expelled. Whether the afterbirth comes away immediately after the birth of the child, or is delayed, it must not interfere with putting the mother in a warm, dry, comfortable condition. Everything that is damp from perspiration or wet from the waters, both dress and bed linen must be removed and replaced with warmed, dry, clean linen; this insures against taking cold. To me it looks like a crime against science and nature to allow a woman to remain in the wet and soiled bed after her confinement for twelve or more hours, and the doctor or nurse who permits this, is ignorant and negligent of his duties. After the placenta is removed, the binder or bandage is applied; this is simply a piece of unbleached muslin about eighteen inches wide and long enough to reach one and a half times around the body; it should be brought down to cover the hips and then fastened with strong safety pins. The object of the binder is to give support to the flabby and relaxed abdominal muscles, which is a great comfort and aid to restore the muscles to their former shape.