not fully
matured, lived. There was no milk-secretion in her breasts, and she
could distinctly feel the movements of another child; her abdomen
increased in size. After two months she had another labor, and a fully
developed and strong child was born, much heavier than the first. On
the third day after, the breasts became enlarged, and she experienced
considerable fever. It was noticeable in this case that a placenta was
discharged a quarter of an hour after the first birth. Irvine relates
an instance of thirty-two days' delay; and Pfau one of seven days'.

Carson cites the instance of a noblewoman of forty, the mother of four
children, who was taken ill about two weeks before confinement was
expected, and was easily delivered of a male child, which seemed well
formed, with perfect nails, but weakly. After the birth the mother
never became healthy or natural in appearance. She was supposed to be
dying of dropsy, but after forty-four days the mystery was cleared by
the birth of a fine, well-grown, and healthy daughter. Both mother and
child did well.

Addison describes the case of a woman who was delivered of a healthy
male child, and everything was well until the evening of the fourth
day, when intense labor-pains set in, and well-formed twins about the
size of a pigeon's egg were born. In this strange case, possibly an
example of superfetation, the patient made a good recovery and the
first child lived. A similar case is reported by Lumby in which a woman
was delivered on January 18th, by a midwife, of a full-grown and
healthy female child. On the third day she came down-stairs and resumed
her ordinary duties, which she continued until February 4th (seventeen
days after). At this time she was delivered of twins, a boy and a girl,
healthy and well-developed. The placenta was of the consistency of
jelly and had to be scooped away with the hand. The mother and children
did well. This woman was the mother of ten children besides the product
of this conception, and at the latter occurrence had entire absence of
pains and a very easy parturition.

Pincott had a case with an interval of seven weeks between the births;
Vale 1 of two months; Bush 1 of seventeen days; and Burke 1 with an
interval of two months. Douglas cites an instance of twins being born
four days apart. Bessems of Antwerp, in 1866, mentions a woman with a
bicornate uterus who bore two twins at fifty-four days' interval.

CHAPTER IV.

PROLIFICITY.