ANAESTHETICS AND CHILD-BIRTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 220, 17 September 1930, Page 6

ANAESTHETICS AND CHILD-BIRTH.

The article by "Peritus" in last Saturday's ■ "Star" on Painless Confinement draws atten- ,; tion once more to a matter of vital importance ' to women, and leads one to hope that a determined effort will be made to .secure relief from unnecessary suffering in child-birth for ; . all mothers. I understand -that in certain public maternity hospitals it k customary,; to s allow Nature to take its couree in all normal . cases unrelieved by anaesthetics.. Granted that , the midwives in'attendance there arc most ; highly skilled and conscientious, it must be admitted that much of the suffering a woßjan will endure in such cases might 'be mitigated by certain safe anaesthetics, e.g., chloroform or twilight sleep, which are regularly need ej , doctors for those who can pay for .their .use,. Objections from the medical and nursing -point of view have been dealt with 'by "Peritus' m his article, where he clearly shows the benefits , . that result from tho wise use of anaesthetics in.confinements. Objections on the grounds oi. ■: i; expense cannot 'be sustained, for this_ is an ;.,= age when" our, civilised community will not permit unnecessary suffering, even in an ■. . animal. Surely it is an ironical situation 'tm a man is fined and publicly censured -lor killing a sick cat 'by a blow on. the heaU, ; ..- when daily in our hospitals poor mbthenrare ■ suffering agonies which might 'be relieved n they had the money to pay for a doctor *na : p, an anaesthetic. Just now, when the wiioie subject of obstetrics, is receiving the_ attention it deserves, seerns an opportune time Wf I consideration of this question. A big onover ; nient ie being organised in England to pror _ vide free anaesthetics for all mothers, ~. progressive New Zealand will not lag bmna. - in thie humanitariaii work. A.M.n.