Parturition without Pain or Loss of Consciousness Part 2

Camberwell New Road.

Dear Sir,

Allow me to express my grat.i.tude for the benefit I received under your care during my two last confinements.

I had had four children when I first heard of your treatment in alleviating the pains of childbirth; and having a great dread from severe suffering in my former labours, I determined to place myself under your care.

The first time you attended me, when you came I was in much agony; immediately upon inhaling the vapour you gave me, I felt as if it ran down my back to the exact spot where the pain was, which it immediately relieved, and a sense of forcing, with a trifling uneasiness, was all I experienced during the birth of my babe; and I can truly say that its benefit during my labour this last time surpa.s.sed the first.

Having had chloroform three times previously, I can testify that the effects of your treatment are quite different, and infinitely superior; for while in the one case I lost my senses and power of action, under you my senses were as acute as at any time in my life, and my bodily powers the same.

No one can imagine the relief obtained under your process: it must be felt to be believed.

With deep grat.i.tude to G.o.d as the first cause of every blessing, and with sincere thanks to yourself for the very great relief you gave me,

Believe me to remain, Dear Sir, Yours respectfully, * * *

To Dr. Townley.

Kennington.

Dear Dr. Townley,

Having been so fortunate as to procure your professional services during my accouchement, and receiving so much benefit thereby, I cannot allow it to pa.s.s without expressing my admiration at the skill and success with which you relieved me from all pain, whilst at the same time I remained perfectly sensible.

Before you arrived I was suffering great agony, but you immediately relieved it. The labour went on regularly for nearly five hours without my feeling the _slightest_ particle of pain.

I can conscientiously state that I did not know the child was born till I heard it cry, at the same time being perfectly sensible and able to converse cheerfully with a friend I had with me.

I did not suffer from headache, fever, or any other bad symptom which sometimes follows childbirth.

I consider the process you use in midwifery cases to be, without any exception, the greatest boon which has been, or ever can be, given to woman, and will, I trust, be appreciated as such. I have received the wonderful benefit of it myself, as well as witnessing it in two other cases; one an extremely difficult one, where I am fully convinced that the patient must, in all human probability, have lost her life, had it not been for your beautiful process, whereby she was totally relieved from pain, which must in her case have exhausted nature.

I could add much more in favour of this great boon, but will not trouble you with a tedious letter.

In conclusion, let me offer my sincere thanks to you for devoting your time and talents to the discovery of so wonderful and useful a practice in the most important branch of your profession; and you will, I am sure, be fully repaid by knowing the amount of suffering you have prevented, and, I may also add, the lives you have saved.

You are at liberty to show this letter to any one, or to refer them personally to me.

It is my opinion that too much cannot be said in praise of your beautiful process.

I remain, Dear Dr. Townley, Yours most sincerely, * * *

Stockwell.

My dear Sir,

Allow me to express my grat.i.tude for your kind care and attention to me during my two last confinements, and the great benefit I derived from your mode of relieving the dreadful pains of childbirth.

When consulting you in the year 1859 relative to my approaching confinement, which I very much dreaded, having upon two previous occasions suffered intensely the pains of labour for the s.p.a.ce of nearly two days each time, I gladly accepted the proffered relief you offered me, though I was somewhat sceptical it would afford me all the relief you considered it was calculated to convey.

I now beg to state, for the information of any who may never have partic.i.p.ated in its inestimable benefit, that both in 1859 and in the last month (March, 1861), I am perfectly convinced it has been under Providence the means of saving my life; that its marvellous effects are such that pain is scarcely felt or known; and while inhaling the vapour there is not the slightest degree of unconsciousness. I was able to converse and give directions with the same ability and readiness of perception as a person in the most perfect health would do; in addition, I may also state, that whereas in my previous labours I had always suffered much pain from distension and soreness afterwards, in the two last there was a total absence of both these inconveniences.

I cannot but express my fervent thankfulness for your skill and watchfulness during my hour of need, and should only be too happy to testify personally to any one expecting to take it, that they need be under no apprehension whatever from ill effects, at the time or afterwards, either to themselves or their infant. So beautiful is it, that I told my nurse, as far as the pain at the time of labour went, I should not mind going through the same every week.

Incredible as these results may appear to those who have never felt nor witnessed your mode of alleviating the pains of labour, the earnest desire of both myself and husband is, that by G.o.d's blessing your valuable life may long be spared, and that you may enjoy the happiness and privilege of being, to a constantly-increasing number of ladies, the means of proving that what has. .h.i.therto been considered an impossibility can be done--namely, the birth of a child without any pain or any loss of consciousness to the mother throughout the whole of her labour.

I remain, Dear Sir, Yours very sincerely, * * *

Dr. Townley.

Camberwell.

Dear Dr. Townley,

I had great dread of going through my first confinement, and accordingly, when a friend of mine, on whose experience of your aid I could place the greatest reliance, recommended me to try your anodyne treatment, I was very glad to avail myself of your scientific services.

I had expected that all you could do would be to relieve me of a little of the usual pain of a confinement, but I can now confidently declare that I did not feel any pain at all during my labour. For I knew very well when every pain was approaching, and by using the Inhaler under your direction, I was enabled to bear the labour without experiencing any pain at all. What I really did feel was an unpleasant sensation of extreme forcing, to which it would be wrong of me to give the name of pain; that sensation is easily accounted for, since it was the opinion of a medical friend who was present, that my child could not be born without the use of the instruments; but I thank G.o.d, that with the help of your anodyne, and with your own attentive encouragement, my child was born alive, and without the use of the instruments. On the following day I felt neither pain, nor stiffness, nor discomfort of any kind. With many thanks for your kind attention,

I am, Yours truly, * * *

Va.s.sall Road.

Dear Sir,

It is with mingled feelings of pleasure and grat.i.tude that I take up my pen to testify to the extraordinary results of your wonderful process for alleviating and lessening the pains and perils of childbirth. I have, as you are aware, thrice pa.s.sed through this ordeal; the first without the aid of your invaluable process, and well do I recollect the agony I then endured; the second time I was induced to submit myself to your new mode of treatment, and although it was a tedious and protracted labour, I pa.s.sed through it with little or none of the suffering I experienced on the first occasion.

In my third and last confinement I cannot speak too highly of this inestimable boon. I was in great agony on your arrival; but as soon as I used the Inhaler, which I held in my own hand, I felt no more pain. I was perfectly sensible the whole of the time, conversing freely with those in the room. But what I consider most extraordinary was, when you were obliged at the last, owing to the great size of the baby's head, to have recourse to instruments; even at that trying time, I experienced little or no pain or distension, to the utter astonishment and delight of my mother and the nurse, who were present. As to myself, I could hardly believe it possible that my trouble was over. My speedy recovery is well known to you, being enabled to rise from my bed on the fifth day after my confinement, quite strong, and to leave my room within the fortnight, neither myself nor babe ever having since experienced the least unpleasant effects from the astonis.h.i.+ng relief afforded.

In conclusion, I beg you to accept the sincere thanks of myself and husband for your great kindness and unremitting attention to me in the hour of need, and trust you may long be spared to witness the marvellous results of your arduous exertions for relieving suffering women.

I remain, Dear Sir, Yours very sincerely, * * *

To Dr. Townley.

18th Feb., 1862.