The National Register.
London, England, 1814-09-11 00:00:00

SEPT. 11.

no, there elitist be Physicians end Medilel Men present ; he said he
should be glad to be one, that he sh-ulti be Isappy to be a witness foe
Tee au 'just his own judgme. t. When he went does It stairs, Mr %V.
asked him N hat grounds he had to supeose I was net in the family way
Ile assigned but one reason, hut said, 111 was deceived, I was mot a d.
ceiver, as I gave liberty fur every exan:innti n that was necessary
After this, armie Ladies came to see me, and upon mentioint e
Sims's reason for his opinion, nn. of the Ladies said, i have bad elevi
children, and the obiectiou he mentieeed happened to me with ever
one of teem. therefore I find there is no rule without an exception.
This Laey, in examining me, said, there was no detibt of illy being n :
pregnant state. The s ime judemeut has been passed by all those sh ~
have seen that have been 'ateliers of children, as I have had the at
vice and opinion of many.
After Dr. Sims had tweed his judgment, I sent for a medical mare
whom T k''ew to he strong in unbelief that it could not he posale, Re,:
therefore I said I sent for hies, ti, know if lie could prescribe any thief,
Ole ,vould du me good, if I was nt in the family way. lie heard ma
statement from the beginning, he examined me, and said if I was a t mint!
marl it'd woman, he should say I was in the family way ; I asked hint
what diseider he would judge I had to cause all the trains, sickness, Hee
the increase •it my bedv ; he said be looked noon it I had been long i
a debilitated state, and the severe pain I bad felt ie my hack, was from
a hurt in the kienies, which eaS the cause of all my other complaint:;
list my sickness proceeded fr ut a lodger eat of bile in guy stomach,
winch prevented me from having an appetite, hut remove the cause and
the effects would cease. Ile said he should not proceed with violent
ntedici :es, neither should he give me milk and water. I told him I
would not take any the • g that I thought would he hurt ful to a
woman in a family way ; he sent me two draughts. hot Mr. Phillips
advised me not. to take them, and I was ordered not, and I sent
to him to srnd ate no more. Soon after he was g-sne Mr. II ,nevy
came, he heard the statement, and examined my breasts and outside
my deaths, said there was no occasion for any farther examina.
tioti. I asked him whet would be his judement if I was a young
married woman ; he said that was au unfair question, and he would
Not answer it ; he was then desired et answer in h,s own env: he said
lie did nut think I was with child, but his judgment tuielit not be
worth two-pence ; I then enquired whet he thou ht my disotde!. weal,
said I had no disease. no disorder, but was in perfect beside when I
had suffered from pain, sickness, loss of appetite, and had en• e 7 through
more than ever experienced in my life, from the 17th of March to that
time, and at that time could keep nothing_ upon my stomach but fruit
veuetables and liquids, nothing s. lid could l fiat. ; how lie could "art
this geed health I know not. Hew I have riven a clear statement of
tire different judgments of the Medics! Gentlemen that I was tx-mined
hy, so if any other statement is brought by men, it is from those who
have nut seen me. Nine I have seen ; six o• tof the nine 'weed their
cannier% I was in a state of pregnancy, the ether three said I am not,
therefore I was ordered that no more examinations sheidd take place.
what had been already was suflicietit to chew the different judgments
of men. Since I saw you, I hare found a considers hie alteration in
myself, by feeling the life much stronger, and onovine in different ways
to what it had before, and more particularly this last week, sincei bad
a journey in the conch. when I removed from my town hens-, I have
felt it much lower. end much greater weight. Mr. Carder will eive von
the particulars hew I have been for this wsek rst, 11:w or eapetite re-
turned, mid my piths and sickness left me, thotteh in tither respects the
feeliee of life within is greater den, ever, hut sh-nld it net ereve to he
a child in the end. it mint bring rue to the grave. het ais van ieive come
forward with your judgment to the public, and will'be attacked for se
I wish te put every wearem in weir that if there is a pos-
sibility of try being deceived, that the life within shr,uld brine death
upon me, µithnett m•ikine its appearance in the world, I now pronii.e
to give von liberty le (Ten my body, that yen may filet out the cause
which produced ati these effects, what life was in me to (muse ell these
yeti, s and sickness, like travail p ims ; the iticrease of the six. of test
Leidy, which has wureesed so moirei wiibm a few months so that either
in death or life, soe e ill be enah'ed to judge of a cause that was never
brought before Medical men, of a woman at my age.

I reiliAti, Sir, Your's,
With the greatest regpeet,
JOANNA SOUTLICOTT.

(From)

The above taken from Joanna Soutlicott's moo. h by met Ann Under•
141,d.

P S. Mr. Phillips being in attendance nrnn S,mtheott on the
12th ot'Aneno, said, on punk, hi• hand .11 that port of the abdomen,
"Which a distended womb OCCII;;‘, he r'istioctiv te't st strong urn.
ti-m, similar to %adh that ttli,:!q be expected ia a feluale aleJat seveu
mouths expirod p:•egnancy.

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