The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-04-30
eOj1ight Sleep Abandoned
By N. Y Hospitals

ACCOTOlLS 10 d New 1OIh 4elLSl, tAS
twilight sleep treatment in childbirth
has been abandoned at the Polytechnic
Medical school and hospital in that
city.
1t has been abandoned, too, at tie
city hospital on Blackwell's Island,
one of the largest institutions of its
kind in the world.
AT the Jewish Maternity hospital. on
East Broadway, the use of the treat
ment has been so restricted as now to
apply to only about one-half of the
women w-o formerly were considered
eligible.
At tne Sloane Maternity hospital, the
method is being used only in a COM
paratively few selected cases; and this
is true at present az practically all
the institutions in Greater New York
where no stork pays visits under medi-
cal supervision.
The reason given at all the hospitals
is the same-too many "blue babies" :"
100 high percentage of deaths among
the twilight sleep infants.
Records in Germany.
According to the latest German sta
tistics, the infant mortality in twilight
sleep cases is about 2 per cent. above
the normal in some places there.
At the city hospital, on Blackwells
Island, where the twilight sleep treat
ment has been abandoned, it was said
this step was taken by the experts in
charge of that division of the service
because there did not seem to be any
particular advantage in the drug treat
ment.
Most of tie experiments with twi-
light sleep at the city hospital were
under the supervision of DR.. George
P. Shears, under whose advice, at the
Polytechnic clinic, the treatment has
been abandoned in that institution
also.
DR.. A. J. Rongy, in charge of the
twilight sleep treatment at the Jew
ism Maternity hospital, on East Broad
way, said that experiences that have
pointed out danger to such an extent
in Sne treatment that its range has
been restricted about SO per cent.
Tells of It's Dangers.
eve use it now," he said, "only in
selected cases, and We recognize that
IL it were universally used it would be
dangerous, except in the hands OF the
most skilled and experienced practi-
toners.
eve know the treatment better now.
We find it is good only in certain Sc
Iected cases, in tedious cases. Twilight
sleep is not advisable in short cases.
eve have learned, too, that twilight
sleep and painlessness are not, as some
at first thought, synonymous. The
trut1 is. we now realize that twilight
sleep simply destroys the recollection
of the pain. The pain was there.
In the early days of twilight sleep
usage. the Jewish maternity was ar
enthusiastic center of its application,
At the Metropolitan aospital, on
Blackwell's Island, where the twilight
treatment was begun a year or more
ago. and then was stopped, has been
resumed recently, but only in few
selected cases.
There have been only two cases
there in the last week, and it was
stated at the institution last night that
the mortality among the twilight new
born" is undoubtedly higher than
among the infants born in natures
own method.
Blue babies is the complaint at
the Metropolitan, where a pulmotor is
kent constantly at hand in twilight
sleep cases. Also, it is complained
the twilight sleep cases are more dif'
ficult to handle, because they require
every minute to be watched.