New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-10
WEST UNDER SPELL
OF TWILIGHT SLEEP
Chicago May Establish
First Clinic for New
Birth Treatment.
DOCTORS EAGERLY
INDORSE METHOD
Mrs. Richardson Finds That the
Cry of "Bluc Babies Is
Growing Fainter.

Twilight sleep is steadily growing
N popularity throughout the Middle
West. II New YORK physicians do not
manifest a greater desire 10 test thor
ough.y the Frelhurg method OF PAIN
less childbirth. the record of establish
ing the frs. twilight sleep clinic Will
20 TO some Western city.
These arc the statements Of Mrs.
Anna Stecsc Richardson, who has Just
returned from toIr Of careful me
ycstigatou through ,hc MID " est IN
the interest q "NcClure's Magazine.
She j. chairman Of hygiene in the Con-
grcss OF Mothers.
Although the ethics OF the medical
profession prevent physicians from
making public the success they have
achieved in using the scopo,amn-mor-
phiue treatment. Mrs. Richard ON was
able 20 learn Of doctors and hospitals
giving the treatment and from mothers.
Many such women testified AZ meetings
.r department stores al which Mrs.
Richardson iecturcd on the doctrine OF
twilight sleep.
"To merely give the number Of hos
pitfalls visited or physicians 'ntcrVe"cd
would present no idea OF the way IN
which the Fyeiburg method is spread
ing i'm the Vest said Mrs. Elch-
ard~0n iu telling of her experiences. IN
% general way | can say that | met lV2
physicians who claim 90 be using the
true twilight sleep with success, and
their claims are suhstantiated by the
TESTIMONY of grateful. healthy mothers
o+ o0uo'ly healthy babies.
The tour Of Investigation included
St. Louis. Kansas city, Chicago. Clcve-
land and Columbus, with visits a.
great many smaller towns. The de-
mand for special work IN the use OF
mcrciful drugs by obstetricians In that
section Of the country, Mrs. Richard
son thinks, VIII soon lead 10 the es-
adjustment Of the first twilight sleep
clinic in Chicago rs the natural central
point for such an institution.
OF the 1O2 doctors interviewed. seven
were women, and ell but SIX had
specialized in obstetrics before adopt
ing the new treatment.
Aid Wins Doctor Fame.
Mrs. Richardson told Of one doctor
who had been using what are known as
II. VI. G. tablets 20 alleviate labor pains
for twelve years. lie was generally
considered 20 be a hynotist.
These physicians" Mrs. Richardson
showed me h story cards a.
proof Of their success with the drugs,
and i'm hospitals the charts were al
open for inspection, always, however,
with the understanding that names
were not 10 be printed"
To illustrate the danger Of publicity
Mrs. Richardson told OF a physician in
an Ohio City whose confinement pa
tents were refused admission to the
local boeDitals because the history Of
one Of his successful twilight sleep
cases had been published in then news
papers.
MANY of the hospitals now open
their doors 70 the twilight sleep prao-
Mrs. Richardson continued,
but the general opinion among the
men Of the West IS that
the treatment is not yet practicable IN
LARGE hospitals. especially in charity
wards. The average hospital stan IS
TOO small TO give the time necessary
for each case. For this reason and
not because Of blue babies found
that certain large city hospitals had
the method.
"The Western physician charges no
more for q twilight sleep case than for
The so-called natural delivery. He
holds that either case demands high
standard of obstetrics and constant OBJ
servatIon.
"Eagerness displayed by younger
men Of the West makes me think that
they will demand and support twi-
light sleep clinic"
Mrs. Richardson found that young
er physicians are studying the twi-
light sleep method, IN response TO a
growing demand on the part of their
patients for them to become expert IN
administering the new an@stheuc.
"A significant feature Of my lnves-
tigation is the fact that ! could learn
of little abuse of the method SAID
Mrs. Richardson, in discu sing a diner
cut phase Of her work. "A few physi-
clans, principally foreigners, had tired
Giving il i'm the home, with unsatls-
factory results, and had quickly aban-
doned 10. The newspaper agitation has
certainly planted the fear OF God In
the hearts Of physicians and midwives
who might otherwise take few
chances with willing patients. Among
all the doctors who decried twilight
sleep not one could furnish me with d.
rect evidence or even cite cases OF
blue babies. delirious mothers and
similar disasters in their own towns.
The charges against the treatment
seemed 20 be general, rather than spe-
ciic.
III Results Feared.
"a Cleveland doctor proved the
above statement. lie informed me that
Cleveland physicians, as whole, were
opposed TO the methods six Of their
representative men are giving Il with
SUGGEST. and ! asked why. Blue ba-
bies.' was his reply asked him II
tley never had blue babies in nature
labor. and he said: 'Oh, yes; but in
that case the trouble is natural, due
10 obstetrical conditions, while IN twi-
light sleep it is induced by d.ugs, by
the drugCed condition Of mother and
child.
ole admitted that he had never seen
a blue twilight sleep baby. When IN
ouircd what he used to alleviate the
mothers suffering he ~ thcr admitted
that he had not attended labor case
in some fifteen years lie IS throat
specialist.
Twilight sleep is under fire in the
West, but IL is not falling back an
inch. Rather II gains steadily. The