Progress and appraisal of midwife manipulaton in the Ming dynasty.

There was progress of midwife manipulation in the Ming dynasty as compared with that of the Shi Can Lun written by Yang Zijian of the Northern Song dynasty, as manifested by the extensive description seen in all medical books on gynecology and obstetrics, with its therapeutic effects popularly accepted by medical professionals. More importantly, the manipulations were promoted, including good preparatory works, trimming nails and lubricating the hands with oil before the operation. Further, the exact fetal position should be determined and all the indications for operation be clear, and the method of embryotomy and separation of placenta were also appeared. This is an attentive part of Chinese obstetrics in the Ming dynasty. Though there were still some shortcomings, all these new techniques were, under the conditions then, effective first - aid measures deserving attention.