Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 62-63. (Budapest, 1971)

KISEBB KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Vértes László: A 100 éves szülészeti fájásmérés történetéből

after the recognition of these principles. The direct cause of the first initiatives was that obstetricians wanted to know how much force was permissible in the course of using obstetrical forceps without causing demage to the skull of the foetus. In 1861 Kristeller applied a spring-actuated measuring apparatus on the forceps which enabled him to read the pressure exerted during the expression of the foetus numerically. Not much later Joulin introduced a new method which in fact became the foundation of the measurement of labour in the modern sense. In the course of the last hundred years numerous new methods have been introduced in clinical practice. The methods using an interior receptor record the mother's respiratory movements and heart beat in addition to the pains and the movements of the foetus. The external labour-measuring methods (mechanical, electrohysterographic, etc.) are more advantageous because they cause smaller stress to the person examined. Sclerometric apparatuses are the best in routine use. The so-called quantitative labour-measurement permits the more exact determination of labourperformance. If often gives information already at the beginning of the parturition on its prospective maximum duration. The results in tocometry have won world-wide recognition to Hungarian obstetrics. In 1933 Lóránd published his method and described his tocograph. By that he bscame one of the founders and improvers of scientific tocometry.