HOW MANY CHILDREN CAN A WOMAN BEAR?

[摘要] In 1858 the Edinburgh Medical Journal published the following answer to this question.Osiander [1805] mentions one woman who during her married life bore 44 children, and another who had 53. Burdech [1826] relates that the wife of a countryman in the Moscow district had given birth to 69 children at 27 confinements—four times four at one birth, seven times three, sixteen times twins. In the year 1809, the Vienna newspapers contained the following announcement: Maria Anna Helm, the wife of a poor linen weaver in Neulerchenfeld, 20 years married, bore at 11 confinements 32 children; 29 living, and 4 dead; 26 were males and 6 females; all were begotten by one man, and nursed by herself. She had at her last confinement three children—one living and two dead. Her husband was a twin, she herself one of four. Her mother had produced 38 children, and died during a confinement with twins. Six children seem to be the largest number ever produced at one birth. A perfectly trustworthy instance of this is the following [1805]. The wife of a chimney-sweep here [Silesia] named "Doepfer", was yesterday confined of six children; all were boys and dead. This woman who has been twice married, has already given birth to 44 children. During her first marriage, which lasted twenty-two years, she bore 27 boys and 3 girls. In her second marriage, which lasted but three years, she has borne 14 children—3 at the first, 5 at the second, and now 6 at third confinement.1

[学科分类] 儿科学