CROTCHET

n. Kro2ch'eat. Lat., uncinus at fract or i us [Phi lumen us, quoted by Aetius]. Fr., crochet aigu. Ger., spitzer Haken. It., unci no acuto. Sp., gancho agudo. An obstetrical instrument consisting of a long shank of steel terminating in a short, sharp hook to oe engaged in the interior of the foetal skull, after perforation, for extracting the head. Body c. A heavy guarded c. used for extracting the body of the foetus after the removal of the head. [A. 29.] Guarded c. A c. to which a movable blunt guard is attached at the shank, capable of being closed over the sharp extremity and preventing the latter from injuring the maternal structures in case the instrument slips. [s. 450]