Consisted in destroying the fetal body inside the mother's womb by decapitating the fetus or removing its abdominal viscera. Decapitation was more commonly indicated for wedged shoulder presentation. The methods and instruments used to detach the head from the fetus varied from one period and obstetrician to another: examples include cutting hooks, key-shaped hooks, wire saws, and chain saws. Evisceration was recommended when the neck was not accessible in a shoulder presentation, or when the fetal body displayed swellings that prevented extraction without prior reduction in volume. In these cases, scissors were used to make an aperture in the thoracic or abdominal wall, through which the internal organs were removed with the fingers, allowing the extraction of the fetus.