The treatment of chronic perimetritis by puncture and iodine injections / by Charles C. Lee.

  • Lee, Charles Carroll, 1838-
Date:
[1878?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treatment of chronic perimetritis by puncture and iodine injections / by Charles C. Lee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    a good color, and was well nourished ; but loss of rest, dysuria, and the pelvic discomfort had broken down her nervous system. Frequent uterine treatment at the city dispensaries had given no relief, and she was anxious to submit to anything that promised better results. After the usual preparation by hot douches and rest in bed the iodine injections were begun, as it was evidently necessary to re- lieve the perimetritis before either uterus or ovary could be kept in place. On October 30 I injected twelve minims of Lugol’s solution through the vaginal roof into the mass in the right iliac fossa with no ill effect; the vaginal douche was used for two days. On November 1 I repeated the injection as before, which caused slight pain and aching, but no rigor or elevation of temperature. On November 3 the patient menstruated, a week before her time ; the flow was excessive, but was diminished by ergot and gal- lic acid, and lasted eight days with unusual pain. On November 14 I again injected ten minims of Lugol’s solution into the pelvic mass, which was now softer and a little smaller; no chill or fever followed, but “throbbing ” pain for four hours after the injection. Hot douches for two days, and an abdominal poultice was applied as the throbbing returned spontaneously the day after the injec- tion. Treatment was suspended for six days. On November 21 I injected fifteen minims of Lugol’s solution at three p. m., —fol- lowed by rather more pain than usual, — and at four a violent chill of a half hour’s duration occurred. Intense abdominal ten- derness followed the chill, with a temperature of 104°, and a pulse of 120. The hot douche and poultice were resumed and morphia and quinia used freely. In spite of all precautions, a pelvic peritonitis followed which debarred all treatment but palliatives for a month. The perimetric deposit increased, filling Douglas’ pouch and the left iliac fossa ; and for a week some alarming symptoms of septicemia ensued. The patient slowly reacted to the condition in which she en- tered the hospital, when the routine treatment for cellulitis was begun, and the injections abandoned. The result was no benefit from the iodine, with serious risk of death from septicemic peritonitis. Of these eleven cases, therefore, injection of iodine, etc., into the pelvic deposit seemed to cure two much more