A review of the present state of uterine pathology / by James Henry Bennet.

  • Bennet, James Henry, 1816-1891.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A review of the present state of uterine pathology / by James Henry Bennet. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    32/152 (page 20)
    « 20 OBJECTIONS. displacements, enlargements, indurations of the body or cervix of the uterus, or congestion of the cervix : all more or less variously combined. These varied morbid changes and condi- tions, it should be remembered, are generally the result of acute or chronic inflammatory action, existing in the mucous mem- brane, or in the proper tissue of the neck or body of the uterus. Dr. West's deductions and conclusions are principally drawn from the comparison of these two groups of females: those who present symptoms of uterine ailment with ulceration, and those who present the same symptoms without ulceration j and the pith of these deductions may be said to be, that as the symptoms and morbid results are nearly the same in both groups, ulcera- tion can have no decided pathological importance, and is not a condition that requires special attention or treatment. I would, firstly, draw attention to the important corroborative testimony given by Dr. West as to the correctness of my state- ments respecting the frequency of inflammatory ulceration of the cervix uteri. Dr. West does what I have constantly im- plored all who presume to give an opinion on the subject to do —he looks, he examines for himself; and what does he find? 125 cases of ulceration in 268 women examined. If we .elimi- nate the cases of healthy uterus, we find the proportions as follows:—Ulcerated, 125 ; non-ulcerated, 110; that is, more than half the patients examined presented ulceration. In the 300 cases examined by myself at the Western General Dis- pensary, and reported in my work, the proportions were:— Ulcerated, 222; non-ulcerated, 78; that is, not quite three- fourths presented ulceration. The difference between more than half and less than three-fourths is not one winch, m a statistical inquiry of this nature, invalidates results. Dr. West 3 figures prove the extreme frequency of ulceration m women suffering from symptoms of uterine ailment just as forcibly as mine. The slight discrepancy would admit of easy interpreta- tion were it desirable to enter into the subject. Amongst other causes, it may depend on the less degree of severity with winch symptoms were scanned and weighed, before an instrumental examination was decided on. What more conclusive answer than the above facts can be