A treatise on the diseases of females / by William P. Dewees.

  • Dewees, William P. (William Potts), 1768-1841.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the diseases of females / by William P. Dewees. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    136/612
    dare—though I am disposed to think it might; and, under simi- lar circumstances, I should certainly adopt it. Sect. IV.—4. Dysmenorrhea, or Painful Menstruation. This disease is very common in our climate; and is one from which not only great suffering is experienced, but also very fre- quently one of great obstinacy. The woman is obnoxious to it during every part of the menstruating period of life. It would, perhaps, be very difficult to assign all its remote causes: the most common are, the application of cold during the flow of the menses; taking cold after abortion; and, in several in- stances, I have known it to follow the consummation of marriage. This latter cause is, perhaps, the most difficult of explanation; for it would seem to have no such agency, reasoning a priori. In a number of other instances, the causes appeared to be so hid- den, as not to be cognizable. The married and the single woman arc alike subject to it. The suffering, at the menstrual periods, is sometimes severe beyond description: it resembles, in intens^, the pains of labour, or of abortion, properly so called ; for, to either, the case may be said to have a strong analogy. It usually commences by a slight menstruous discharge, which is pretty suddenly arrested: pain now almost instantly ensues ; this is described by women to be of a forcing, bearing down kind; returning at longer or shorter intervals, until a membranous substance, or small coagula, are discharged.* If it be a membranous substance, it will be found of unequal size; sometimes small, at other times large, and some- times it resembles the cavity from which it has been expelled; at other times, it will be broken into many fragments. After the expulsion of this substance, the woman enjoys ease, unless there • It is to be lamented that gentlemen who quote the opinions of others, should not give such opinions fairly. Dr. Eberle, in offering some remarks upon the pa- thology and treatment of dysmenorrhea, (Western Journal,) slates that some writers, and among these, Dr. Dewees, seem to think that this complaint depends invariably on the formation of a pseudo-membranous substance over the internal sur- face of the uterus, by which the orifices of the menstrual exhalents are obstructed. Now, it is only necessary to compare the text with this quotation, to absolve the author, at least, from such a sweeping assertion, and to prove how carelessly Dr. E. must have read,—for I neither say that the formation of a membranous substance is essential to dysmenorrhea, nor intimate that the orifices of the menstrual cxha- lents are obstructed. 1 mention that either a membranous substance or coa<mla are formed, and I believe that this obtains in all cases of uncomplicated or idiopa- thic dysmenorrhea—when pain attends the menstrual process, without either of these products, it will be found that the patient is labouring under the irritable uterus, and not dysmenorrhea.