Practical manual of diseases of women and uterine therapeutics : for students and practitioners / by H. Macnaughton Jones.

  • Macnaughton-Jones, H. (Henry), 1844-1918.
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical manual of diseases of women and uterine therapeutics : for students and practitioners / by H. Macnaughton Jones. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    earlier appearance of the menstrual discharge. At times we notice, as characteristic of this form of pain, that the patient states that some clots have passed, and that on the appearance of these the pain has been relieved. The passage of these clots is occasionally followed by a profuse, or rather prolonged, flow. And this brings me to these questions— 1. Is there such a distinct cause of the dysmenorrhoea in uterine spasm as to warrant our regarding this uterine contraction as a special form of painful menstruation, and either pathologically or clinically distinguishable from other forms ? 2. Is it correct to assert that the pain has its source altogether in the uterine spasm and not in the mechanical effects of congestive closure, contraction of the canal from flexion, or congenital stenosis ? The truth of the mechanical theory of the pain of dys- menorrhoea has been altogether disputed by Dr. Matthews Duncan. His views may be summarized thus :— ‘ The most characteristic form of dysmenorrhoea is spasmodic ’; it is ‘of the nature of a neurosis ’; is synony- mous with neuralgic, and is ‘ in its essence ’ due to ‘ morbid contractions of the uterus, occurring in connection with menstruation.’ These contractions are clonic; they ‘come in pangs,’ and when the pain is incessant it is because the uterine contraction is tonic. He regards as analogous diseases the after-pains of pregnancy and spasmodic asthma. ‘ Nothing can be more erroneous,’ he thinks, than the statement ‘ that flexion of the passage obstructs the dis- charge of blood.’ He is satisfied that it is bad pathology that regards an extreme flexion as the cause of damming up of blood in the body of the uterus, and the usual consequences that follow from such blood accumulation. The fact that a woman has not violent dysmenorrhoea after the first two days of