Diseases of the uterus.

  • Waller, Charles, 1802-1862.
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of the uterus. 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.)

    118/256
    Hence the necessity of a most careful examination the moment we suspect the existence of any disease in this part of the body. In general we remark the following precursory symptoms : — The woman loses a small quantity of blood from time to time, without any pain, or has a leucorrhcea, which continues during the interval of menstruation. The breasts become slightly tumid, and she thinks this often a sign of good health. She feels some pain in the loins after walking or riding in a rough carriage. When she stands for any length of time, a sense of fatigue in the pelvis and of dragging in the loins compels her to sit down. Coition is often followed by a slight loss of blood, and excites slight pain, which may disappear quickly, or remain for one, two, or even three days. Sometimes the disease is arrested at this point, and ceases sponta- neously ; but more frequently the fluor albus becomes more abun- dant ; the woman experiences pain, not usually in the uterus, but about the loins, the round and broad ligaments, or even a pain running down the back of the thighs and legs to the heels, whence it is often mistaken for a sciatica ; the pain may also extend towards the umbilicus, to the flanks, or very often to the rectum, especially when the neck of the uterus, thrown backward by a slight anteversion of the organ, presses on the intestine. The floodings now succeed each other at shorter intervals; the breasts dwindle away, and a sympathetic gastro-enteritis declares itself; the patient is affected during the day by a slight fever, recur- ing at intervals more or less frequent, or by nervous attacks; the skin is dry; digestion becomes deranged; the woman loses flesh and complexion, and the whole skin assumes a sickly, dull colour. The disease seldom arrives at this point without a physician being consulted, and it is now easily discovered; but at other times, as has been remarked, the disorder, though hidden, increases, while the general health seems perfect, and only reveals itself on a sudden with alarming symptoms ; digestion is interrupted, and the patient is afflicted with excessive pain; hemorrhage now sets in and recurs frequently ; the skin becomes dry and earthy coloured; finally, a colliquative diarrhoea makes its appearance, and termi- nates the scene generally in one or two months after the appear- ance of the first symptoms. Death may take place even within twenty-four hours from perforation of the'uterus and peritonitis. I have occasion to see every year at least twenty examples of uterine affections which march in this insidious manner. Not long ago I was called to the wife of a musical professor in this city, who was fresh and young, and might pass for one of the handsomest women in Paris. M. Moreau, who had already seen the lady, wished to have my advice; I touched her, and found that the uterus was reduced to a putrid mass, in which the finger readily sunk. There was no resource left; it became necessary to acquaint the family with the dangerous state in which