Treatment of dysmenorrhoea and sterility resulting from anteflexion of the uterus / by Thos. Addis Emmet.

  • Emmet, Thomas Addis, 1828-1919.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Treatment of dysmenorrhoea and sterility resulting from anteflexion of the uterus / by Thos. Addis Emmet. 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.)

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    he has not been uniformly successful, he still regards that operation as promising the best results. I am satisfied that neither operation will permanently re- lieve any case unless the flexure is confined to the neck and is below the vaginal junction. While the backward operation as proposed would relieve a moderate flexure, the lateral one, however, even if extended on each side to the vaginal junc- tion, could not accomplish so much, unless the posterior flap, in the process of healing, retracted sufficiently to clear the seat of stricture, which it could not do. The dysmenorrhea invari- ably returns after a few months, as soon as the mere revulsive effect of the operation has subsided. The explanation to be offered is, that the posterior lip, lying on the floor of the pelvis, with the weight of the viscera above pressing the organ downward, would keep the two sur- faces sufficiently in contact still to retard the menstrual flow in its escape, although the sound might be readily passed. The representation repeated by all works on anatomy, in locating the uterus on a line of the superior strait, is not strictly correct. Some approximation is reached, it is true, yet, in a woman who has borne children, or who has suffered from uterine disease, (unless the organ be retroverted,) the cer- vix is found resting either on the rectal septum or on the floor of the pelvis. The objection, therefore, to the lateral opera- tion in consequence of this pressure on the posterior lip, is tenable. The position of the uterus is not appreciated by the use of the ordinary speculum, as its length in conformity with the accepted position must push the organ before it. If a female is placed on the back, with the extremities flexed, and the perinaeum firmly pressed back as far as pos-