Manual of gynecology / by D. Berry Hart and A.H. Barbour.

Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual of gynecology / by D. Berry Hart and A.H. Barbour. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    135/733 (page 80)
    GENERAL PHENOMENA OF MENSTRUATION. Changes at Puberty.—At this period of life, when the girl becomes the woman, we find certain well marked general changes occurring The bust and mons veneris develope and the whole contour of the body- becomes more rounded and attractive; hair appears on the genitals. The romping carriage of the girl becomes subdued, and greater shyness characterises her conduct to the opposite sex. I'henomena premonitory to each menstrual flow.—There is usually a feeling of weight in the pelvis and increase of sexual inclination. Many women, however, have very little uneasiness during the whole flow; while others are always considerably distressed,—this distress being still outside the boundary of actual disease. Periodicity and duration of Discharge.—When once established it recurs with great regularity every 28 days (in —71 p. a), 30 days (in — 14 p. a), 21 days (in — 12 p. a), or 27 days (in + 1 p. c). We speak there- fore of the 21 day type and so on. It lasts for a number of days, vary- ing from 2 to 8. If below 2 or above 8 it is abnormal: but of course other points besides mere duration must be taken into account. LOCAL PHENOMENA. Three periods are distinguished ; 1. Invasion, 2. Persistence, 3. Decline. 1. Invasion.—Discharge pale. 2. Persistence.—Discharge bright red, non-coagulable from its ad- mixture with mucus. It consists microscopically of epithelium from vaginal, cervical, and uterine cavities; mucous globules; compound granular corpuscles, and red and white blood corpuscles. 3. Decline.—Discharge lessens in amount and becomes lighter in colour. The total quantity varies from 2 to 8 ounces. Thus far we have related facts fairly well ascertained and not much disputed. We now enter on more debateable ground, in considering— I. Ovulation; II. The Corpus luteum ; III. Source of discharge, and changes in the uterine mucous membrane. I. Ovulation.—So far as our present knowledge goes, ovulation forms the starting point of the process of menstruation. We have already considered the structure and development of the ovary, and now describe The changes in the Ovary at each Menstrual Period—& graafian folliclo