The London practice of midwifery: including the treatment during the puerperal state, and the principal infantile diseases : To which is added notes, plates and Denman's Aphorisms.

Date:
1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The London practice of midwifery: including the treatment during the puerperal state, and the principal infantile diseases : To which is added notes, plates and Denman's Aphorisms. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Lamar Soutter Library, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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    if she feels pain, it is only very slight in the lower part of the back ; which is i'rom the consent of certain nerves with those of the uterus; but in four or five years, that becomes estab- lished pain in the back, as bad even as grinding pains in la- bor. Such a woman will afterwards bear labor very well, and declare that she v/ould rather bear a child, than experi- ence the pain of difficult menstruation once a month. They go on in this manner, that when the time comes at which die patient expects to menstruate, she feels a pain in the back, and observes at that time a little stain ; the pain increases, and the menstruation goes on very imperfectly, for some time, and when at last it becomes more plentiful in quantity, the pain lessens, and the last two days the secre- tion is not attended with any pain. The appearance of the fluid is not that of menstruation, as it usually occurs. There are coas^ula of various sizes ; and if H^rit is discharged i^e examined carefully, flakes of coag- ulibie lymph will be perceived. These are not observed by the women; but if inquiry is made, they find themselves lia- ble to lose such little flakes. These being floated in water, form a cast of the inner surface of the uterus^ proving that the secretion t^ kes place from the whole inner surface. This state arises from Interruption of the functions of the uterus^ and is a situation in which it is much less liable to become impregnated ; but if it does, that woman may go on menstru- ating without any pain to the end of her life, or perhaps with less than she suffered before. This complaint is more fre- quent in large to^vns than in the country. The first object in regard to the treatment is the removing the inflammation, for there can be no difficuhy in supposing inflammation present at the time of the pain being; so violent: one strong proof of which is, the coagulable lymph being thrown out. The patient should leave off animal food en- tirely, if possible, at least partially ; avoid all liquors, and live as simply as possible; keeping the bowels in such a state, that hard stools shall not be formed. If the patient be strong and plethoric, we may bleed once ; but it is a bad principle to bleed young people; it lays the foundation for a larger quantity of blood being formed than should be. Between one period and another, the parts about the pelvis should occasionally be immersed in the tepid bath, and afterwards rubbed, and immediately as the pain comes she should be put into a warm bath : this may be done the night before. The pulvis ipecac, comp, should also be given to assist perspiration, which is always an object here. Pur- suing this plan, the habit will be broken, and the patient may go for years without menstruating with pain; but when it