On alcoholism in gynaecology and obstetrics / by J. Matthews Duncan.

  • Duncan, J. Matthews (James Matthews), 1826-1890.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On alcoholism in gynaecology and obstetrics / by J. Matthews Duncan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    vasculosa. Nnmerous Graafian follicles, small and large, are visible, but all have a move or less shrunken appearance. The liver shows great increase of fibrous tissue, with extensive atrophy of the liver cells. The organs were those of a married woman, aged 41, who died in St Bartholomew's Hospital, under the care of Dr Church, of cirrhosis of the liver, with ascites. The kidneys were not diseased. Dr Matthews Duncan lias suggested that interstitial change in the ovaries is a cause of sterility in intemperate women, and Mr Lawson Tait speaks (Diseases of Ovaries) of cirrhosis of the ovaries, but very little is to be found in authors as to the nature or fre- quency of the condition. The ovaries were referred to the Morbid Growths Committee for report. March m, 1884. Report of the Morlid Growths Committee on Dr Norman Moore's specimen of Enlarged Ovaries in connexion ivith Cirrhosis of the Liver. The ovaries submitted to us are larger than natural, but their texture having been altered by preservation in spirit, we are unable to speak definitely of the appearances they originally pre- sented to the naked eye. We have examined the microscopic specimens, and find that they show a general increase in all the constituents of the ovary. The cortex is much denser than normal, and the density is due to an increase of fibrous tissue, which is closely arranged, and contains but few nuclei. The greater part of the rest of the ovaries is composed of cells, similar in shape and size to the nuclei of in- voluntary muscle fibre. These are imbedded in a homogeneous matrix. The vessels are notably abundant; many of them have very delicate walls. Corpora lutea in the later stages of develop- ment are present. We do not find any of the small round connective tissue cells met with in cirrhosis (as, for example, in the liver in the present case), nor any other evidences of a chronic inflammatory process. We are therefore disposed, from these appearances, to think that the enlargement of the ovaries in this case is more of the nature of an hypertrophy than of a chronic inflammation or cirrhosis. Charters J. Symonds. Anthony A. Buwlby. April 24:th, 1884. After operations women who are in a condition of chronic alcoholism are, like men, liable to nervous delirium of varying degrees of severity, and to well-characterized delirium tremens. On this affection 1 shall enter more fully when T treat of it as