Observations on occlusion of the vagina and uterus, with its means of prevention, and the operation necessary for its removal / by Evory Kennedy.

Date:
[1839?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on occlusion of the vagina and uterus, with its means of prevention, and the operation necessary for its removal / by Evory Kennedy. 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.

    11/24 (page 95)
    11th February. Pulse 112; no tenderness in abdomen; passes water freely ; bowels moved without pain. Omit powders. Oil draught. 12th February. Constitutional symptoms have subsided. From this period the treatment consisted in passing the finger at first, afterwards leaving a candle, (No. 6,) in the vagina, and great attention to cleanliness. The cathether was occasion- ally passed into the os uteri. 23rd. February. A tent was introduced into the os uteri, and on examination, a very minute ulcerated opening was found just within the sphincter of the vagina leading into the rectum. Tenderness of the vagina on pressing the candle has almost gone. 1st March. Complained last night of pain in back ; some red discharge appears on the end of the candle, when withdrawn from the vagina; os uteri admits a catheter to a considerable depth. In consequence of the attempt at menstruation, she was given a hip bath each night, and iron was administered, first in the form of the sulphate, and afterwards in Griffith's mixture. The slight red discharge continued three days and then disap- peared ; some irregularity of the upper part of the vagina con- tinuing, in which, apparently, the passage into the uterus is obstructed. The caustic pencil was freely applied, the irre- gular surface destroyed, and the uterine aperture rendered free and pervious, by the frequent introduction of the catheter. . In this case the vagina shews but little tendency to contract again. The passage easily admits a mould six. Patient re- turned to the country quite well, but rather sooner than we could have wished, as these cases require watching for some time, to prevent the recontraction of the vagina. Here then we have menstruation setting in within three weeks after the operation, and although the vagina had been occluded ■ for eight months, yet no appearance of accumulation was per-