Diseases of women : a clinical guide to their diagnosis and treatment / by George Ernest Herman.

  • Herman G. Ernest (George Ernest), 1849-1914.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of women : a clinical guide to their diagnosis and treatment / by George Ernest Herman. 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.

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    either created or directed attention to the local disease; and that if the mind of the patient was relieved from fear and she Avas brought to live a healthy life, the local disease might often [be safely neglected; that the “ Protean symptoms ” had nothing to do with the state of things in the pelvis. Advantage of taking patient from home.—I have re- ferred to an important peculiarity about women’s diseases. A woman’s Avork is in her home. If you prescribe rest for a man and he goes home to bed, your prescription is carried out. But not so Avith most women. For them rest of mind and body is only possible if you take them from their homes. Hence it has happened that the treatment of these small local ailments has been often attended Avith surprising benetit, because poor people have been treated in hospital, Avhere the patient got the rest she could not get at home ; and richer people have been treated either in lodgings or in friends’ houses, Avhere the patient has stayed for a time that she might be near her doctor. The local treatment did good, but the main benefit often came from the rest from the worry and Avork of home, together Avith Avise general treatment employed at the same time. Disease of the pelvic organs alleged to be manifested solely by remote symptoms.—It has been stated in the Avritings of some gynaecologists that disease of the pelvic organs is sometimes manifested by symptoms referred to some quite other part of the body. In one sense this is true—viz. that patients often from modesty mention first, and perhaps only, the symptoms Avhich do not concern the sexual func- tions ; so that, to ascertain those which- do, inquiry must be made. But it is also stated or implied that there are cases in Avhich local symptoms do not exist at all, and yet remote symptoms are due to disease of the pelvic organs. If such cases exist, I knoAv them not. The family doctor and minor gynaecology.—There is another ]>ractical difference between minor gynaecology and major. Minor gynaecology is that Avith Avhich the family doctor is concerned. The minor gynaecological ailments, real or supposed, are common, and the majority of them come first to the family doctor. He can by sound advice prevent the patient from magnifying trifles; can disabuse her of