Diseases of women.

  • Lawson Tait
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of women. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    but it seems an accident to which the former is liable with extreme readiness, if submitted to any sources of infection. It is generally ushered in by rigors, and is indicated by eleva- tion of the temperature, a hay-like odour of the breath, with pain in and distension of the abdomen, beginning on the third or fourth day. Traumatic peritonitis begins within thirty-six hours of the operation, and is really a very rare complica- tion. If the septic infection take an acute form, a few hours may suffice to end the case. If it be of the subacute variety, it runs a longer course, and is more marked by nocturnal exaltation of the temperature-curve, night-sweats, diarrhoea, dry, brown and furred tongue, green or coffee-ground vomit- ing, hay-smelling breath, and tenderness over the liver; pneumonia often occurs in its course, and death usually takes place in four or five days. The chronic pyaemia, re- sulting in abscesses of joints, &c, is rare after ovariotomy; there seems not to be time enough for its development. Vomiting is a frequent and often troublesome symptom after ovariotomy, and may arise from any of the complica- tions I have mentioned. It is absolutely necessary to stop it, if possible, for I have seen the straining tear the wound open. There are many remedies that may be employed, as prussic acid, creasote, iced champagne, sinapisms over the stomach, &c.; but by far the most useful, in my experience, has been Morson's pepsine wine, given in drachm doses every ten minutes with a little ice-water. This has been especially beneficial in bilious vomiting. Flatulence is often a very distressing symptom, and, if accompanied by a high temperature, is pathognomonic of peritonitis. Milk and lime-water often mitigates it very much, and the passage of an O'Beirne's tube as far as possi- ble up the rectum will sometimes give much relief. An irre- gular menstruation comes on very generally within forty-eight hours after ovariotomy, and seems to be a good omen; for many of my cases where it has not occurred have died. It u