Outlines of the diseases of women / by John Phillips.

  • Phillips, John
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Outlines of the diseases of women / by John Phillips. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    90/332 page 70
    absorption of the adhesions may be aided, and the circulation through the diseased parts improved. It should on no account be undertaken if the presence of pus in the tubes or in adventitious loculi be suspected, as rupture is likely to occur, with possibly consequent fatal peritonitis. Vaginal Douches.— These consist in the administration of two pints of hot watei (temp. 115° to i20° Fahr.) twice daily, night and morning, per vaginam, the woman lying on her back over a bed-pan. Their effect is to produce a constriction of the vessels at the bases of the broad ligaments and so to relieve congestion. By the addition of iodine to the water a certain absorptive effect is produced. The beneficial action of glycerin pledgets, when applied to the roof of the vagina, is open to doubt. Lastly, abdominal section. Two courses may be followed in this operation, (a) On passing the hand into the pelvis, the parts may be found bound down and displaced by adhesions, but other- wise healthy. The plan usually adopted should be to break down these adhesions with the fingers, free the displaced organs, and thus remove the cause of the venous congestion. (/3) If pus be discovered in the tubes or elsewhere, it may be necessary to remove the appendages, or drain the abscess cavity. This mode of treatment should on no account be resorted to until a prolonged course of palliative treatment—at least three months —has been carried out, and finally a thorough examination of the pelvic organs made, the patient being under the influence of an anaesthetic. Refer for further treatment to the chapter on Para- and Perimetritis (p. 187). (b) Membranous Dysmenorrhea. This consists of the discharge during menstruation of the super- ficial part of the uterine mucous membrane, m a more or less coherent state, with or without pain. Facts elicited by Clinical Evidence.—A woman may pass mem- branes for a considerable time during menstruation without pam ; then suddenly or gradually begin to pass them with pam, which only ceases with the menopause. In the former case this cannot be called true membranous dysmenorrhea. The passage of mem- branes, with pain, is a primary disorder as a rule, beginning with the onset of menstruation. They may be passed with or withou pain by virgins. A patient so affected is as a rule sterile, thougn S necessarily so; should pregnancy occur, there is a return to the original condition after labour.
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