The history of ancient gynaecology.

  • McKay, W. J. Stewart (William John Stewart), 1866-1948
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The history of ancient gynaecology. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    Uterine, Vaginal, and Rectal Plugs.—Our authors made frequent mention of a variety of plugs to be used for the uterus, vagina, or rectum; thus, Pliny says : Eam's wool ^Yashed in cold water and steeped in oil is used for female complaints, and to allay inflammation of the uterus. Greasy wool used as a pessary brings away the dead foetus and arrests uterine discharges. In treating some complaints of women the Hindus introduce a piece of cloth soaked in oil into the vagina. Soranus, Aetius, Oribasius, and Paul direct that a ball of wool tied round with a string should be pushed into the vagina after reducing a prolapsed womb. The uterus was frequently plugged, Soranus says, in dealing with a case of monorrhagia, that some lana mollis digito vel specillo inducatur uteri osculo ; and if this is not sufficient, then we proceed thus: Quod si fiat, parvam spongiam oblongam itidem madefactam quam maxime fieri potest in profundum immittere oportet, ut excretus sanguis recipiatur neque in grumos conversus consensum faciat et inflamma- tiones (c. xlviii.). Aetius directs us to use a rectal plug after reducing a retroflexion of the uterus (c. Ixxvii.), and Oribasius refers to the use of pieces of lint for the rectum. In the Hippocratic work on Fistulse, a tent is described as being pushed into the rectum. When it [the tent ?] has been pushed inwards, introduce a ball of horn into the rectum and leave it there ; and when the patient wants to go to stool, let it be taken out and again replaced, and let this practice be continued for five days (Adams, vol. ii., p. 817). Intra-uterine and Vaginal Pessaries.—The first mention that we have of an intra-uterine pessary occurs in the Hippo- cratic work on the Diseases of Women (ii. 133). After
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