An inquiry into the pathological importance of ulceration of the os uteri : being the Croonian lectures for the year 1854 / by Charles West.

  • Charles West
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inquiry into the pathological importance of ulceration of the os uteri : being the Croonian lectures for the year 1854 / by Charles West. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    It is true that the severest forms of these affections must prevent persons labouring under them from exercising their disgraceful calling; but yet no one who is familiar with the state of wretchedness, suffering, and disease, in spite of which the lower order of prostitutes continue to ply their trade, but would expect to meet among them with many instances of those ailments in their acute stage, if they were in reality very frequent. Moreover, as a hypertrophied cervix uteri returns, even under favor- able circumstances, extremely slowly to its original size, there would be many occasions in which the chronic effects of by-gone inflammation must be evident in those who had devoted themselves for months or years to a vicious life. Observation, however, seems to show that, be the caused of ulceration of the os uteri, of inflammation, hypertrophy, and induration of its cervix, what they may, sexual ex- cesses, at any rate, have no great share in their production. Four years ago, being anxious to satisfy my mind on this point, I examined, by permission of Mr. Lawrence, forty women on their admission into the venereal wards of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Of these 40 patients, 18 suffered from gonorrhoea alone, 10 from gonorrhoea and syphilis, and the remaining ] 2 only from syphilis. The cases were unselected, and the examinations were made as soon as possible after the admission of the patients into the Hospital. In 27 instances, the os and cervix uteri were absolutely healthy, or presented only, and this but rarely, a slight blush of redness, deepening the natural hue of those parts. In 10 of the remaining thirteen, the ulceration, if indeed it deserved the name, was a mere excoriation not above a line in breadth, partially or completely circumscribing the os uteri, but associated with no other change of its tissue.