Mechanical appliances in uterine surgery / by William H. Baker.

  • Baker, William H. (William Henry), 1845-1914.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mechanical appliances in uterine surgery / by William H. Baker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    could not have been satisfactory, for the remains of the ovum and the granulations still being in the cavity of the uteri\s, the haemorrhage must continue, even though the uterus were sustained in its normal position ; and until this cause of the haemorrhage and the malposition were removed, there could be no hope of permanent benefit. But these causes of the misplacement bejng obviated, the tendency of the uterus was to regain its perfect position, although it received no aid from any artificial support. Case II. Mrs. N., thirtv-five vears of age, was admitted to the serv- ice of my highly respected instructor. Dr. T. Addis Emmet, in the Woman’s Hospital of New York, during the month of December, 1873. She had been married twelve years, and had had one miscarriage at six months and subsequently a child, after a rapid labor, ten years before her admission to the hospital.' For the latter length of time, although not entirely incapacitated from work, yet she constantly suffered through the lower part of the abdomen and back sharp pains which were greatly increased by walking. She had also a leucorrhoeal dis- charge of a thick and tough consistence. On examination, the uterus was found retroverted, and its cervix lac- erated on the left side down to the vaginal junction and very much hy- pertrophied, its surface being covered with the discharge above described. One week after the patient’s admission to the hospital, the writer oper- ated upon the case for Dr. Emmet, for the closure of the lacerated cervix. The patient being etherized, this was successfully done, the hsemorrhage, which was considerable, being entirely controlled as soon as the sutures were introduced. She made a good recovery from the operation, and then the uterus being re])laced, and some intra-uterine applications of impure carbolic acid made, the womb gradually re- gained its proper position, and the patient, feeling entirely relieved of her suffering, was discharged from the hospital, cured, January 17, 1874. She was seen four months afterwards, and had continued well. The uterus was then in a normal position, and the cervix looked per- fectly natural, no evidences of the operation being visible. In the above case, the malposition was undoubtedly due primarily to the condition of the cervix, and secondarily to that of the interior of the uterus. The indications were, first, to restore the cervix to its normal condition, or to that which it had previous to the birth of her child ten years earlier; and, second, to obtain a healthy state of the lining mem- brane of the uterus. Tlie result of this course most certainly proved the correctness of the treatment. Had we attem|)ted to use any mechan- ical appliance to correct the malposition of the uterus before the natuial condition of the cervix had been restored, we should have greatly ag- gravated the case, for such treatment could not have failed to increase the already greatly irritated cervix. As it was, the beneficial result