A manual of midwifery / by Alfred Meadows.

  • Alfred Meadows
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual of midwifery / by Alfred Meadows. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    104/528 (page 76)
    affirm that she is quite regular, and will even stain her linen to carry out her deception. In addition to this sign, some of those sympathetic de- rangements already mentioned will generally appear; the most constant, perhaps, heing morning sickness. Nausea alone would not be a sign of much value, but there are peculiarities about that incidental to pregnancy which stamp it with much greater force. Though mostly occur- ring m the early morning as soon as the patient gets out of bed, or into the upright position, it may occur at any time of the day, and seems especially induced by the sight of food. It is not like an ordinary sickness, but is ac- companied by a peculiar deadened sinking feeling at the pit of the stomach, not unlike that caused by the motion of a vessel at sea, or that never-to-be-forgotten nausea which most who have learned to smoke have experienced It may occur within a few hours of conception, and may last only a few weeks, or it may continue throughout the whole of pregnancy. Sometimes it lasts only for a few minutes during each day, but I have seen cases where the patient had hardly any freedom from it during the whole twenty-four hours, except while asleep. Sometimes they will even be awoke by it in the night. Another symptom which is often extremely troublesome and distressing is profuse salivation. I have known cases of this kind where the quantity of fluid which poured from the mouth might be measured almost by pints in the twenty-four hours. If we examine the mouth no indica- tions will be found of inflammation either of the mouth or gums, nor is there any foetor of the breath, or any metallic taste, such as characterize mercurial salivation. Certain changes in the uterus and vagina also occur; the os and cervix become soft and spongy, cushiony, the transverse Hp-like fissure being changed for a more circular form; the temperature of the vagina is some- what increased, and there is also a freer secretion of mucus. The changes which take place subsequently in the shape of the os and cervix vary according as the patient is a pri- miparous or multiparous woman, and these changes are very well represented in figs. 45 to 50. In the Second month, besides the continuance of the above, about the end of this period, the breasts begm to feel more or less tender and painful, there is a sense of fulness and throbbing in them, and they are observed to be somewhat larger, firmer, and with a peculiar knotty