Menstruation and its disorders / by Arthur E. Giles.

  • Giles, Arthur E. (Arthur Edward), 1864-1936.
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Menstruation and its disorders / by Arthur E. Giles. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to the fact that the mucus is not present in sufficient quantity to hinder coagulation. Pain during Menstruation.—Normally, menstrua- tion is a painless process ; but there are many conditions, hygienic, social and pathological, which tend to disturb the function and to induce pain. In many cases the pain is very slight or moderate ; in others it is very severe. I shall have to consider the last group in detail when discussing painful menstruation, or dysmenorrhoea. Pain is found chiefly in the back (referred to the sacrum) and in the suprapubic region ; it not infrequently shoots down the thighs and is sometimes restricted to the iliac or ovarian regions. It may commence some days before the flow; it may be coincident with the onset, or it may continue during the period. Of a thousand cases examined it was found that 35 per cent, had no pain, 36 per cent, had little or moderate pain, and in 29 per cent, the pain was severe. These figures refer to the earlier years of menstruation. In many cases, owing to the incidence of various pathological conditions, men- struation which began painlessly becomes painful later on. When the question of pain is examined with refer- ence to the amount of blood lost, it is found that those who lose little suffer less than those who lose much. For example, among those whose loss was stated to be ‘ very little,’ 40 per cent, were free from pain and 28 per cent, suffered a good deal; whilst among those who were said to lose ‘ profusely ’ only 16 per cent, were free from pain, whilst 56 per cent, suffered severely. It is of interest to point out that pain coming on before the flow is most often sacral, whilst when it occurs during menstruation it is chiefly suprapubic. Some patients who experience pain both beforehand and also at the time state that they feel it in the back until the flow