On intra-uterine fibroids / by J. Marion Sims.

  • J. Marion Sims
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On intra-uterine fibroids / by J. Marion Sims. 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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    tnmor was closely attached to the walls of the womb. Alto- gether the case was favorable for operation, and we thought it should be done at once. But Dr. Parker had two cases of erysipelas under his care at the time, and we feared to perform the operation at Ponghkeepsie. As I was then at I^ewport for the summer. Dr. Parker sent his patient there for operation, and it was performed on the 26th of July. Dr. Sands, Dr. Engs, and Dr. Watson assisted, and Dr. Harry Sims gave nitrous- oxide gas. It took about two minutes to produce anaesthesia; the operation lasted seven minutes, and in one minute more there was entire consciousness ; she was, then, just ten min- utes under the influence of the gas. The tumor, about the size of the fist, was enucleated and removed with compara- tive ease. I did not allow any great loss of blood during the operation, for, as the attachments between the tumor and its capsule were broken loose, a sponge-pi'obang was thrust up along the track of the enucleator to arrest the bleed- ing. When the tumor was removed, I passed several pledgets of iron-cotton into the cavity of the uterus. They were about the size of the first joint of the thumb, and each was tied with a strong thread to facilitate removal. The day after the operation, the two lower pledgets were removed ; on the second day two more ; and on the third the remaining two. Yaginal carbolic washes were then freely used, and in a fortnight Mrs. H. returned home well, and soon regained all the freshness and vigor of robust health. Case II.—Mme. de , of the city of Mexico, aged thir- ty-eight years; married at thirteen ; gave birth to a child at eighteen ; and had a miscamage at twenty-four. Soon after this her health began to fail. She had nausea, and occasional vomiting; her abdomen began to enlarge, and she supposed herself pregnant again, notwithstanding the fact that she was regular. In about six months she had a violent haemorrhage during one of her periods, and this occurred several times at intervals of five or six months. For the last four or five years the hsemorrhages have been severe and prolonged, often con- tinuing from one menstrual epoch to the next. A year ago she consulted the eminent surgeon, Dr. Martinez del Rio, of the city of Mexico, who informed her tliat she had a large