Observations on some of the more important diseases of women / by James Blundell ; edited by Thomas Castle.

  • Blundell, Dr., 1790-1878.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on some of the more important diseases of women / by James Blundell ; edited by Thomas Castle. 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.

    298/306 (page 284)
    are less certain of success. When you are operating, more espe- cially when there is disease at the basis, it should be your object to take away the whole of the disorganised mass. SECTION LXIII. PARTIAL OBSTRUCTIONS OF THE VAGINAL ORIFICE. Women are liable to be affected with partial obstructions of the vaginal orifice ; either the hymen is merely cribriform, or, at all events, though of the usual circular or crescentic shape, it obstructs the orifice, which may be of small diameter, very com- pletely. Now this obstruction of the vagina gives rise to various incidents, and which are worth a little observation. In the first place, when the catamenia occur, they are liable to become, in a high degree, offensive,* this resulting pretty evidently from their not flowing freely away, but remaining in the vagina and becoming putrescent. The disease once understood may be easily relieved by the use of the syringe and warm water, ablution being per- formed, if necessary, three or four times in the course of the four-and-twenty hours, and the natural dilatation of the orifice will ultimately complete the cure of the disease. When the genitals are thus partially obstructed, another consequence of the obstruction is, that if the hymen be firm and the patient be too sensitive—from the operation of both these causes, her person may not be penetrated ; or if the obstruction be of the higher degree, supposing the hymen, or whatever be the cause of the obstruction, to be unusually firm, then if the parties be resolute, the male organ may actually enter the urethra. A case of this kind is related by Chambon ; and in these cases, the woman * gee also Section Lll.