On the causes and treatment of abortion and sterility : being the result of an extended practical inquiry into the physiological and morbid conditions of the uterus, with reference especially to leucorrhoeal affections and the diseases of menstruation / by James Whitehead.

  • Whitehead, James, 1812-1885.
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the causes and treatment of abortion and sterility : being the result of an extended practical inquiry into the physiological and morbid conditions of the uterus, with reference especially to leucorrhoeal affections and the diseases of menstruation / by James Whitehead. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    months. Since the middle of her first pregnancy she had constantly been the subject of an inward weakness. Whilst labouring under a severe cold in January 1847, she had a severe accession of lumbar and hypogastric aching and bearing- down, and the leucorrhceal discharge was augmented, becoming at the same time of a darker colour, thinner in consistence, and pro- ducing considerable irritation and excoriation about the external parts over which it passed. These symptoms had existed a fort- night, when the irritation began to affect the bladder; there was a more frequent desire to void the urine, which occasioned much pain in escaping. Although the patient was constantly under medical treatment, her sufferings continued to increase, and at the time of her admission as a patient of the Hospital, the affection must have attained to an aggravated pitch of severity; but on account of the inconvenience occasioned by the recent destruction of the Institution by fire, the requisite investigation was necessarily omitted. Three weeks afterwards, on the 4th of March, I was requested to to see her at her own home. The pains of labour were said to have commenced on the previous day, and the midwife in attendance became alarmed from the appearance of haemorrhage which had been flowing freely several hours before my arrival. The move- ments of the foetus were lively and vigorous. The cervix uteri was soft, and greatly hypertrophied; the whole of its lower part being occupied by an ulcerated surface, which was studded with large spongeoid granulations, from which blood was freely exuding. The cellular structure surrounding the urethra was greatly thickened, appearing completely to occupy the arch of the pubis, and the ure- thral orifice was surrounded by soft, angry, prominent granulations which were exceedingly painful. The introduction of the catheter, which was rendered necessary on account of suppression of urine, occasioned intense suffering. The remedies immediately employed were: the application of ten leeches to the hypogastrium, after which two grains of opium com- bined with the same quantity of hydr. subm., to be administered ; the free use of the solid nitrate of silver to the diseased surface ; a tent of lint saturated with tincture of matico was applied to the same part and allowed to remain until the following day; and the Lotio Plumbi kept constantly applied to the external parts. Sixteen hours after- wards, the patient was found perfectly free both from pain and dis-