A modern French author of great experience, (_Martin le Jeune_, p. 178,) in enumerating the causes of retroversion, appears to take a similar view of the subject, and places retention of urine very far down in his list. "Sudden and violent contractions of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm in attempting to vomit, to evacuate the bowels or bladder, or to lift heavy weights; the throes during an abortion at an early period of pregnancy; strong mental emotions; retention of urine; tumours in the neighbourhood of the fundus, which by their weight or pressure force it backwards towards the sacrum, are the causes which may produce a retroversion of the uterus." Retroversion may also come on gradually, from "the uterus remaining too long in that situation which is natural to it when unimpregnated, namely, with its fundus inclined backwards. This may depend on various causes; such as too great width of the pelvis, or the pressure of the ileum full of fæces on the fore part of the uterus. In this case the weight of the fundus must gradually produce a retroversion, and she will be sensible of its progress from day to day." (Burns's _Anat. of the Gravid Uterus_. p. 18.) It will thus be seen how peculiarly liable the uterus is to retroversion during the early months of pregnancy. At this time, the fundus is not yet free from the weight of the superincumbent coils of intestine; and if from any cause its ascent out of the pelvis be delayed beyond the usual time, its liability to retroversion is still farther increased; for, not only does the size of the fundus press it still farther backward, but any sudden contractions of the abdominal muscles, or external violence, act upon it with increased effect.