The _symptoms_ of this displacement are as follow:--the patient is seized with violent pain, bearing down, and sense of distension about the hollow of the sacrum, with a feeling of dragging and even tearing about the groins, produced by the violent stretching of the broad and round ligaments; the bearing down is sometimes so severe and involuntary as to resemble labour pains, and cases have occurred where it has been mistaken for labour. With all this she finds herself unable to pass fæces or urine, from the pressure of the fundus upon the rectum and of the os uteri upon the neck of the bladder. Upon examination per vaginam, the altered position and form of this canal instantly excite our suspicion: instead of running nearly in a straight direction backwards and somewhat upwards, it now takes a curved direction upwards and forwards behind the symphysis pubis; the hollow of the sacrum is occupied with the globular and nearly solid mass, (the fundus uteri,) which is evidently behind the vagina, the posterior wall of this canal being felt between it and the finger; behind the symphysis pubis, the vagina is more or less flattened, and its anterior wall put violently upon the stretch, so much so that, according to Richter, the orifice of the urethra is sometimes dragged up above the pubic bones, (_Anfangsgründe der Wundarztneikunst_, vol. ii. p. 45:) the os uteri is found high up behind the symphysis pubis, and in most cases can be reached, although with much difficulty; sometimes we shall be able to reach the posterior lip only, which is now the lowest: but "if the retension of urine has been of some duration, it will be impossible to reach the os uteri above the pubic bones with the finger. On examining per rectum, we shall feel the same tumour pressing firmly upon it, and preventing the farther passage of the finger, thus proving that the tumour is situated between the rectum and the vagina; for, in such cases, the bladder forms a considerable swelling below it, and prevents the finger from passing up." (_Op. cit._)