Anomalies and Curiosities of MedicineGould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Science
Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine
Gould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Abnormalities, Human; Medicine -- Anecdotes
Cases of menstruation through the eyes are frequently mentioned by the
older writers. Bellini, Hellwig, and Dodonaeus all speak of
menstruation from the eye. Jonston quotes an example of ocular
menstruation in a young Saxon girl, and Bartholinus an instance
associated with bloody discharge of the foot. Guepin has an example in
a case of a girl of eighteen, who commenced to menstruate when three
years old. The menstruation was tolerably regular, occurring every
thirty-two or thirty-three days, and lasting from one to six days. At
the cessation of the menstrual flow, she generally had a supplementary
epistaxis, and on one occasion, when this was omitted, she suffered a
sudden effusion into the anterior chamber of the eye. The discharge had
only lasted two hours on this occasion. He also relates an example of
hemorrhage into the vitreous humor in a case of amenorrhea.
Conjunctival hemorrhage has been noticed as a manifestation of
vicarious menstruation by several American observers. Liebreich found
examples of retinal hemorrhage in suppressed menstruation, and Sir
James Paget says that he has seen a young girl at Moorfields who had a
small effusion of blood into the anterior chamber of the eye at the
menstrual period, which became absorbed during the intervals of
menstruation. Blair relates the history of a case of vicarious
menstruation attended with conjunctivitis and opacity of the cornea.
Law speaks of a plethoric woman of thirty who bled freely from the
eyes, though menstruating regularly.
Relative to menstruation from the ear, Spindler, Paullini, and Alibert
furnish examples. In Paullini's case the discharge is spoken of as very
foul, which makes it quite possible that this was a case of middle-ear
disease associated with some menstrual disturbance, and not one of true
vicarious menstruation. Alibert's case was consequent upon suppression
of the menses. Law cites an instance in a woman of twenty-three, in
whom the menstrual discharge was suspended several months. She
experienced fulness of the head and bleeding (largely from the ears),
which subsequently occurred periodically, being preceded by much
throbbing; but the patient finally made a good recovery. Barnes,
Stepanoff, and Field adduce examples of this anomaly. Jouilleton
relates an instance of menstruation from the right ear for five years,
following a miscarriage.
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