The swollen womb often presses on the neck of the bladder, and hinders the passage of the urine, or even obstructs it sometimes altogether, and thus causes straining, burning heat, and great distension of the bladder. In some instances this passes off as the pregnancy advances, owing to the womb rising higher in the abdomen, but in other cases it remains more or less, during the whole term. It is particularly important, in such cases, that the female should not let the difficulty remain too long unremedied, for if the bladder be very full it may become utterly impossible to empty it by natural effort. Sometimes the difficulty is much lessened by lying on the back a short time before attempting to urinate, or by raising up the abdomen with the hand at the time. Many females can urinate with tolerable comfort while lying on the back or abdomen, and others are much relieved by constantly wearing a bandage. Constipation always makes this difficulty worse, and sometimes even causes it, by keeping the rectum full and thus increasing the pressure. In all such cases it will be readily seen, that forcing medicines are not only useless, but liable to cause injury. The change of position, rest, and supporting the abdomen are the means to be relied upon. If these fail, and the urine accumulates, the catheter must be used. A warm bath, or fomentation with warm water and Laudanum, will assist, and sometimes relieve alone. To ease the burning and distress the patient must drink freely of gum water, or barley tea, with a little Syrup of Poppies. There is one manœuvre which, if practised aright, will nearly always allow the female to urinate with ease, and fortunately she can practise it herself. It consists in introducing two of the fingers into the vagina, and raising up the womb, as if practising the _ballotment_. This removes the pressure from the bladder, and the urine then escapes by natural effort. A few trials will soon enable any one to do this, particularly if they notice well the form and position of the parts, as shown in the plates of this work. A lady who heard me mention this in one of my Lectures, afterwards stated that the knowledge of it enabled her to dispense altogether with the catheter, which she was previously necessitated to use during most of her pregnancy. When there is merely a nervous irritation causing the difficulty, the warm bath, or fomentation with warm water and Laudanum will be sufficient, or a little Belladonna Ointment may be rubbed over the meatus urinarius, while some starch and Laudanum is injected carefully into the vagina. CRAMPS.