Tokology : $b A book for every womanStockham, Alice B. (Alice Bunker)
Science
Tokology : $b A book for every woman
Stockham, Alice B. (Alice Bunker)
Women -- Health and hygiene
AFTER PAINS often accompany the contraction of the uterus. It is
not true that women never have them with the first child and always
have them subsequently. Like most of the sufferings of maternity,
they are the effect of abnormal conditions. Women, who, in two or
three confinements have suffered days with after pains, threatened
with spasms and not relieved except by chloroform, have by previous
preparation recovered without a twinge of pain.
After pains usually occur periodically every ten or fifteen minutes.
They are cramp-like pains accompanied by a feeling as if pricked by
many needles. They make one very impatient and nervous, depriving
her of needed rest. They are often the result of poisonous doses of
ergot taken during labor. The _hot water bag or hot fomentations_
will usually give relief. Must be very hot and kept hot, consequently
dry heat is to be preferred. Administering a hot sitz-bath is also
excellent treatment. If relief is not obtained, and the physician is
not within call, inhale ether moderately. Do not take it internally.
THE LOCHIA is the flow from the vagina which occurs after confinement.
At first it has the appearance of fresh blood, then becomes lighter
in color, and finally is only a glairy mucus. This varies greatly
in amount and duration. As a rule the healthier the woman, and more
natural the labor, the less the flow. Cases have come to my knowledge
where there was no sanguineous flow, and the patient made a rapid
recovery. It is said that healthy squaws have no flow of blood with
menstruation, or after delivery. If there is no constitutional
disturbance, there need be no anxiety about a scanty flow. If caused
by a chill, fever or inflammation, etc., prompt attention will be
required, according to accompanying symptoms.
METRORRHAGIA, or profuse flow, often requires treatment before
medical aid can be secured. Hot fomentations, hot sitz-bath and hot
vaginal injections are the very best applications. Recently the
medical profession recognize that heat is better than cold, to arrest
hemorrhage. In surgery, hot water is applied to exposed bleeding
vessels. Cases are known where hot vaginal injections have instantly
arrested bleeding that had resisted applications of ice, styptics and
the tampon.
A lady in Michigan, during the menopause, was taken suddenly with
violent hemorrhage. For seven days and nights everything was tried in
vain to arrest the bleeding. She became cold and clammy, had frequent
fainting spells, and death seemed imminent. An old nurse came to take
care of her over night. She set aside the physician’s potions and
applications. She filled the big wood stove with bricks, and as fast
as they were heated wrapped them in wet cloths and put them about
the patient, who thus obtained her first sleep for days. The hot
bricks were kept to her four days and nights. There was no return of
hemorrhage. She made a rapid recovery.
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