Femina, A Work for Every Woman — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Femina, A Work for Every Woman
John Stuart Mill · en
The symptoms of anteversion are what may be expected from an enlarged
congested organ. This enlargement is due either to a subinvolution of
the uterus or to an inflammation of the intermuscular substance, a
chronic metritis. One of the most annoying symptoms of the anteverted
uterus is the feeling of looseness in the pelvic cavity. This is partly
due to the relaxed state of the surrounding tissue, and partly to the
abnormal size of the womb. The patient feels the organ roll from side
to side, as she changes her position. This causes unnatural sensations
and mental suffering that disturbs the nervous system and induces
hysterical complications. And the patient complains about something
moving in her abdomen.
The inflammatory adhesions that sometimes tie down the organ in an
anteverted position, compromise the normal expansion of the bladder;
this induces an irritation, which causes a frequent desire to urinate.
The treatment must be directed to the removal of the cause. This
disease is really only a symptom or condition of chronic corporeal
metritis or subinvolution, and as such, it is only amenable to the
measures that will cure this disease. The employment of rings and
pessaries to remedy this evil is contrary to good sense and of no
permanent value.
The intelligent employment of electricity, so as to stimulate the
absorption of the hypertrophic enlargement of the uterus and cause the
absorption of the inflammatory adhesions, will often give permanent and
positive results.
ANTEFLEXION OF THE UTERUS.
This was considered at one time the most frequent of all uterine
displacements, not because it existed formerly oftener than at present,
but because the natural or normal position of the womb was confounded
with that which was supposed to be abnormal.
The discovery that in the living subject the body of the uterus
naturally inclines forward, so as to rest on the bladder, and that the
body makes quite an angle with its cervix, altered the conception of
things very materially. To-day an actual aggravated anteflexion, that
occasions no impediment to the menstrual discharge, is not a proper
ground for treatment, although this is as yet by no means familiar to
physicians in general, for many of them have not learned to make the
distinction.
The reader should carefully study Plate II, which diagramatically
illustrates how the body bows over the bladder so as to show its
natural anteflexion. If the angle between the body and neck of the
womb becomes too sharp or acute, so that the canal of the uterus
becomes compressed at the point of flexion, in a degree that obstructs
the escape of the natural secretions of the uterine cavity, then the
anteflexion becomes a source of disease. This degree of flexion is
happily very rare, and we find it in about equal proportions due to a
congenital defect, that springs into prominence when the girl arrives
at puberty, for then the obstruction to the menstrual flow is first
realized.