The practice of medicine and surgery : applied to the diseases and accidents incident to women / by W.H. Byford and Henry T. Byford.

  • Byford, W. H. (William Heath), 1817-1890.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The practice of medicine and surgery : applied to the diseases and accidents incident to women / by W.H. Byford and Henry T. Byford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    802/852 (page 790)
    CHAPTEK XLVIII. FALLOPIAN TUBES. The Fallopian tubes are sometimes absent; tbis is tbe case gener- ally when the uterus is absent. But, according to Rokitansky, they are not always wanting when the uterus is. One, or even both of them, may be wanting when there is no other fault in the genital organs. Occasionally they are met with of diminutive or rudimentary size. They are also deformed, having two sets of fimbrillse, one at the end and the other nearer the uterus, with openings at both places; or bifurcated, the branches entering the uterus at different points. Or one may be longer than usual, and enter the cervical portion of the uterus as mentioned and described by Pole, and quoted by Scanzoni. They are often displaced with the uterus and with the ovaries, and, with the latter organs, are found to enter into the formation of a hernia. Salpingitis. Salpingitis is by far the most important as well as most frequent affection of the Fallopian tubes. It is found to exist in two different forms, endo-salpingitis and mural salpingitis. This last is often asso- ciated with perisalpingitis. The inflammation of the mucous mem- brane or endo-salpingitis, may be regarded as catarrhal in cases in which the inflammation is mild and its products sero-mucous and non-irritating ; and gonorrheal when the secretion is muco-purulent and highly poisonous. I think we should hold this distinction be- tween common catarrhal and gonorrheal inflammation as of consider- able importance, especially on account of the prognosis. There is a great difference in the intensity and extent of the inflammation, the catarrhal being very much less intense and extensive than the gonor- rheal. In either case the inflammation extends from the endometrium. The catarrhal arises in the uterus more as the result of a depressed condition of the vital forces, while the gonorrheal comes from an active virus applied to the mucous membrane of the genital passages awak- ening an inflammation which spreads with great rapidity and inten- sity, and in subsiding lingers in perpetuity. The catarrhal variety probably does not spread beyond the tube, while the gonorrheal poison lights up inflammation in the parte con- tiguous to the fimbria, the peritoneum and ovaries, and probably deeper tissues. When the tube becomes occluded in catarrhal endo- salpingitis the thin sero-mucous collection in the distended tube is called hyclro-salpinx, while the collection of the contents of the tube in gonorrheal or septic inflammation constitutes pyo-salpinx.