Observations on occlusion of the vagina and uterus, with its means of prevention, and the operation necessary for its removal / by Evory Kennedy.

Date:
[1839?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on occlusion of the vagina and uterus, with its means of prevention, and the operation necessary for its removal / by Evory Kennedy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    accumulation occurs, no matter to what extent they may suffer in consequence of obstructed rvagina. It is a mistaken idea, but one in general acceptation, that the inconveniences resulting from obstruction in the vaginal passage, are productive of suffering to the patient merely by the menstruous secretion accumulating above the point of obstruction, and that hence arise the lumbar and pelvic pains, abdominal spasms, nausea, vo- miting, &c. Whereas the fact is, that this train of symptoms will occur at the return of the menstrual period, without the slightest accumidation or secretion taking place. It is a curious law of nature, which I have observed in this, as in some other cases, that the functions of an organ should be suspended, as it were by an intelligence possessed by the organ of the futility of their performance; thus in some cases no secretion is formed by the uterus, because from the obstruction to its passage in the vagina, it cannot escape, and again remove the obstruc- tion by rendering the vagina pervious, and the uterus imme- diately re-commences its functions. Now, whilst I would anx- iously caution the junior practitioner againt unnecessarily having recourse to so dangerous and serious an operation as that of rendering pervious the completely occluded vagina, yet I should wish him not to be led astray by the dictum of writers on this subject, in expecting to find an accumulation of the menstruous fluid beyond the point of obstruction, where the symp- toms alluded to occur, or in withholding the necessary operation awaiting the proofs of this accumulation having occurred ; else, he will often be disappointed, and his patient obliged to support, year after year, a life of misery and suffering, eventually sinking under it, or undergoing an operation, in addition to what she has already suffered, when ill able to bear it; and this, although the effect of a well-timed operation would have been to restore the functions of the uterus, relieve the patient from her ex- cruciating torment, and re-establish her general health. Let it not be supposed however, that this operation is not one of a very serious nature to the patient, from the risk in-