A treatise on the diseases of females / by William P. Dewees.

  • Dewees, William P. (William Potts), 1768-1841.
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the diseases of females / by William P. Dewees. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library at Emory University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, Emory University.

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    vating it-should this not succeed, the catheter must be intro- duced pro re nata. , __ntP_i „ait(3 • but The bowels must be purged by any °Vh?S?h^ the patient must not be permitted to rise during then °pei^on. cloths must be placed under her to receive the feces, as well as to catch the urine, when she is about to pass them. It she be permitted[ to get 'out of bed, it will create much unnecessary pain, besides incurring the risk of the renewal of the bleeding by the rude and too sudden separation of a coagulum. The snc est antiphlogistic regimen should be observed. We are to d of cases, where the bleedfng has been considerable after the part has given way; to arrest which, the wound was crammed with lint, and the vagina itself firmly plugged. I have never seen any bleeding follow the plan just suggested; nor do 1 see how it can well occur, without attempts have been made too early, and too rudely to separate, or remove the impacted coagula. This must be carefully avoided; and their separation confided strictly to the powers of the system, unless it be the portions that separate them- selves in consequence of the putrefaction of the blood itself or by very gentle pressure. The detached coagula of course should always be removed, as often as they may separate. It contributes greatly to the comfort of the patient, as well as being important to the cure, to keep the parts as clean as possi- ble by frequent washing—for this purpose plain soap and water ijs as useful as any other mere detergent. The charcoal poultice is highly important, and should be constantly employed. The best mode of applying the poultice is to spread over its surface a piece of gauze or very thin muslin, that the charcoal may not adhere to the wound. Every loose portion of coagulum should be removed at each dressing, by carefully washing the part, as just directed; and the poultice should be changed every three or four hours, at farthest. The wound may be washed with a mix- ture of the pyroligneous acid and water; and the same acid may be profitably employed in its concentrated form over the poul- tice, by wetting folded linen with it. Before the wound heals, the patient generally becomes consi- derably weakened from the excessive discharge of pus, &c. Her strength should be supported by a decoction of bark, the sulphate of quinine, elixir of vitriol, and a more generous diet, provided no febrile irritation remain. The following cases, (all I have witnessed,) will illustrate the routine of practice. m f a718^6' Afril 24th- 1 was called by Mrs. Rose, the elder to Mrs. G who was in labour with twins. At 1 o'clock, rt*itf h-T t 6,f La female Child' Ab°nt tc minutes after its birth the right labium pudendi became excessively SSfiI ' Th1Ch a armedrthe m^wife, and occasioned my being called. The part was found upon inspection by Mrs. 11. to be