On the extraction of foreign bodies from the female bladder / by Patrick Heron.

  • Watson, Patrick Heron, Sir, 1832-1907.
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the extraction of foreign bodies from the female bladder / by Patrick Heron. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/8 (page 5)
    however, she returned, stating that the distance from the hospital at which she resided had prevented her from coming back, but that she had ob¬ tained the services of a nurse to help her, and had acquired the art of introducing the catheter for herself, with the result, a few days before her visit, of breaking off a portion of the instrument (a gum-elastic one) in the bladder, where it was now lodged. On examining the bladder (in the manner I shall describe immedi¬ ately), I at once detected the piece of catheter, and extracted it. After cautioning her against the repetition of such carelessness as might risk the recurrence of such an accident, she left the Infirmary. She, how¬ ever, leturned over and over again, at periods varying from a week to a month, with a foreign body, consisting of a piece of catheter, lodged in the bladder, which I similarly removed. On the last of these occasions, her mother, who accompanied her, explained that her daughter was given to habits of masturbation, and begged that something might be done to put a stop to her tricks. Various procedures, moral and remedial, were tried, with the view of soothing her excitable nervous system; but, as this was without effect, with the sanction of her mother I removed her clitoris, in the manner recommended by Mr. Baker Brown. This was followed by a cessation of any retention of urine or introduction of pieces of catheter into the bladder, till last year, when, in the beginning of the winter session, she came to town, apparently as ill as ever, with a piece of catheter in the bladder, which I removed as before. Case ii. Mrs. H., aged 45? was admitted to the Royal Infirmary in the autumn of 1867, on account of a foreign body lodged in the bladder, which had resisted the efforts of two medical men to extract from the viscus. She stated that, six weeks before, as she was suffering from retention of urine, she obtained the services of a nurse. This female attempted to relieve her by means of an ivory clyster-pipe, and did so successfully; but the pipe, slipping from her hold, disappeared, and found its way into the bladder. Having placed the patient under the influence of chloroform, I dislodged the clyster-pipe from the impacted position it occupied in the bladder, and effected its extraction. Clyster-pipe lodged, in tlie bladder of Case ii. Incrustation of phosphates on sur* face. Both extremities impacted in the coats of the bladder by ulceration. Case hi.—A child, aged 5 years, was sent to my charge, in the Royal