There is one manœuvre which, if practised aright, will nearly always allow the female to urinate with ease, and fortunately she can practise it herself. It consists in introducing two of the fingers into the vagina, and raising up the womb, as if practising the ballotment. This removes the pressure from the bladder, and the urine then escapes by natural effort. A few trials will soon enable any one to do this, particularly if they notice well the form and position of the parts, as shown in the plates of this work. A lady who heard me mention this in one of my Lectures, afterwards stated that the knowledge of it enabled her to dispense altogether with the catheter, which she was previously necessitated to use during most of her pregnancy.
When there is merely a nervous irritation causing the difficulty, the warm bath, or fomentation with warm water and Laudanum will be sufficient, or a little Belladonna Ointment may be rubbed over the meatus urinarius, while some starch and Laudanum is injected carefully into the vagina.
CRAMPS.
These arise from the womb pressing on the nerves of the sacrum, and are therefore not under the control of medicine. All that can be done is to change the position of the body as much as possible, from lying down to standing up, and by turning from one side to another. Brisk rubbing with the hand will also assist in giving relief. The cramps however usually disappear after delivery, and must therefore be borne as patiently as possible till that takes place.
PRURITUS, OR ITCHING OF THE EXTERNAL PARTS.
Having treated this affection fully in my Diseases of Woman, I cannot do better than extract the article from that work on the subject.
"This disease, though not so immediately dangerous as some others, is perhaps the most distressing that can be met with.
"It consists in an intolerable and incessant itching of the parts, which nothing seems to allay. Sometimes it is so bad that the female is almost tormented to death; she cannot see company, or walk out, and often shuts herself up alone in her agony. Many have fainted from it, and some have even become delirious. I have seen patients whose hands it was necessary to tie, to prevent them tearing themselves to pieces.
"The causes of pruritus appear to be most of those that produce simple inflammation, which it very frequently accompanies or precedes. Pregnant females are very liable to it, and in some it will continue, in spite of all that can be done, till after delivery, when it usually disappears. I have known it produce abortion. Some females always have it at the menstrual period, and others during nursing. Occasionally there is a little eruption attending it, but not always, though the parts are generally swollen and red. Parasites are sometimes the exciting cause, and should always be destroyed immediately.