One of his relatives, of fine health and rare beauty, who, after dancing all night with her menses on her, left the ball-room in full perspiration; she would not wait for a carriage, but proceeded home, which was not far off. She was attacked with inflammation of the womb, and died on the fourth day.
Mr. Brown, a writer in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, gives the case of a lady of about forty years of age. She had become very much heated by a long walk in hot weather. At the end of her walk, the menses appeared, but which were entirely suppressed by a drink of cold water. This was followed by headache, oppression, and amaurosis of the left eye. In about six months, Mr. Brown succeeded in restoring the menstrual discharge, at which time, also, her sight fortunately returned to her. The eyes are particularly liable to affections of this kind, arising from a sudden stoppage of the catamenial function; and some have been made blind for life in this way. I hope, therefore, that those for whom I write, both young and old of your sex, will hereby learn to be very cautious in regard to checking the monthly discharge. You see how dangerous it is, and how easy, by carelessness or design, it is to cause it. But, beware!
Shall I again speak of the water-treatment? If you bathe habitually every day; if you are careful to avoid overheated rooms, and becoming too fatigued; if you exercise daily in the open air, and keep yourselves actively engaged in some useful employment, you will have little to fear from the evils of which I have been speaking. But, after reading what I have said, if any of you will persist in taking such a course as will tend to the suppression of the catamenia, or, what is worse, if any of you should dare to put a check to this discharge, when it interferes with your pleasure or convenience, the evil must be upon yourselves, and not upon me. But I hope for better things of you, and that no one will be guilty of designedly or wantonly doing that which can only end in harm.
LETTER VI.
OF MENSTRUATION.
Menorrhagia and Dysmenorrhea—Their Nature and Treatment.
In the present letter I propose giving you some thoughts concerning two other forms of disordered menstruation—I refer to menorrhagia—an immoderate flow of the menses, and dysmenorrhea, by which we understand painful or difficult menstruation. There are few subjects connected with health, which deserve more particular attention, or which are of greater interest to you, than these of which I am now to speak.
Menorrhagia, from two Greek words signifying the menses and to break out, implies, according to common acceptation, either an immoderate flow of the menses, or uterine hemorrhage, which is often a very different thing. It is generally characterized by pains in the loins, small of the back, and abdomen, similar to those of labor. There is always a preternatural flux of either blood or menstrual fluid from the vagina in what is termed menorrhagia.
Dr. Cullen reckoned six varieties of this disease.
1. Menorrhagia rubra, or bloody menorrhagia, from women neither with child nor in childbirth.
2. Menorrhagia alba, or white menorrhagia, which is, in other words, leucorrhea, fluor albus, or the whites.