“There are many other symptoms of nerve strain, but since they are not so distinctly uterine, and, therefore, not so misleading, I shall not enumerate them. Now, let a nervous woman with some of the foregoing group of symptoms recount them to a female friend, and she will be told that she has womb disease. Let her consult a physician and ten to one he will think the same thing and diligently hunt for some uterine lesion. If one be found, no matter how trifling, he will attach to it undue importance, and treat it heroically as the offending organ. If no visible disease of the external organs be discoverable, he will lay the blame to the invisible endometrium, or on the unseeable ovaries, and continue the local treatment. In any event, whatever the inlook or the outlook, a local treatment is bound to be the issue.”
The nervous variety of painful menstruation is frequently due to impoverishment of the blood, which, as we have learned, is often the direct cause of irritable nerves. The same treatment as for chlorosis will give the desired relief: the treatment with iron pills. If the stomach is deranged from dyspeptic disorders, then my dyspeptic mixture, No. II, is to be given. But there are cases that are purely neuralgic without any apparently serious lesion of the blood; cases in which the neuralgia of the womb or ovaries is probably due to exposure to cold or some other indiscretion; here the following recipe will effect a cure in the course of several months:
NO. III.
| Take: | Fluid ex. of black cohosh | ½ ounce |
| Fluid ex. of ergot | ½ ounce | |
| Tr. of guaiacum ammoniated | 3 ounces | |
| Glycerine | 2 ounces |
Mix. Take a teaspoonful in a tumblerful of milk three times a day, between meals.
Congestive dysmenorrhœa is oftener in the nature of an acute or sudden attack, except when it is due to a chronic inflammation of the lining membrane of the womb. It is often brought on by a sudden or inadvertent exposure, just at the time when the menses should make their regular appearance.
Persons of a plethoric habit and those who have been the subjects of inflammations either of the womb or in the tissues surrounding the womb, are more liable to this form of dysmenorrhœa than others. It will often be ushered in with a chill, followed soon with fever. There is headache, the skin becomes dry and hot, and often there is considerable irritability of the bladder, straining of the rectum and diarrhœa. Unless the pain is due to an obstinate displacement, it yields to proper treatment. For the straining and irritable bladder a hot sitz-bath should be employed for ten to fifteen minutes. In the absence of a suitable vessel for a sitz-bath an ordinary bathtub can be used by filling it six or eight inches with water, at a temperature of 104°F., and while sitting in the bath allow the boiling water to run slowly into it, so as to keep the temperature up. These sitz-baths should be taken several times a day, and after each bath the patient should rub herself thoroughly dry and wear flannel next to the skin. The extremities and feet should also be kept warm by wearing woolen hose.
Towels wrung out of hot water should be carefully folded and applied to the lower region of the abdomen and then covered over with a thickly folded flannel cloth so as to retain the heat and moisture; when the towel has cooled off repeat the dipping in hot water.
The Femina vaginal capsules are of inestimable value in this class of diseases. They relieve congestion of the womb by allaying the irritation. The best time to use one is just before retiring, and after taking a sitz-bath, or a vaginal injection of hot water, or both. Persons who are of a costive habit should pay particular attention that, about the time their monthlies come around, their bowels act freely, and to accomplish this purpose the Femina laxative tablets should be taken, one each night for several nights before the courses are expected.
MENORRHAGIA AND METRORRHAGIA.