Observations on Abortion / Containing an account of the manner in which it is accomplished, the causes which produced it, and the method of preventing or treating it

by John Burns

This plan, however, must not be carried to an imprudent length, nor established too suddenly; but regard is to be had to the previous habits. It is a general rule, that exercise should not be carried the length of fatigue, and that it should be taken, if possible, in the country, whilst late hours, and many of the modes of fashionable life, must be departed from. We may also derive so considerable advantage from conjoining with this plan, the shower bath, or sea bathing, that they ought not to be omitted.

After conception, the exercise must be taken with circumspection; but the diet should still be sparing, and the use of the cold bath continued. If the pulse be at any time full, or inclined to throb, a little blood should be taken away; and much advantage will be derived in all these cases, by using the digitalis, so as to affect the pulse. Half a grain may be given, so often as may be found necessary, to bridle the circulation. It may be continued for two days, and then omitted for a day; and in this way it may be continued for a length of time; but it is seldom necessary to give it regularly, beyond the beginning of the fourth month, unless a change of circumstances afterwards require it.

The dose must be occasionally increased, so as to produce the desired effect; and I can vouch for the safety of the plan.

Injecting cold water into the vagina, twice or thrice a day, has often a good effect, at the same time that we continue the shower bath every morning. When there is much aching pain in the back, it is of service to apply cloths to it, dipped in cold water, or gently to dash cold water on it.

In this, and all other cases of habitual abortion, we must advise that impregnation shall not take place until we have corrected the system; and after the woman has conceived, it is requisite that she live absque marito, at least until gestation be far advanced. I need scarcely add, that when consulted respecting habitual abortion, the strictest prudence is required on our part, and that the situation of the patient, and many of our advices, should be concealed from the most intimate friends of the patient.

In other cases, we find that the cause of abortion is connected with sparing menstruation. This is often the case with women whose appearance indicates good health, and who have a robust look. This is not often to be rectified by medicine, but it may by regimen, &c. Here, as in the former case, we find it useful to make the greatest part of the diet consist of vegetables; but it is not necessary to restrict the quantity.

When, on the other hand, the patient has a weakly delicate appearance, it will be proper to give a greater proportion of animal food, and two or three glasses of wine, in the afternoon, with some bitter laxative, twice a day, so as to strengthen the stomach, and at the same time keep the bowels open.

We also derive, in both cases, advantage from the daily use of the warm bath, made of a pleasant temperature; but this is to be omitted after conception. The internal use of the Bath waters is often of service; or where the circumstances of the patient will not permit this, we may desire her to drink, morning and evening, a pint of tepid water, which may be continued during gestation. Throwing up into the vagina tepid salt water twice or thrice a day, seems also to have a good effect.

I have already mentioned, that abortion is sometimes the consequence of too firm action, the different organs refusing to yield to the uterus, which is thus prevented from enjoying the due quantity of energy and action. These women have none of the diseases of pregnancy, or they have them in a slight degree. They have good health at all times, but they either miscarry, or have labour in the seventh or eighth month, the child being dead; or, if they go to the full time, I have often observed the child to be sickly, and of a constitution unfitting it for living[^[11]].

We may sometimes cure this state by giving half a grain of digitalis, and the eighth part of a grain of the tartris antimonii, every night at bed-time, which diminishes the stomachic action. Bleeding is also useful, by making the organs more irritable. Exercise, so as to prove tonic, is hurtful in this species of abortion; instead of wishing to increase the action of any organ, our object is to diminish it, and make the different parts more easily acted on.