If a woman is fortunate enough to fall into the hands of an honorable physician, who will tactfully explain to her the serious significance of her condition and obtain her consent to treat her until she is cured, which in all probability will include a surgical operation, and will do so with diligence, without regard to the size of the bill, she will indeed be a lucky woman. It is from women who are suffering with such diseases,—most of them without the slightest idea of what ails them,—that the venders of advertised nostrums reap their fortunes, and it is from the same victims that most of the advertised medical "quacks" look for their blood-money. The great difficulty, however, lies in the failure of the woman to appreciate the seriousness of her condition, and as a consequence she fails to understands why it should take so long to cure her. She loses confidence in her physician, she buys certain "cures" recommended to her by Mrs. Busybody and later tries other physicians and ends by losing faith in herself. Meantime she grows worse and worse. There are thousands such. It may be here stated without fear of contradiction that if the public in general would repose more confidence in the medical profession, there would be much less suffering, much less sorrow, fewer regrets, fewer irresponsible "isms," and cults, because there would be fewer disappointed individuals to support them. If the medical profession would condescend to employ the tactics and devices of those questionable, fashionable agencies that claim the power to cure human suffering, it could quickly reap the profit and the laudation that it now escapes because it keeps the faith.
The way to be cured of any disease, if it is curable, is to engage a reputable physician and follow his instructions implicitly. Let him understand you expect him to see you through your trouble and let him know you have confidence in him. There isn't one physician in a thousand who will cheat you under these circumstances.
Malformation.—Under this heading are all those cases of sterility resulting from imperfect generative organs. These are products of a failure on the part of nature to furnish or develop the structures participating in the propagation of the species. The entire generative organs are sometimes wanting. The womb may have failed for some reason to grow with the rest of the body, it remains (as it is known) as an "infantile womb." Occasionally the womb grows together, that is, it is solid instead of being a hollow organ. The mouth of the womb may be too small, representing what is called "a pin head opening." The natural opening is large enough to admit a lead pencil, a "pin head opening" would not be larger than the lead in the pencil. The latter condition is quite a common cause of sterility and is readily amenable to treatment. Most of the malformations which produce sterility are impossible to cure.
Lacerations or Tears in Mouth of Womb.—This subject is fully discussed on another page of this volume.
Tumor.—A tumor may be so situated as to prevent conception, or it may involve the body of the womb constituting a reason in itself for sterility.
Leucorrhea.—Leucorrhea or "the whites" may be of such an acid character as to kill the spermatozoa in the vagina, or it may be of such volume as to render impregnation impossible. The treatment of this condition is discussed elsewhere.
Physical Debility.—When the general health is bad, no matter from what cause, sterility usually exists. This lack of vitality may be due to chronic disease, or it may have been caused by a very severe acute illness, such as typhoid fever. One's mode of living, if unhygienic, may be responsible for continued bad health and a consequent sterility.
Obesity.—Very fat women are usually barren. If a woman rapidly accumulates fat after marriage she as a rule does not have more than one or two children. Women often become stout immediately after the child bearing age ceases.
Special Poisons.—Certain special poisons in the blood cause sterility by producing miscarriage.