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Project Gutenberg's Treatise on the Diseases of Women, by Lydia E. Pinkham
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Treatise on the Diseases of Women
Author: Lydia E. Pinkham
Release Date: August 5, 2009 [EBook #29612]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TREATISE ON THE DISEASES OF WOMEN ***
Produced by Bryan Ness, Stephanie Eason, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.
This Treatise on the Diseases of Women
Is Dedicated to the Women of the World.
Yours for Health
Lydia E. Pinkham
This entire book copyrighted in 1901 and 1904 by the Lydia E. Pinkham
Medicine Co., of Lynn, Mass., U. S. A. All rights reserved and will be
protected by law.
List of Lydia E. Pinkham's Remedies.
+Illustration of Products+
LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S VEGETABLE COMPOUND.
Put up in three forms: Liquid, Lozenge, and Pills Price, $1.00
LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S LIVER PILLS, per Box " .25
LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S BLOOD PURIFIER " 1.00
LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S SANATIVE WASH, per Packet " .25
ALL THE ABOVE, EXCEPTING THE LIQUIDS, CAN BE SENT BY MAIL ON RECEIPT OF
PRICE. ALL DRUGGISTS SELL MRS. PINKHAM'S REMEDIES.
CHAPTER I.
A WOMAN BEST UNDERSTANDS A WOMAN.
=Experience a Perfect Teacher.=--Do you know what it is to suffer pain?
Have you had your body racked and torn with intense suffering? Have you
ever experienced that indescribable agony which comes from overworked
nerves?
Have you ever felt the sharp, stinging pain, the dull, heavy pain, the
throbbing, jumping pain, the cramping, tearing pain, the sickening,
nauseating pain? Then you know all about them. Nobody can tell you
anything more. Experience is a perfect teacher.
=Book-Learning Alone Not Sufficient.=--Suppose you had never experienced
pain, but had just read about it in a book, do you think you would have
any kind of an idea of what genuine suffering was? Most certainly not.
Book knowledge is valuable. It teaches the location of countries, the
use of figures, and the history of nations; but there are some things
books cannot do, and the greatest of these is, they cannot describe
physical and mental suffering. These are things that must be
experienced.
=Personal Experience Necessary.=--After you have once suffered, how ready
you are to sympathize with those who are going through the same severe
trials. If a member of your own home or a friend is passing through the
trying ordeal of motherhood, and you have suffered the same, how you can
advise, suggest, comfort, guide! If you have had a personal experience
of intense agony once every month, do you not think you are in a far
better position to talk with one who is suffering in the same way than
you would be if you had never gone through all this?
=You Best Understand Yourself.=--But let us go a little farther in this
study. When you listen to an eminent orator, you have but little idea
whether he is nervous or not, but little idea whether he is undergoing a
severe strain or not; for you have never been in his place, cannot
understand just that condition.
Men become greatly interested in political matters; perhaps it often
seems to you that they become too much disturbed; and yet how can you
judge, for you have never been in their place? And so we might go on,
giving illustration after illustration as additional proof to this one
great fact.
IT TAKES A WOMAN TO UNDERSTAND A WOMAN.
=Man Cannot Know Woman's Suffering.=--What does a man know about the
thousand and one aches and pains peculiar to a woman? He may have seen
manifestations of suffering, he may have read something about these
things in books, but that is all. Even though he might be exceedingly
learned in the medical profession, yet what more can he know aside from
that which the books teach? Did a man ever have a backache like the
dragging, pulling, tearing ache of a woman? No. It is impossible.
=Even Medical Men Cannot Understand These Things.=--To a man, all pain
must be of his kind; it must be a man-pain, not a woman-pain. Take, for
instance, the long list of diseases and discomforts which come directly
from some derangement of the female generative organs; as, for instance,
the bearing-down pains, excessive flowing, uterine cramps, and
leucorrhoea. Do you think it possible for a man to understand these
things? Granting that he may be the most learned man in the medical
profession, how can he know anything about them only in a general way?
You know, we know, everybody knows that he cannot.
A WOMAN CAN BEST PRESCRIBE FOR A WOMAN.
=Relief First Offered in 1873.=--Away back in '73 these thoughts came to
Lydia E. Pinkham. She saw the most intense suffering about her on every
hand, and yet no one seemed able to give relief. Her thorough education
enabled her to understand that nearly all the suffering of womankind was
due to diseases and affections peculiar to her sex.
The whole question resolved itself into just this: If a remedy could be
made that would relieve all inflammations and congestions of the
ovaries, Fallopian tubes, uterus, and other female organs, the days of
suffering for women would be largely over.
=First Made on a Kitchen Stove.=--Could this be done? Mrs. Pinkham
believed with all her heart that it was possible. So on a kitchen stove
she began the great work which has made her name a household word
wherever civilization exists. Without money, but with a hopeful heart,
she made up little batches of this remedy to give to neighbors and
friends whom she felt could be relieved by it.
The story soon spread from house to house, from village to village, from
city to city. Now it looked as if a business might be established upon a
permanent basis, a basis resting upon the wonderful curative properties
of the medicine itself.
="We Can Trust Her."=--By judicious advertising the merits of this
remarkable remedy were set forth; and before she was hardly aware of it,
she found herself at the head of one of the largest enterprises ever
established in this country.
That face so full of character and sympathy, soon after it was first
published, years ago, began to attract marked attention wherever it was
seen. Women said, "Here is one to whom we can tell our misery, one who
will listen to our story of pain, one whom we can fully trust." And so
the letters began to arrive from every quarter. Now hundreds of these
letters are received every day. More than a hundred thousand were
written in a single year. Everyone is opened by a woman, read by a
woman, sacredly regarded as written strictly in confidence by one woman
to another. Men do not see these letters.
=Men Never See Your Letters.=--Do you want a strange man to hear all about
your particular disease? Would you feel like sitting down by the side of
a stranger and telling him all those sacred things which should be known
only by women? It isn't natural for a woman to do this; it isn't like
her, isn't in keeping with her finer sense of refinement.
=No Boys Around.=--And then, how would it be when some boy opens the
letters, steals time to read a few before they are handed to some other
boy clerk to distribute (and probably read) around the office to the
various departments? It makes one almost indignant to think how light
and trivial these serious matters are so often regarded.
=You Write to a Woman.=--But when you know your letter is going to be seen
only by a woman, one who sympathizes with you, feels sorry for you,
knows all about you, how different all this seems.
=Confidence Never Violated.=--Although there are preserved in the secret
files of Lydia E. Pinkham's laboratory many hundreds of thousands of
letters from women from all parts of the world, yet in not a single
instance has the writer accused Mrs. Pinkham of violating her
confidence.
=The Largest Experience in the World.=--The one thing that qualifies a
person to give advice on any subject is experience--experience creates
knowledge. No person can speak from a greater experience with female
ills nor a greater record of success than Mrs. Pinkham. Thousands of
cases come each month, some personally, others by mail; and this has
been going on thirty years, day after day, and day after day, thirty
years of constant success--think of the knowledge thus gained. Surely
women are wise in seeking advice from a woman with such an
experience--especially when it is free. If you are ill get a bottle of
Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound at once--then write Mrs. Pinkham,
Lynn, Mass.
What medical man has ever lived who has prescribed for so many women?
What whole corps of physicians in any hospital or medical college has
answered so many letters, or treated in any way so many patients?
=She Helps Everyone.=--No woman ever writes to her for advice without
getting help. No matter how rare you think your case may be, she is
almost certain to find letters on file asking advice for other cases of
the same kind. By special permission of the writers I print a few of the
letters showing what cures have been effected. But if the reader could
go through these secret files which are never shown, she might hour
after hour, day after day, week after week, spend her whole time reading
letters, each one telling some special story of rescue from serious
illness, intense suffering, or impending death.
=The Largest Record of Cures.=--The writers of these letters are found in
every clime and there is hardly a country in the world without its
multitude of grateful women cured by Lydia E. Pinkham's medicines. They
have the largest record of absolute cures from female ills known to have
been effected by any physician or his medicines.
CHAPTER II.
WHAT SHALL THE FUTURE GENERATION BE?
=Important to the Nation.=--It is impossible to fully comprehend how
important to us as a nation is the health of the young women of to-day.
We fail to realize that these women are to be the mothers of the next
generation, and that in their hands will lie, in large measure, the
power to form the characters and direct the destinies of the boys and
girls of the future.
=Woman Must Be Strong.=--We may educate our young men all we wish, yet we
cannot have national power through their strength alone. The women of
the country must have this physical education if we are to have a people
that is strong and hearty.
Upon the sound health and vigor of the young women of to-day will
depend, to a large extent, the health and capacity of the future
generations.
=What are Girls Worth?=--It is estimated that there are about twelve
million young women in the United States between fourteen and
twenty-eight years of age. What are these young women worth to the home,
to the State, to the nation, to the human race? This is largely a
question of physical health.
It is the stern duty of the mother to make this clear to her daughter,
and it is the solemn duty of every young woman to thoroughly study the
subject herself.
=Not Prepared for Motherhood.=--But largely through ignorance, often
through indifference, these young girls become mothers when little
prepared to do so, and they find not only their own health shattered
thereby, but also that they are the mothers of weak, delicate, and
perhaps deformed children.
=Women Desire Children.=--We read a great deal in the newspapers about how
American women are doing everything they possibly can to prevent having
children. This is not in accord with our experience. It is a slander on
American womanhood,--it is an outrageous falsehood.
In not one letter in a thousand which we receive do wives ask how
childbearing may be prevented, while every day brings us many, many
letters asking if something cannot be done in order that there may be a
baby in the house.
=A Healthy Mother and Child.=--If you desire a child, you wish a healthy
child; and you certainly desire to be a strong mother, one capable of
caring for her infant in every way, and able to direct it all through
its young life. Then let us give you some advice.
=Why Some Women Do Not Have Children.=--The reason why some wives do not
have children may be entirely the fault of the husband; but if this is
not the case, then in all probability there is some inflammation of the
generative organs. This may be of recent or of old standing. It must be
thoroughly removed before the impregnated egg from the ovary can become
attached.
=The Cure for this Condition.=--That these changes can be brought about in
a vast number of cases I have the most positive testimony. I have
advised such wives to continually use Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable
Compound; and, with this treatment alone, such a healthy condition of
the generative organs has been brought about that pregnancy has very
soon followed. This is precisely according to nature's laws, as I have
indicated before.
Therefore, I say to every wife who desires a child, "Give Lydia E.
Pinkham's Vegetable Compound a thorough trial. If the fault is yours,
the Compound will surely remove it, and the longing of your heart will
be satisfied."
CHAPTER III.
REPRODUCTION.
=The Reproductive Instinct Strong.=--The reproductive instinct is very
strong in the human race, as is indicated by the large amount of energy
the woman expends in the bearing of children, and by both sexes in the
care and education of their young. As we know, it is only by the
production of new individuals that the continuance of the race is
assured.
=Problems of Reproduction.=--The problems of reproduction are extremely
broad, involving not only the immediate questions of individual
reproduction, but also those broader and deeper ones which relate to
heredity.
=A New Life, By Chance.=--It is a most astonishing fact that nearly all
persons born into the world are given life as the result of chance
rather than by careful design. "If my parents had only known!" is the
frightful wail of many a wretched life.
=To Create is Divine.=--At no time does man come so near being omnipotent
as when, by the tremendous powers given him, a new life is called into
existence. And yet, whether strong or weak, refreshed or exhausted,
healthy or diseased, sober or intoxicated, sweet or ill-tempered,
yielding or resisting, a new life is begun which may be either of two
extremes. How great are such questions! The human mind seems appalled
when asked to consider them.
=Education on These Subjects Necessary.=--It is not the purpose of this
book to moralize upon these themes, or to say what should and should not
be done; but knowing something of the wretchedness of womankind, and the
fearful slavery she often has to endure, I can only hope, with all my
heart, that the coming generation may be better educated on these most
important topics. It is with a thought or two of this kind in mind that
I append the following brief outline of this subject:--
=Two Sexes Necessary.=--In the higher animals two sexes are necessary for
the reproduction of the race, the male and the female. Each contributes
some particular element toward the beginning of a new life; this is
known as the germ-cell.
=The Germ-Cells.=--The germ-cells of the male are called spermatozoa, and
those of the female, ova. The reproductive process is simply a fusion,
or union of these male and female germ-cells.
=The Male Elements.=--The spermatozoa are exceedingly delicate and minute;
they constitute the greatest part of the semen, or sperm. They are
peculiar shaped bodies, having a head, body, and tail, as illustrated in
the accompanying figure, and they can only be seen by powerful
magnifying glasses. (Fig. 1.)
~FIG. 1. At the left are six spermatozoa, or male-elements, male
germ-cells. At the right is an ovum, egg, female germ-cell. All
highly magnified.~
They have the remarkable property of moving about with considerable
activity, and their number is almost beyond computation.
=Only One Male Element Necessary.=--Although this number is so vast, yet
only a single one is required to endow the female cell, or egg, with
life. It is another illustration of how nature does everything possible
to increase the chances of perpetuating the race, for without such
immense numbers, the chances of the female egg being fertilized would be
much less.
=May Live for Days.=--Although these male elements can live but a few
hours outside of the body, even when especial precautions are taken to
make every thing favorable to their existence, yet they have been known
to maintain their full life in the vaginal canal for more than eight
days after their discharge; another remarkable provision of nature, for
the prolonged existence of these cells increases the probability of the
fertilization of an egg, and thus increases the chances of producing a
new life.
=The Female Element.=--As I have already said, the female germ-cell is
also known as the ovum, or egg. A single ovum is shown in Fig. 1.
If not fertilized by the male elements, the egg passes off into the
outside world; if fertilized, it stops in the cavity of the uterus,
where it forms an attachment. Here it remains until perfectly developed,
when, at the end of nine months, it is brought forth to the outside
world as a perfect infant.
=One Female Element; Many Male Elements.=--The human ovum is often said to
be a miniature of the egg of the common fowl, although there are some
quite marked differences between the two. It is a very interesting fact
to note that there is only one egg given off at a time; while there are
many thousands of the male elements. This is in harmony with the larger
size of the egg, and the fact that while this egg awaits fertilization
it is most carefully protected within the body of the mother.
=Where is Life First Made?=--Where the wonderful union of the male and
female elements takes place is not definitely known, although it is
generally believed that it is upon the surface of the ovary, itself.
If this be true, then it is necessary for the male element to traverse
the whole length of the uterine cavity, out along the course of the
Fallopian tube, and there be deposited on the surface of the ovary.
=The Fertilized Egg.=--When a fertilized or impregnated egg is set free
from the surface of the ovary, it follows the same course that the
unimpregnated egg does until it reaches the uterus. Here some most
remarkable changes immediately take place whereby the egg is held firmly
to the inner wall of the uterine cavity; while the unimpregnated egg, as
I have said, passes down the uterine cavity into the vagina, and thus
out of the body. In other words, the fertilized egg is retained within
the body, while the unfertilized one is cast off.
=One Egg Discharged Each Month.=--An ovum, or egg, is discharged during
each menstrual period. It cannot be seen because of its minute size, a
magnifying glass being necessary to detect it, even under favorable
conditions. At just what time during this period the ovum is cast from
the body is not definitely known, but it is generally thought to be
toward the latter part.
=Time When Fertilization is Most Probable.=--From this it is seen that but
one egg fully develops and ripens ready to be fertilized each month. As
it is the ripened egg which is thrown off at each menstrual period,
therefore it follows that the fertilization of this egg would be most
probable at about the time of menstruation.
=Times When Ova Do Not Ripen.=--As a rule, these ova do not ripen, or
develop, either during pregnancy, or during the nursing of the child,
although there are certain exceptions to this rule; for menstruation
occasionally takes place during lactation and pregnancy, and pregnancy
itself may occur while the mother is nursing her child.
CHAPTER IV.
THE REMEDY THAT CURES.
=A Vegetable Compound.=--I hardly think it necessary to mention in detail
the separate ingredients of Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound. We
wish to call your attention, however, to that word "Vegetable."
I do not believe in mercury, arsenic, and the host of mineral poisons
which are found in so many remedies. When taken into the system they
disturb every function, interfere with the most vital processes, and
produce the most disastrous consequences.
=The Purest and Best.=--Knowing these things, Mrs. Pinkham was exceedingly
careful to put only the purest and choicest of products of the vegetable
kingdom into her Compound. Each of the roots and herbs is selected with
the most extreme care, and all are prepared under the personal
supervision of the most thoroughly trained specialists.
=One Secret.=--One great secret of the success of Lydia E. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound is that each vegetable is so treated that all useful
elements are retained, and all useless discarded.
=Highly Concentrated.=--For instance, it is possible for the expert
workmen in our laboratory to condense all the medicinal power that
exists in a pound of the coarse root into a mass no larger than could be
held on the point of a knife. In this way it is possible for a
teaspoonful of the Vegetable Compound to represent all the curative
properties usually found in eight or ten times that quantity; in other
words, it is highly concentrated.
=Acts Upon Female Organs.=--Mrs. Pinkham knew from the very first that she
was on the right track. She knew that her Vegetable Compound contained
medicines which act directly and naturally upon the female organs.
She knew that one ingredient produced certain effects on the uterus,
while other ingredients tended to relieve pain in the ovaries. She knew
that one remedy would heal an inflamed uterine cavity, while another
ingredient would cause better circulation in the blood-vessels of this
part of the body. Having the theory all worked out most carefully, she
awaited the practical test, feeling confident as to the result.
=Success Was Immediate.=--But she did not have to wait long. Immediately
the cures began, and her neighbors and friends told each other what had
been done for them. Soon letters came by the hundreds from all parts of
the world. Thousands upon thousands have written to Mrs. Pinkham telling
her their story, and giving to her, also, full permission to use their
testimonials.
=It Bridges the Gulf.=--I am sure you would be delighted, as well as
surprised, if you could see the immense difference between the first and
last letters received from women. The first is the story of suffering,
of extreme agony with prolonged misery and abandoned hope. The last is a
song of gratitude, of great love, of joy and peace. The first tells of
disease, the last of health. But what an immense gulf between these
two!--a gulf, however, I am glad to say, that can be bridged with Lydia
E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound.
=You Cannot Possibly Doubt.=--I do not believe you can possibly doubt for
one moment the power of this marvelous remedy to cure the diseases of
women. How can you doubt it? For a quarter of a century it has gone into
every city, village, and hamlet in our land, and into almost every
country home.
Across the water it is finding its way among the rich and the poor. No
remedy was ever known that was so generally used. Wherever there are
women, there are suffering women; and wherever there are suffering women
you are sure to find Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound.
=The Testimonials Are True.=--Do you think there are hundreds of thousands
of your own sex who would wilfully falsify? Do you think that any could
be found who would deliberately do this, and without hope of gain or
reward? Yet I could point you to hundreds of thousands of letters
received from women who write from the fulness of the heart to thank us
for what we have done for them.
=We Speak Strongly.=--Then am I not justified in speaking strongly to you?
Don't you think we feel sure of our position? I certainly know what we
have done for others, and that makes us feel sure we can do the same for
you.
=We Can Cure You.=--I believe our Vegetable Compound will cure you. I
believe it will cure every case where a cure is among the possibilities.
You need not be particular whether the soreness in the lower part of
your body is in the right side or the left side; whether the pain is
sharp, or dull and heavy; whether you suffer terrible agony each month
with local pain, or whether it is mental depression; whether the flow is
too scant or too profuse.
=It Corrects the Wrong.=--You need not be particular about these things,
for they all show that something is wrong, and Lydia E. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound corrects this wrong. That is what it was made for;
that is precisely the work it does.
=Have Faith in Us.=--Don't purchase a bottle thinking you will "see what
it will do," having made up your mind that you will "try the
experiment." Don't come in this spirit, for there is no need of it. Come
with the feeling that has inspired so many thousands of your
sisters,--come believing that you have at last found a remedy that will
relieve you from this terrible slavery to suffering.
I am anxious to have you enjoy all the robust health that is your right.
I am anxious to make you happy, hopeful, healthy. Put your confidence in
Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound. You will never be disappointed.
CHAPTER V.
THE FEMALE PELVIS AND ITS CONTENTS.
=The Pelvis.=--The pelvis is the bony framework which forms the lower part
of the body. On each side it forms a union with the hip bone to make the
hip joint.
The female pelvis contains the reproductive organs (uterus, vagina, and
ovaries), and also the bladder and lower bowel.
Fig. 2 gives a very good idea of the shape and general structure of this
bony framework; while a careful study of Fig. 3 will enable one to form
a very correct idea of the relative size and position of the various
parts contained in this framework.
~FIG. 2. The female pelvis. The flanging sides form the hips. The union
of the bones in front forms the pubic arch which is felt at the front of
the lower part of the body. The lower end of the spinal column, or
backbone, is seen at the back of the figure.~
=The Vagina.=--The vagina is a membranous canal extending from the surface
of the body to the uterus, or womb. Its posterior wall is about 3-1/2
inches long, and its anterior about 3 inches. A careful study should be
made of our illustration, in order that the relation of the vagina and
uterus to the rectum behind and the bladder in front may be thoroughly
understood; also the angle which is formed by the vagina and the uterus.
Notice should be taken, also, of the opening of the uterus into the
upper part of the vagina; as inflammation of the uterus often causes a
discharge which passes into the upper part of the vagina and finally out
of the body. This gives rise to the belief that the only trouble is in
the vagina itself, whereas the real seat of the disease may be high up
in the uterus.
~FIG. 3. A lateral view of the contents of the female pelvis. 1. the
vagina; 2. uterus; 3. bladder; 4. lower bowel; 5. bone forming the pubic
arch; 6. the spinal cord, with bone in front and back of it.~
=The Uterus.=--The uterus, or womb, is a hollow organ formed of muscular
tissue, and lined with a delicate mucous membrane. The bladder is in
front, the rectum behind, and the vagina below.
=Three Parts.=--Physicians divide this important organ into three
parts,--the fundus, body, and neck. The fundus is all the upper rounded
portion; the body all that portion between the fundus and the neck; and
the neck all the rounded lower part.
=The Cavity of the Uterus.=--This is divided into the cavity of the body
and the cavity of the neck. By consulting our illustration it is seen
that these cavities differ greatly in shape; that of the body being
triangular, while that of the neck is barrel-shaped.
By referring again to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the cavity of the body
has three openings, one on either side at the top going to the Fallopian
tubes, and an opening at the bottom passing into the cavity of the neck.
A constriction exists between these two cavities; but after childbirth
this is largely done away with, and there is not that marked difference
which existed formerly.
=Glands in Uterus.=--In the mucous membrane lining the uterus are vast
numbers of minute glands which secrete mucus. It has been asserted that
in the cavity of the neck alone there are from ten to twelve thousand
of these glands. It is in this mucous membrane that such remarkable
changes occur each month during menstruation, and still more wonderful
changes during pregnancy.
=The Ligaments of the Uterus.=--By referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen
that there are on each side of the uterus flat bands of tissue known as
"broad ligaments." These ligaments are attached to the sides of the
pelvic cavity, and aid greatly in holding the uterus firmly in place.
There are also other ligaments concerned in this same work, although the
broad ligaments are most important. The illustration also shows the
walls of the vagina cut open, in order that the position of the mouth of
the uterus may be easily seen.
~FIG. 4. This illustration shows the cavities in a uterus which has been
pregnant. 1, the vagina; 2, cavity of the neck of the uterus; 3, cavity
of the body, above which is the fundus of the uterus; 4, Fallopian
tubes, extending to the ovaries.~
~FIG. 5. The female generative organs. 1, the vagina; 2, uterus; 3,
broad ligament of left side; 4, a smaller ligament; 5, Fallopian tube;
6, ovary; 7, fringed end of Fallopian tube.~
=Blood-Vessels Surrounding Uterus.=--The uterus is well supplied with
blood-vessels, as Fig. 6 shows. Indeed, there is all over the walls of
the uterus and through its tissue a vast network of these vessels.
Whenever, for any reason, the circulation of the blood through the
pelvis is disturbed, these blood-vessels are likely to become engorged,
over-filled, producing congestion and inflammation.
~FIG. 6. The blood-vessels of the right side of the uterus. 1, blood
vessels; 2, end of the Fallopian tube; 3, ovary; 4, right edge of
uterus.~
=All Parts Closely Related.=--The close relation of these blood-vessels to
the blood-supply of the bowels, liver, etc., makes it possible for most
serious disturbances to take place even from slight causes.
=Study the Illustrations.=--By studying these illustrations it can be
readily seen how an over-distended rectum may produce such an impediment
to the circulation that there will be congestion of all the neighboring
parts. Or, the intestines themselves may become over-distended with
faecal matter, or gas, from dyspepsia, and the pressure induced thereby
may be sufficient to interfere with the free circulation of these parts,
and thus uterine congestion produced.
It is also seen how improper dress may compress the organs about these
parts, and thus interfere with the circulation. Again, it is easily
understood, simply from studying the illustrations alone, how any of
these causes might produce dislocation of the uterus itself.
=Object of Uterus.=--The uterus is the source of the menstrual discharge,
a place for the foetus during its development, and the source of the
nutritive supply of this foetus. It is the uterus which contracts at
full term and expels the child.
=Uterus Not Rigidly Fixed.=--In a perfectly normal condition there is
considerable mobility to the uterus; in other words, it is not fixed
firmly by the ligaments already mentioned. It is rather simply
suspended, or hung in the pelvic cavity, by these broad flat bands of
tissue.
A full bladder will push it backward, while a distended rectum will move
it forward; as the body changes its posture, so will the uterus change
its position by force of gravity.
=Cannot Be Bent Upon Itself.=--The uterus cannot be bent upon itself
without producing injury; neither can it be pushed too far forward or
backward, nor crowded down too far without causing great distress and
actual disease.
=Fallopian Tube.=--Figs. 4 and 5 show that there is given off from each
side of the upper part of the uterus a tube. This is called the
Fallopian tube.
Each tube is about four inches long. Near the uterus its cavity will
just admit an ordinary bristle; but near its free end, at the ovary, it
is as large as a goose-quill.
It is a peculiar tube in that it terminates in a number of fringe-like
processes, one of which is always attached to the ovary itself.
~FIG. 7. Part of an ovary, showing a ripe ovum, or egg, about to be cast
off, as occurs at each menstrual period. It is here this egg may be
fertilized or impregnated by the male elements.~
=Object of This Tube.=--The Fallopian tube conveys the sperm of the male
from the uterus to the ovary, and also takes the germ-cell (or ovule, or
egg) from the ovary to the uterus.
When a ripe egg is about to be discharged from the ovary, one of these
fringe-like processes of the Fallopian tube grasps it and receives it
into the mouth of the tube, whence it is conveyed directly into the
uterine canal.
=Ovary.=--On each side of the uterus and in each side of the pelvic cavity
is an ovary. It is about one and a half inches in length, three-fourths
of an inch in width, and one-third of an inch in thickness. It weighs
from one to two drachms, and is an elongated, oval-shaped body.
~FIG. 8. This figure illustrates the course followed by an ovum. The
ripened egg leaves the ovary (1), passes down the Fallopian tube (2),
and thence into the uterine cavity (3).~
~FIG. 9. An exceedingly minute piece of an ovary, highly magnified. It
shows eight ova or eggs.~
=Object of Ovaries.=--The ovaries are the essential organs of generation
in the female. In each ovary are large numbers of cells, ovules, or
eggs, one of which, at least, is supposed to pass into the uterine
cavity with each menstruation. Anatomists tell us that each human ovary
contains as many as 30,000 of these ovules, or eggs.
LOCAL TREATMENT.--FAST PASSING AWAY.
=It Makes One Indignant.=--When I recall the terrible and almost horrible
treatment which women have had to undergo in the past, I cannot help but
become deeply indignant. It seems as if all medical study had gone for
naught, as if the teachings of nature had been forgotten, and most of
all, as if no such thing as delicacy and modesty existed.
=This Makes Confirmed Invalids.=--It is only necessary for a woman to
complain of discomfort in the back, a bearing-down pain, or some
unnatural discharge, when some physician says that local treatment, and
local treatment only, must be taken.
Women so thoroughly understand what their physician is going to say that
they do not consult him, but go on suffering more and more until they
become almost confirmed invalids. Others, after they are told what must
be done, return home and become gloomy and melancholy over the outlook.
=Specialists Are Crazy for Work.=--The specialists are so crazy for this
kind of work that it seems as though they would gladly scrape and burn
the inside of the stomach for dyspepsia, if they could do so! Or, they
would take a long probe and go down into the interior of the lungs and
apply strong caustics, if such a thing were possible!
=The Patient Is Deceived.=--If the ache, or the pain, or the discharge was
on the back of the hand where it could be seen, and where these
"treatments" could be watched, the specialists would have a hard showing
indeed, for the patient herself would then see that little good came
from these local applications.
But being situated within the body, so that only the physician himself
can examine the parts, the patient has to rest content, not knowing
whether a little pure water is applied (and the fee collected), or
whether the strongest acids which burn deep into the tissues are used
(and the fee collected).
=Local Treatment Unnecessary.=--Now all of this is almost invariably
unnecessary. It is not showing ordinary common-sense, not in accord with
nature, and not in keeping with the best medical science of to-day.
Yet thousands upon thousands of women are undergoing the worst kind of
mental and physical torture in taking these local treatments, while all
the savings of the household have to go toward paying the enormous bills
of the specialist.
=The True Doctor Not Blamed.=--_Do not misunderstand me, please. I am not
talking against doctors, not against the real, true, genuine, noble
physicians and surgeons._
There is no nobler profession than that of the physician, none practiced
more faithfully than the good old family physician of this country
practice theirs. The best of them are glad to help their patients in any
way they can, and in spite of professional prejudice, many have tried
Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound upon their patients and have been
delighted at the wonderful success of the trial.
=Nature the Best Teacher.=--The trouble with so many of these physicians
who call themselves "Specialists on Diseases of Women" is that they get
it into their head that they know more than nature. They map out a
course of their own, and pay no attention whatever to the laws of
health. Just as if a dog barking at the moon would make it shine less
brightly!
Now any one who has given any thought to the preservation of the health
can readily understand how impossible it would be to cure an
inflammation of the uterus or ovaries, or check an unnatural discharge
from the vagina, by applying strong acids, nitrate of silver, pure
carbolic acid, strong tincture of iodine, or other destroying, caustic,
irritating, and dangerous drugs.
All of these must be injurious, must postpone recovery, and if their use
be continued for any great length of time must make a cure quite
impossible.
=A Good Medicine Needed.=--Of course what is needed in these cases is
something that will restore the natural circulation of the blood through
the tissues of the uterus, something that will relieve congestion and
cure inflammation. When the swelling and irritation have subsided, then
the nerves are no longer irritated, and all pain disappears.
=What This Will Do.=--Then all these parts become better nourished, the
weakened and diseased tissues take on new strength, and all unnatural
discharges cease.
When the relaxed ligaments are properly fed and toned up, then they hold
the uterus in its natural position, and all bearing-down pains and other
symptoms of displacement quickly disappear. Of course this
constitutional treatment with Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound is
hastened by keeping the parts perfectly clean, which can be easily done
with Lydia E. Pinkham's Sanative Wash.
=A Hearty Welcome to the Perfect Cure.=--A hearty welcome to the most
scientific treatment; a hearty welcome to the most natural, the most
easy, and the most perfect method of cure; a hearty welcome to Lydia E.
Pinkham's Vegetable Compound; a hearty welcome to the remedy that never
fails to restore the uterus to perfect health and natural position.
CHAPTER VI.
MENSTRUATION.
=Occurs Monthly.=--Once every twenty-eight days very remarkable changes
occur in the uterus, giving rise to that peculiar monthly periodicity
called menstruation, monthly sickness, monthlies, or being unwell.
Although this usually occurs once in about four weeks, yet it may be a
week less or a week longer; or, indeed, the variation may be even
greater than this.
=Symptoms of its Approach.=--As a perfectly natural menstrual period
approaches, there is a certain degree of discomfort and lassitude, a
sense of weight in the lower part of the body, and more or less
disinclination to enter society. These symptoms may be slightly
pronounced or very prominent, for it is quite unusual to find a person
who does not have at least some general discomfort at this time.
=Its Appearance.=--First there is a slight discharge of mucus which soon
becomes of a rusty brown or yellow color from the mixture of a small
quantity of blood. By the second or third day the discharge has the
appearance of pure blood. The unpleasant sensations which were so marked
at first now gradually subside, and the discharge, after continuing for
a certain number of days, grows more and more scanty. The color changes
from a pure red to a rusty tinge, and finally disappears altogether.
Then the ordinary duties are resumed.
=The Age of Puberty.=--Menstruation begins at about fourteen or fifteen
years of age, this period being known as "the age of puberty." It is
preceded and attended by peculiar signs. The whole figure becomes more
plump and round, the hips increase in breadth, and the breasts rapidly
develop. The more striking changes, however, occur in the inclinations
and emotional susceptibilities.
=Age Modified.=--A great many circumstances modify the age at which the
first menstruation takes place. In hot climates this takes place
earlier, the difference between hot and cold countries being as great as
three years; yet heredity has more to do with this than anything else.
"As was the mother so is the child" is a common saying among women.
=Continues About Thirty Years.=--The menstrual function continues active
from this age until about the forty-fifth year, although this may be
extended even ten years later. During all these years the woman is
capable of bearing children, because at each month there has been a
fully developed ovum, or egg, ready to be fertilized.
=The Change of Life.=--When the menstrual function ceases, then the period
of childbearing is over. The time of its disappearance is known as "the
change of life, or menopause."
=Amount of Monthly Loss.=--The amount of blood lost during menstruation
varies greatly with different individuals, and it would be quite
impossible to give anything like an accurate rule. It varies, normally,
from one to eight ounces, the average being probably about five ounces.
=Duration of Period.=--The duration of the period is from one to eight
days, the average being five days. Hence it will be seen that the
average loss of fluid per day would be about one ounce.
=Loss Should Be Small.=--It should be stated here that, as a rule, those
enjoy the best health who lose but a small quantity of blood at this
time. Some persons seem to think that a very free discharge is
necessary, and that they feel better at such times; but there is no
possible reason why this should be the case.
=The First Menstruation.=--The appearance of the first menstruation is a
most critical time in the life of every young girl, and the mother
should be prepared to give her daughter the best of advice. Some slight
inattention, some undue exposure, some thoughtlessness due entirely to
ignorance on these great subjects, may change the whole future from a
life of comfort and good health to prolonged days of misery and intense
suffering.
=Menstruation and Childbearing.=--It is the belief at the present time,
among all who have studied this subject, that menstruation is closely
connected with the function of childbearing. The changes which take
place each month within the uterine cavity are of precisely the proper
character to prepare this tissue for the reception of the fertilized
egg.
=Rules to be Observed.=--A few rules should be carefully followed during
each menstruation, in order that future trouble may be prevented. First
of all, it is necessary to avoid taking cold; yet a person should not
stay in the house by the side of a fire, or in a warm room all the time,
for this would increase the susceptibility to cold.
Care should be taken to avoid undue exposure, for nothing will disturb
the menstrual process quicker than the sudden chilling of the body,
especially when moist with perspiration.
Intense mental excitement should be avoided, also. If the young girl is
at school, she should be told to study more lightly at this time; while
any great excitement of any kind, as giving way to anger, or extreme
merriment, should be avoided.
The feeling of debility and depression which usually accompanies this
time is a gentle warning by nature that the body should remain quiet and
at rest.
It is natural for many persons to be especially depressed at this time;
an effort should be made by those who understand the situation to make
everything as agreeable and pleasant as possible to the sufferer.
=Danger to School Girls.=--Without the slightest doubt, many women are
suffering intensely to-day who might be enjoying the best of health had
they not been obliged to study so intensely while in school. A moderate
amount of study does no harm at this time, but the dread of
examinations, with our modern system of cramming at certain times of the
school year, has, without doubt, so worked upon the nervous system that
many a life has been made miserable as a result.
=Danger to Office Girls.=--It is astonishing, when one fully understands
the processes of menstruation, how so many girls and young women can
remain all day behind the counter in the store, or at the work-table,
during these few trying days, and even escape without serious illness.
Employers never think of the subject, and there is a natural delicacy on
the part of those most concerned to mention the subject.
There should be in all such establishments some woman to whom these
girls could confide their condition. This woman, or overseer, could
easily be made responsible for the apparent neglect of duties by these
girls at such times.
=Criminal Carelessness.=--How often is it true that young ladies attend
balls, skate, and otherwise recklessly expose themselves at this most
critical time. One is almost inclined to call such exposures really
criminal, because of the terrible consequences so sure to follow.
A simple wetting of the feet, or resting quietly in a draught after
exercise, during menstruation may impose upon the person a life-long
injury. How carefully, then, should mothers watch their daughters at
these periods, and how strongly should they impress upon them the
necessity of special care.
=Condition of Bowels Important.=--The condition of the bowels should also
be carefully looked after at these times. Indeed, this is so important
that it should never be neglected. There should be at least one good
movement of the bowels each day. Nothing can more certainly derange the
menstrual function than persistent constipation.
=Regularity Important.=--Every mother should make careful inquiry into the
exact frequency of the menstrual period with her young daughter, at
least during the first two years of the menstrual function.
If there is pain at this time, then something is certainly wrong, and
treatment should be taken at once. If there is irregularity, this also
requires most prompt attention, as it will surely develop into something
serious sooner or later. If the flow is too free, or not free enough, or
if there is any deviation from the standard of health, the mother should
be acquainted with it, and should proceed at once to correct the
difficulty.
=First Two Years Very Important.=--If a girl can get through the first two
years of her menstrual life without serious disease, she stands a very
good chance of enjoying good health during the rest of her life; while a
slight mistake at this time may produce the most serious disease in
later life. If you do not understand your ailments write to Mrs.
Pinkham, Lynn, Mass. Her advice is free and always helpful.
CHAPTER VII.
DISORDERS OF MENSTRUATION.
=Amenorrhoea.=--This is a condition in which the monthly flow is
suspended. It can hardly be called a disease, as it is rather a symptom
of some disorder of the uterus, or of some constitutional defect. This
may occur at the time when menstruation should normally appear, namely,
from fourteen to fifteen years of age.
=Danger of a Decline.=--If the young girl does not menstruate at sixteen,
seventeen, or eighteen, something is certainly wrong, and treatment
should be taken at once in order to correct the difficulty before the
girl goes into a decline. It is not wise to trust too much to nature in
these cases.