The use of nitric acid in the treatment of uterine disease / Lombe Atthill.

  • Atthill, Lombe, 1827-1910.
Date:
[1873?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The use of nitric acid in the treatment of uterine disease / Lombe Atthill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Case I.—Nitric acid was the agent I first employed in the treatment of disease of the cavity of the uterus. The patient was a young married woman, suffering from profuse menor¬ rhagia ; the cervix uteri was soft and swollen, the vaginal sur¬ face deprived of its epithelium and covered with large vascular papillce; the os uteri was patulous, the mucous membrane lining the cervical canal being also evidently in a diseased condition. I applied the solid nitrate of silver repeatedly to the vaginal surface of the cervix, introducing it also into the cervical canal to the depth of an inch. Little if any improve¬ ment however followed. Then, suspecting that the disease extended into the uterine cavity, I introduced a sea tangle tent, on withdrawing which, I passed up to the fundus a stilette armed with a film of cotton saturated with the fuming nitric acid. The application did not cause any pain. From that day this patient improved, and finally was restored to perfect health. This case occurred some years ago, and was the first in which I ventured to introduce caustic into the cavity of the uterus. The patient, a lady, still occasionally consults me for other ailments. She has never become pregnant, but is free from any symptom of uterine disease. Case II.—The next in order of time was that of a woman whose case is alluded to in my Lectures on Diseases of Women, page 180. She was suffering from profuse menorrhagia of many years’ standing. The uterus was so much enlarged that I was of opinion it might contain a polypus ; accordingly I dilated the cervix. On introducing my finger into the uterus, however, I found that no tumour existed, but that the mucous membrane lining the cavity was in a roughened granular condition. In this case the uterus was drawn down by means of a vulsellum, the os uteri exposed to view with a duckbill speculum, and the whole of the uterine cavity effectually swabbed over with the fuming nitric acid, introduced on a roll of cotton attached to a stilette. No pain was subsequently experienced. A remarkable feature in this woman’s case was the extreme irritability of the bladder. For years she had been obliged to micturate every hour, even at night; and it was for