The uterus becomes scirrhous, sometimes all at once without any
preceding complaint, but most frequently after having been preceded by
inflammation, which has neither been resolved nor converted into an
abscess. The disease called scleroma is a species of scirrhus, most
frequently forming about the neck of the womb, and having also some
swelling, but less resisting, and attended with moderate pain. These are
accompanied with displacement to the opposite parts, swelling powerfully
resisting in proportion to the pain, with heaviness and difficulty of
motion, not of the limbs only but of the whole body, and aversion to
exertions. When not properly cured, a dropsical cachexia supervenes.
In the commencement we must have recourse to venesection, or purging
with the hiera of Archigenes; then to cataplasms of dried figs, grease
of wool, nitre, or wormwood, and cupping with scarifications; and to
the soothing ointments (_malagmata_), namely the Polyarchium, that
from seeds, and that from bay-berries; to hip-baths prepared with the
decoction of dried figs, mugwort, pennyroyal, and marshmallows; to
pessaries of turpentine, galbanum, myrrh, iris, and the grease of wool;
to dropaces and the use of the natural baths, namely, the nitrous and
bituminous. When the strength permits, a course of hellebore may also be
tried.
_An emollient pessary._ Of Pontic wax, of nard ointment, of each, oz.
iij; of the ointments of iris, that of privet, and that called Gleucinum,
of each, oz. ij; of the grease of bears and geese, of butter, of the
sordes of unwashed wool, of stags’ marrow, of turpentine, of each, oz.
j.—_Another_: Of poley, dr. ij; of myrrh, dr. iv; having triturated with
Mindesian wine, and mixed it with Irinum, give to be applied.—_Another_:
Of Tuscan wax, of the fat of calves, of turpentine, of stags’ marrow,
of Attic honey, of old oil, equal parts. The following is an alterative
which answers also for inflation: Of the dried white grape without its
stones, oz. iij; of the leaves of the green rue, oz. ij; of sea water,
oz. iss; of cumin, dr. iv; of honey, q. s.; having anointed the pessary,
dip it in the oil of privet, and apply. And the pessary called golden,
the Libanian, and the Enneapharmacus suit well with this affection; but
the Titian is more particularly applicable.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. Our author’s account of these diseases is taken from
Aëtius, who professes to copy from Soranus the Methodist. None of the
other authorities has treated of them so fully. Bernard justly remarks
(ap. Nonni Ep. 208) that if the ancients had not been familiar with
_inspectiones cadaverum_, they could not have described the diseases
of particular parts of the uterus so accurately as they have done.
Actuarius briefly states that scirrhus of the uterus is to be treated by
applications of a digestive and emollient nature, namely, emollient oils
and fats, mixed with such things as galbanum, bdellium, and the like.
Of the Arabians, Avicenna is the most minute, but his treatment is
borrowed from the Greeks. Haly Abbas remarks that scirrhus has a tendency
to terminate in dropsy, and it is attended with sallowness, weakness,
loss of appetite, amenorrhœa, swelling of the breasts and belly. His
remedies are similar to those for cancer.
See an interesting account of this disease by Lodovicus Mercatus (ap.
Gynæcia, 951.)