If the pessary is introduced too small, it will foon be forced away by the first fit of coughing or ftraining, and if too large, will bring on the fluor albus in a high degree; befides, it generally becomes fo painful as not to be endured, and being a pernicious application, ought to be rejected from practice. It never can answer any good purpose, but on the contrary, will always increase the malady, by overftraining and weakening that part which was much too weak before.

In two particular cafes where I was confulted, fuch Peffaries had been introduced in the first, the patient was far advanced in years, and had worn the inftrument for a long time. She complained of great heat and inflammation, at the lower region of the belly, attended with violent colic pains, and frequent but ineffectual endeavours to void her urine; fhe had much fever, and at last became delirious, from want of fleep and violence of pain, which threatened

What I

a mortification of the bowels. prescribed only afforded temporary relief, for the real nature of her complaint was at first concealed from me. The Peffary, which was made of cork, being very large, and clofely confined by inflammation of the part; I was obliged to use confiderable force to extract it, which occafioned much pain and a discharge of blood; however, by proper care, fhe at last recovered, and afterwards remained well.

The other cafe was attended with the like fymptoms, but in a lefs degree, and was alfo removed by the extraction of the Peffary.

These are only a few inftances to fhew the bad effects of fuch inftruments. A Peffary was lately extracted from the fundament of a woman in St. Thomas's hofpital. It had made its way from the vagina or paffage, by a mortification of the parts, and nearly coft the patient her life.

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Should

Should the defcent of the tumor, prove very troublesome, and prevent the patient from walking about; a fine fpunge wrung out of alumn water may be dried in a compreffed ftate, and cut into any convenient form, so as to be introduced as high as poffible. This application will not only act by its aftringency, but alfo by its preffure, though in a much more gentle and uniform manner, than any kind of peffary made of harder fubftance.

During the use of this application, the aftringent injection, No. 29, may be used twice a-day, and the fpunge tent should gradually be made fmaller, from time to time, as the vagina contracts. The T. bandage may be worn a few weeks, the better to retain the tent, and to fecure the patient from the danger of a relapse.

K 2 SECTION

SECTION VII.

Of Abortion and Barrenness, and the Remedies moft effectual in preventing these Maladies; with Rules and Cautions for the Conduct and Regimen of Women during the feveral Periods of Pregnancy, alfo Remarks on the Power of the Mother's Imagination on the Child in the Womb.

A

BORTION and Barrennefs may be

confidered as diforders of the secondary kind, proceeding either from a fault in the general habit of body, or fome particular defect in the structure and use of the womb or parts peculiar to it.

Respecting the various diseases of the womb already treated of, 'tis no wonder its natural functions fhould be perverted or destroyed, and therefore, that women fome

times prove barren, or, having conceived, fhould often miscarry.

In proportion as they deviate from the fimple law of nature in their manner of living, the vital powers of the body will be impaired, and among the reft, those which contribute to multiply their species. This more evidently appears by infirmities peculiar to women of fuperior rank, from which thofe of more humble ftations, are almost entirely free.

The poor female cottager who uses exereife in the open air, who eats the coarse, but wholesome bread of industry and drinks from the cooling stream, is seldom troubled with thofe maladies which afflict the rich and indolent, undone by the abuse of plenty, Her body is not like that of the modern fine lady robb'd of its native vigor by unseasonable indulgence, or her mind tortured by imaginary wants; her nerves are not convulfed by infults of paffion, or the exceffes of midnight diffipation. So far from being barren,

K 3