she may take a tea-cup full of the reftorative infufion, No. 14, and when her ftrength is increased, if the lungs and vital parts are found, the may use fea-bathing or the cold bath," with advantage.

1

Should the bleeding piles appear at this juncture, ulcerous fores break out in the legs, or eruptions on the fkin, the first ought not to be reftrained, or the laft repelled and dried up, till the habit of body is changed by proper medicines; for those discharges under fuch circumftances are generally critical; and I have observed, where they "were fuddenly fuppreffed, an acute rheumatism, hysterics, afthma, or colicpains, were often the confequence,

CHA P. II.

Difeafes of the Womb and its contiguous Parts; their Treatment and Method of Cure.

SECTION IV.

Of the Fluor Albus or Female Weakness, and how diftinguifbed from a Venereal Infection.

THE

'HE Fluor Albus, female weakness or whites, as commonly called, is a dif eafe of the womb and its contiguous parts, from which a pale colour'd fluid is dif charged, attended with pain in the loins, bad digeftion, a wan, fickly afpect and lofs of ftrength.

The quantity and color of this dif charge chiefly depend upon the time of its duration, the patient's habit of body,

and

and the nature of the cause by which it was produced. Taking cold, ftrong liquors, immoderate heat and moisture, or violent exercise, have all been obferved to produce a bad effect, as to its quantity and quality.

Weakly women of lax folids, who have had many children, and long laboured under ill health, are, of all others, the most fubject to this difagreeable disease, from which they unfortunately fuffer more fevere penance than others; as the niceft fenfations are often connected with fuch deli cacy of bodily frame as fubjects them to it.

In Holland, it is frequent, and in a manner peculiar to the place from the dampness of its fituation; the furrounding air being fo overcharged with moisture, as to relax the body, ftop perfpiration, and throw it upon the bowels, or womb, producing in the first diarrhea or flux, in the laft, fluor albus or female weakness.

The

The discharge proceeds from the veffels fubfervient to menftruation; because in delicate habits, where thofe veffels are weak, and confequently remain too long uncontracted; the fluor albus fometimes immediately follows the menfes, and goes off by degrees as they gradually close. It alfo comes from the mucous glands of the womb, as is particularly evident in very young fe males of eight or ten years old, in whom, though very rarely, I have obferved it, and where it must then neceffarily have efcaped from thofe parts; the uterine veffels not being fufficiently enlarged for its paffage at fo early a period.

Sometimes, as in women with child, it proceeds from the vagina, and not from the womb itfelf. The application of those instruments called Pessaries, from the pain and irritation they occafion, are alfo apt to bring on this discharge. Hence it is plain, this difcafe may fometimes happen, altho'

the

the blood is in a pure state, and where the fault is in the veffels or ftrainers, by which the fluids are vitiated and changed from their natural qualities.

The fluor albus has been fuppofed, in fome, to fupply the want of menfes; because where the first prevails, the last is generally either irregular or totally wanting; but it might more properly be faid, that the prefence of the fluor albus, which is a preternatural evacuation, occafions the abfence of that which is natural; as is evident from the return of the menfes after the fluor albus has been taken away. Indeed, when this difcharge appears about the age of fourteen or fifteen, and returns once a month, with fymptoms like thofe of the menfes, then it may be deemed strictly natural, as obferved at p. 70, and there fore, ought not to be stopped.

Fluor albus may be diftinguished into two kinds. The firft, arifes from fimple

weaknes