75 



WOMB, DISEASES OP THK. 



WOOD-ENGRAVING. 



B70 



The woad is a plant of the natural order of the Orurifene, classed by 

 Lfanwui in the Tilradyttamia tiluMlom. It ha* a strong tap-root, 

 which laita two yean. The height of the plant when in perfection u 

 from three to four feet. It throws out many branched from the upper 

 part of the stem. The leaves are alternate and smooth, the W.-r on 

 foot stalks Urge and spear-shaped, the upper embracing the stem and 

 arrow-ahaped. The flowers are yellow, in panicles at the extremity 

 of the branches. The fruit is a heart shaped pod, with two valves con- 

 taining one seed only. 



It requires a good substantial soil of considerable depth and fertility ; 

 for the larger and more numerous the leaves are the more profit is 

 derived from the plant A wet clay soil is not at all suited to its 

 Li.'wth. nor a loose sandy one. When it was largely cultivated in 

 Kngland, old pastures ploughed up afforded the best soil for the woad 

 to grow in. These were often taken at a very high rent for two years 

 by men who made it their business to cultivate the woad and prepare 

 the colour, and who found it a profitable speculation. To have good 

 wosd the land should be naturally very rich, or much manure should 

 be intimately mixed with it some time before; nothing but com- 

 pletely decomposed dung should be used, or compost made on purpose 

 a long time before. 



The land, having been prepared by repeated ploughings and perfectly 

 dean, is laid into narrow beds with deep intervals. On these beds the 

 seed is sown in February or very early in March. It is sometimes 

 gown broadcast, and the plants thinned out, but sowing it in drills, two 

 rows on a four-feet bed, is much the best practice. The drills are 

 one foot from the edge, with two feet clear between them ; some make 

 five-feet beds, and there is an interval of thirty inches between the 

 rows, which allows of better cleaning, and gives the plants more room 

 to spread. When the plants ore come up in the rows, they must be 

 thinned out by hand, leaving the strongest about two feet apart; the 

 leaves will soon fill up the intervals. They begin to ripen in June. 

 They are fit to gather when they begin to droop and become yellowish. 

 This should be done in very dry weather, and after the dew is off. 

 The leaves of the woad are either twisted off close to the stems or cut 

 down with a sickle. Great care must be taken that no dirt or earth 

 adheres to them. Some recommend taking off the lower leaves first, 

 when they appear ripe by drooping and turning yellow, and letting the 

 upper leaves remain till they show the same appearance ; then nothing 

 but ripe leaves will be gathered. This stripping may be repeated two 

 or three times as the leaves grow again. The plants destined for seed 

 are only stripped once or twice, for fear of weakening them. It might 

 probably be advantageous not to strip them at all, but to leave the 

 whole strength for the formation of the seed, which will be larger, and 

 produce finer plants the next year. 



The first gathering of the leaves is the best ; they should, therefore, 

 be kept separate to obtain the best dye. As soon as the leaves are 

 gathered, the bed should be well and deeply hoed or dug, to give a 

 fresh impulse to the roots. 



The leaves are naturally full of sap, and soon begin to decompose if 

 laid in a heap. They should, therefore, be partially dried, and imme- 

 diately carried to the mill to be manufactured. The seed will vegetate 

 when two years old, but cannot be depended on after that. 



Woad is also occasionally sown as food for cattle ; and has been brought 

 forward for this purpose under its French name of " Pastel." Its 

 vigorous growth and hardy nature have recommended it ; but it will 

 only grow in very rich soils There are many other plants as vigorous 

 and hardy, which will thrive well in inferior soils, and therefore are to 

 be preferred. But for its dye this plant is well worthy of the attention 

 of those who have good rich and deep soils. 



WOMB. DISEASES OF THE. The organ which is devoted to 

 the retention of the foetus during the early stages of its development 

 [REPRODUCTION IX PLANTS AND ANIMALS, in NAT. HIST. Div.] and 

 which is also called the uterus, is subject to all those pathological con- 

 ditions which are found in other organs composed of similar tissues. 

 The principal tissues to which attention need be directed are the 

 muscular substance of the uterus and its lining mucous membrane. 

 The latter U continous through the os uteri with the same membrane 

 in the vagina, and the affections of the one are often found in the 

 other. Like the mucous membranes in other organs, those parts may 

 be inflamed or congested, or their function may be disturbed. One of 

 the most common and troublesome forms of disease of these membranes 

 U that which is called leucorrhea. and which U attended with an 

 increased secretion from the mucous membranes. This may or may 

 not be attended with pain and other symptoms of congestion. \Vheif 

 the latter u present, the disease requires a different treatment to those 

 case* where no such symptoms are present. Rest, saline purgatives, 

 and an antiphlogistic regimen is beneficial in them cases. On )!,. 

 other hand, where the pain it slight, and the pain more that of 

 nervous irritation, and there are generally symptoms of a debility and 

 want of tone in the system, there tonics, such as quinine and iron, 

 especially the latter, will be found of great benefit. Rest, cold bathing, 

 and a regimen adapted for debilitated states of the system, should be 

 recommended. These can* are often accompanied by nervous symp- 

 toms, which more or leu approach the condition of hysteria [HYSTERIA], 

 and which also require special treatment 



In CUM where the congestion is more active, the secretion from the 

 mucous membrane becomes puriform, and has a yellow colour. In 



these cases the more active measured resorted to in inflann 

 affections need be had recourse to. Where such an inflamed condition 

 of the mucous membrane is kept up, ulcers frequently occur 

 surface of the membrane, more especially in the contracted portion 

 called the os uteri. These ulcers are frequently attended with excessive 

 irritation of the nervous system, producing intense pain of the back, 

 more especially in the region of the coccyx. The general syeteui also 

 frequently suffer* in these cases, and great feebleness and exhaustion is 



the result. Although such ulcers will frequently pass away by 

 judicious general treatment, it is in such cases that local applications 

 have been found of most especial benefit Injection! of tannic acid, 



alum, sulphate of zinc, and nitrate of silver, are all to be commended. 

 Occasionally, in inveterate cases, it may be necessary to apply lunar 

 caustic, or even caustic potash, to the ulcer itself. This practice, which 

 is very commonly pursued by French practitioners, does not commend 

 itself so strongly in England. 



The tissues of the uterus ore especially liable to attacks of inali:'- 

 nant disease. The nature however of the nlcerations produced by the 

 development of cancerous formation is essentially different from the 

 ulcerations last spoken of. Nor is there any evidence to prove that 

 simple ulceration ever terminates in the malignant form. It is also 

 important, however painful it may be to know, that where malignant 

 ulceration has been once set up, it can never be arrested. This ought 

 to prevent the local application of such powerful remedies as the actual 

 cautery and caustic potash, which can only odd to the sufferings of 

 the patient without producing any beneficial result. 



The uterus is subject to the occurrence of fibrous, cellular, and other 

 tumours, which, although they produce great inconvenience, are not 

 necessarily fatal. When these occur on the internal surface of this 

 organ, they ore frequently more or less podunculated, and may be 

 removed by ligature or the ecrasseur. 



The uterus not being attached directly to the solid framework of 

 the body, is liable from the stretching to which its parts are subject 

 during pregnancy to considerable displacement*. It may be tilted 

 over backwards, which is called retroversion ; or it may be introvu t< d. 

 or it may sink lower than natural into the outlet of the pelvi- 

 stituting what is called prolapsus uteri. For these mechanical 

 various appliances have been mode with more or less success. 



Functional disorders of the uterus are very frequent in both un- 

 married and married females. The periodical and sanguineous efl'u.-iou 

 which passes off from the mucous membrane may be increased in 

 quantity, or decreased, or changed. The amount of the cat* 

 varies in different women, and in the same woman at different periods 

 of life, but occasionally the increase is so great as to produce fainting, 

 and other symptoms of exhaustion. This is called meuorrhagia. It 

 sometimes comes on from over-exertion, on the abortion of the embryo, 

 and all that is generally required is rest, and the name treatment as 

 would be adopted in haemorrhage from other organs. Sometimes the 

 discharge is produced by an inflamed or congested condition of the 

 uterus. There is pain in the back, and a lull quick pulse, and other 

 symptoms of inflammatory action. In these cases an antiphlogistic 

 regimen should be pursued, and active purgatives with other 1 

 medicines may be given. It often happens, however, that the menur- 

 rhagia occurs in quite a ditlerent state of the system, and here 

 quinine and sulphuric acid, or tannic or gallic acid, should be given. 



The opposite state of this function is called amenorrhea. The sup- 

 pression of the accustomed secretion may arise from various causes, 

 and where any obvious impropriety can be detected of course this must 

 be prevented. Amenorrhea comes on in opposite states of the system, 

 but it is more frequently a symptom of general debility, and comes on 

 as a symptom of most exhausting and debilitating diseases. Should 

 there be amenorrhea without any other pressing symptoms, aloetic 

 purgatives combined with chalybeate* and tonics will frequently be 

 found all that is required. The removal of girls from the impure air 

 of towns to the more invigorating atmosphere of the sea-side is a 

 potent remedy in such cases. 



Accompanying either of the before-mentioned affections, or without 

 any increase or decrease of the catamenia, there is frequently great 

 pain. This is called Dysuicnorrhea. In these cases the genera] i 

 should be attended to between the periods of attack, and opium judi- 

 ciously administered will be found the most valuable remedy in reliev- 

 ing the pain. This secretion is frequently lighter in colour, or presents 

 other changed physical appearances, all of which indicate some general 

 derangement, and such cases should be treated accordingly. The 

 affections of the nervous system which may arise from disordered affec- 

 tions of the uterus ore very numerous. Pain may be reflected (V ..... 

 the uterus as the centre both upwards and downwards, and the p:i 

 of the abdomen, the loins, and the thighs and legs, may be the seat of 

 acute neuralgic pains. The nerves of motion may in like innin 

 affected, and convulsive movements or entire ryralysia may be the 

 result. Such affections retire when the local affection is re> 

 and all attempt* at curing the secondary diseases will fail until (lie 

 primary one is removed. [NERVOPS SYSTKM, in NAT. HIST. Div. ; 

 HYSTERIA.] 



WOOD. [TIMBER.] 



WOOD, DECOMPOSITION OF. [TIMDKR, PRESERVATION OF.] 



WOOD-ENGRAVING is the art of producing raised surfaces, by 

 excision, on blocks of wood, from which impressions can be transferred 



