DISEASES PECULIAR TO WOMEN 577 



and its appendages in the female, and the prostate 

 gland and other special structures in the male. It is 

 noticeable that the organs of the greatest weight and 

 functional importance are located at or above the 

 waist. 



How are all these important organs held in posi- 

 tion! Although fitted together with the nicety of an 

 articulation, the viscera are certainly not held together 

 by anything corresponding to the firm ligamentous 

 bands which unite the osseous elements of a joint. The 

 so-called ligaments which hold in place the liver, stom- 

 ach, spleen, and bowels, cannot properly be called liga- 

 ments, as very little ligamentous structure enters into 

 their composition. The same must be said of the liga- 

 ments which are supposed to support in place the 

 uterus and ovaries, although it must be added that 

 some of the uterine ligaments contain muscular tissues 

 which play a very important part in maintaining the 

 uterus in its proper relation to the trunk and the con- 

 tiguous organs. The idea is gaining ground among 

 those who have made a special study of this subject, 

 that the chief factor in the support of the pelvic vis- 

 cera, as well as other of the organs of the lower trunk 

 cavity, is the muscular walls of the abdomen. 



Compression of the waist necessarily involves dis- 

 placement of the organs occupying this portion of the 

 trunk. The unyielding character of the chest walls, 

 and the resistance of the diaphragm prevent any con- 

 siderable displacement in an upward direction. Con- 

 sequently, the necessary result of waist-compression, 

 either by the corset or by tight bands, is, that the liver, 

 stomach, bowels, and other organs occupying this zone 

 of the body, are carried downward. The same com- 

 pressing force which diminishes the circumference of 



