DISEASES PECULIAR TO WOMEN 585 



The temperature of the water employed shoiiki be 

 110° to 120° and the quantity four to eight quarts. 

 Wlien the discharge is offensive in character, perman- 

 ganate of potash (ten grains to the quart of water) 

 shoukl be used in place of the alum every other day. 

 Use the alum douche on alternate days. Watery or 

 bloody discharges often require more vigorous meas- 

 ures; but such cases should receive the personal atten- 

 tion of a physician ; in fact, in all cases in which the 

 discharge is profuse, a physician should be consulted, 

 unless the discharge very quickly and permanently 

 disappears by the adoption of the simple means sug- 

 gested. 



Vaginitis. — This is an inflammation of the vagina 

 which very nearly corresponds to gonorrhea in the 

 male. There is much swelling, heat, and tenderness, 

 and a smarting or burning sensation, accompanied by 

 more or less discharge, usually of a greenish charac- 

 ter. The principal causes are an irritating discharge 

 from the womb, use of caustics, the wearing of uterine 

 sui^porters, self-abuse and other sexual excesses, and 

 contagion. 



Treatment,— The hot vaginal douche and perman- 

 ganate douche (see index) used daily will usually effect 

 a cure in cases of this sort within a short time, if faith- 

 fully tried, although pains must be taken to secure the 

 application of the solution to the entire vaginal sur- 

 face, and the cause of the condition must of course be 

 effectually removed. When there is great irritation, 

 an emollient application should be employed. Starch 

 or a powder consisting of equal parts of starch and 

 subcarbonate of bismuth, is very valuable. This must 

 be applied by a physician or some person skilled in 

 making applications of this kind. 



