SUTURE OF THE VULVA. 



7G9 



To be reliable, sutures sbould embrace the entire thickness of the 

 lips of the vulva. 



Rainard's Suture. — -Rainard's suture consists only of two oblique 

 stitches, crossed in the form of the letter "X," starting from the upper 

 third of one of the lips of the vulva and terminating in the lower 

 third of the opposite lip. The ends are tied opposite the centre of 

 the vulval opening. 



Strebel's Suture. — Strebel's suture consists of three stitches inserted 

 transversely. The material employed is galvanised wire, sharpened 

 at one end and rolled into a flat spiral a't the other. Each wire, 



Fig. 324. 



which plays the part of a needle, is inserted separately, and is after- 

 wards twisted mto a spiral by means of special forceps, the excess of 

 length being thus taken up until the lips of the vulva are brought 

 closely in contact. 



In practice, in order to avoid the cutting and irritant effect of 

 such sutures and to increase their efficiency, two rectangular pieces 

 of leather are applied on either side through holes in which the 

 actual metallic sutures are passed. West's vulval clamp is better 

 than sutures. It is very popular in England 



TRUSSES. 

 Trusses applied for the purpose of preventing prolapsus of the 

 genital organs are now almost entirely given up, as they very im- 

 perfectly achieve their object. 



D.c. 3 D 



