FLOODING. 381 



mustard cataplasm to her back; in a quarter of an hour the dimi- 

 nution of the hemorrhage was evident; it soon became a mere 

 draining, which continued until the next day, when the ovum was 

 expelled. 



There ought to be nothing surprising in such a result, when we 

 reflect with what ease people in the country sometimes put a stop 

 to epistaxis, by placing a key, or some pieces of linen, or the like, 

 wetted with cold water betwixt the shoulders, and with what rapidity 

 sympathetic irradiations are brought into play by the action of mus- 

 tard. Nevertheless, it would be unreasonable to think that the action 

 of this medicament is infallible, and that it ought to be employed 

 in all cases. Reason indicates that it would be injurious rather than 

 useful where the flooding is attended with a general reaction of the 

 system, and the symptoms of the hemorrhagic efibrt continue in full 

 force; both in pregnancy and during labor, as the placenta is to a 

 great extent detached, and its expulsion is inevitable, it might serve 

 to diminish the impetuosity of the affluxion; but there would be little 

 wisdom in relying upon it to completely suppress ahemorrhagy that 

 had already become serious and alarming. 



881. The tampon. Doubdess one of the first ideas to occur to the 

 mind upon observing a flow of blood from the womb, was to stop up 

 the orifice of that organ; however, notwithstanding what Costa says 

 upon tho subject, thp use ol the tampon was hardly mentioned in the 

 science until since the times of Madame Bourgeois, of P. Fortal. F. 

 Hofflnann and Smellie. If we may confide in Leroux, the tampon is 

 an heroic remedy, which is almost always followed by success; ac- 

 cording to the modern classics, on the contrary, it is rarely an useful 

 and most frequently a dangerous remedy, that ought to be proscribed 

 from sound practice. Amongst others, M. Demangeon, who has 

 been well combatted by M. Gardien, has expressed himself strongly 

 against the tampon, which, in his opinion, can only serve to augment 

 the dangers of the disease. Rigby and Merriman scarcely make 

 mention of it. Specious arguments, theoretical prejudices, excep- 

 tional cases generalised, and false reasonings, comprise, notwithstand- 

 ing, all that has been brought to bear against the innumerable facts 

 that have been reported by an infinite number of authors: in fact, it 

 is not possible, after reading the work of Leroux, to participate 

 in the fears that are attempted to be awakened by the antagonists of 

 the tampon, or in common with Burns, Mesdames Boivin and La- 

 chapelle, and Dr. Dewees, not to consider it as one of the most pow- 

 erful means of rescuing women from the dangers of a serious attack 

 of flooding. 



882. It ought not upon this account to be said that it never can 



