150 



interior of which may be felt the characteristic solid body of thefcetas. 

 If the latter is s*^ill alive and can be stimulated to move the evidence 

 is even more perfect. The foetus may die aud be carried for years, its 

 soft structures becoming absorbed so as to leave only the bones, or by 

 pressure it may form a fistulous opening through the abdominal walls, 

 or less frequently through the vagina or rectum. In the latter cases the 

 best course is to favor the expulsion of the foal and to wash out the re- 

 sulting cavity with a solution of carbolic acid 1 i)art to water 50 parts. 

 This may be repeated daily. Where there is no spontaneous opening 

 it is injudicous to interfere, as the danger from the retention of the 

 foetus is less than that from septic fermentations in the enormous foetal 

 sack when that has been opened to the air. 



MOLES— ANIDIAN MONSTERS. 



These are evidently products of conception, in which the impregnated 

 ovum has failed to develop naturally, and presents only a chaotic mass 

 of skin, hair, bones, muscles, etc., attached to the inner surface of the 

 womb by an umbilical cord, which is itself often shriveled aud wasted. 

 They are usually a'ccompanied by a well-developed foetus, so that the 

 mole may be looked upon as a twin which has undergone arrest and 

 vitiation of development. They are expelled by the ordinary process 

 of parturition, and usually, at the same time, with the normally devel- 

 oped offspring. 



CYSTIC DISEASE OF THE WALLS OF THE "WO^IB— VESICULAR MOLE. 



This condition appears to be due to hypertrophy (enlargement) of 

 the villi on the inner surface of the womb, which become greatly in- 

 creased in number and hollowed out internally into a series of cysts or 

 pouches containing liquid. Unlike the true mole, therefore, they appear 

 to be disease of the maternal structure of the womb rather than of the 

 product of conception. Eodet, in a case of this kind, which had pro- 

 duced active labor pains, quieted the disorder with anodynes aud secured 

 a recovery. Where this is not available attempts may be made to re- 

 move the mass with the ecraseur or otherwise, following this up with 

 antiseptic injections, as advised under the last heading. 



DROPSY OF THE WOMB. 



This appears as a result of some disease of the walls of the womb, 

 but has been frequently observed after sexual congress, and has, there- 

 fore, been confounded with pregnancy. The symptoms are those of 

 pregnanc3^, but without any movements of the foetus and without the 

 detection of any solid body in the womb when examined with the oiled 

 hand in the rectum. At the end of four or eight months there are 

 signs of parturition or of frequent straining to pass urine, and after a 

 time the liquid is discharged clear and watery, or muddy, thick, aud 

 fetid. The hand introduced into the womb can detect neither foetus 



