MEDICINES THAT ACT ON THE UTERUS. 373 
a spurious kind of ossific deposit, with a view, probably, of strength- 
ening the part. The fractured edges of the bone were as smooth 
on the most prominent parts as if they had been polished, evidently 
shewing that the fracture had happened previous to her being ope- 
rated on ; though it could not have been in existence any great 
length of time, since I examined her on the morning of the 24th, 
and ascertained she had performed her usual work on the evening 
of the 23d. Had the fracture not taken place, it would not have 
failed to have proved a very tedious case to the practitioner. 
ON MEDICINES THAT ACT ON THE UTERUS. 
By W. A. Cartwright, M.R.C.V.S., Whitchurch , , Salop. 
PARTURIENTS are medicines which are supposed to cause con- 
tractions of the uterus : they are, ergot of rye, rue, savin, and 
saffron. Some botanists believe there are plants that produce 
abortion by acting on the uterus, viz. all the tribe of ranunculacea , 
with the tormentilla officinalis , and the colchicum autumnale. But 
I am not aware that English veterinarians have ever employed 
any other medicine than the ergot of rye for this purpose. Mr. 
Morton, in his “ Manual of Pharmacy,” says, “ that the secale 
cornutum, ergot of rye, or spurred rye, is a curved cylindrical and 
striated body, usually about half an inch in length ; externally of a 
deep violet colour, and internally whitish ; that by some it is thought 
to be a disease of the grain produced by the puncture of insects; 
by others a fungus or parasitic plant, which locates itself in the 
ovary of many of the grasses, and is found more commonly upon 
rye than upon any other grain. The last is the most prevalent 
opinion. The market is principally supplied with it from North 
America.” In the hot summer of 1826 a great quantity of it was 
gathered about four miles from here, and I have tried it, after 
having been kept for many years, with apparent good effect. Al- 
though my practice has been pretty extensive in cases of parturi- 
tion, I have never had occasion to use it very frequently ; since I 
have generally found, by introducing my hand up the vagina into 
the uterus, that uterine action has been induced. 
By some veterinarians it is doubted whether the ergot of rye 
really has the power ascribed to it, of acting on the uterus ; but I 
think the generality of human and veterinary accoucheurs are de- 
cided about the good effects produced by it. That it should always 
have the desired effect is unreasonable to expect, when we consi- 
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