33 i 
PATHOLOGY. 
The fymptoms of this dreadful difeafe are too apparent 
to require us to enter into its difgufting hiftory. From 
the flight lafcivious manifeftations of leering and fighing, 
the female ultimately paries to a Hate of the mod diftref- 
ling and fhocking intemperance of voice and manner, fo 
much fo, indeed, as to lofe all modefty, to expofe the 
naked body, and plainly folicit from ftrangers the aft of 
copulation. Nothing that we are acquainted with has 
been done for the cure of this malady ; but every circum- 
ftance of difleftion tends to lliow, that it is the effeift of 
a morbid fecretion on the vaginal nerves. We fhould 
therefore ufe every means to change the aftion of thefe 
fecernents. With this view, injeftions of belladonna and 
the falivation of the fyftem with mercury, hold out fome 
profpeCt of relief. Thofe to whom this fubjeft is inte- 
refting, will find much information, delivered in a very 
florid ftyle, in Dr. S. Wilmot’s tranflation of Bienville’s 
work on Furor Uterinus. In this treatife the fuperace- 
tate of lead in the ufual dofesis ftrongly recommended. 
Genus IV. Agenefia , [from «, priv. and to be¬ 
get.] Impotence, or male fterility. (Anaphrodifia, Suuv. 
and Cull.) Three fpecies are noted. 
x. Agenefia impotentia: imperfection or abolition of 
generative power. Two varieties. 
ex. I. atonica ; from imbecility or want of tone. Chief¬ 
ly produced by excefs of indulgence; long-continued 
gleet; or paralytic afteftion of the generative organs. 
13 . 1. organica ; from morbid organization, natural or 
accidental; as amputated, injured, or enormous, penis; 
teftes impaired or deftitute. 
Albinus gives a cafe of divorce obtained againft a huf- 
hand from inability to enter the vagina, ob penem enormem. 
Plater relates another from a fimilar caufe. 
2. Agenefia dys-fpermia: imperfeCt emifiion of the fe- 
minal fluid. (Dyfpermatifmus, Suuv. and Cullen.) Six 
varieties. 
a.. D. entonica; from fuper-ereftion, or priapifm. 
( 3 . D. epileptica; from incurfion of an epileptic fpafm 
produced by fexual excitement during the intercourfe. 
y. D.anticipans ; difcharge ejected haftily, prematurely, 
and without due adjuftment. 
S'. D. ignavis; difcharge unduly retarded from hebe¬ 
tude of the genital organs. 
s. D. refluens; the difcharge thrown back into the ve- 
ficulae feminales or the bladder before it reaches the ex¬ 
tremity of the penis.—Semen retrogradum in veficam ex 
auguftatione urethras. Petit Mem. de l’Acad. de Chirur- 
gie, tom. i. p. 434. See a curious cafe by Mr. Home in 
the Phil. Tranf. 1795. 
£. D. organica; the difcharge obftru&ed by mechani¬ 
cal preffure ; as that of ftriCture or hardened mucus in 
the urethra; indurations in the corpora cavernofa } or a 
prepuce nearly imperforate. This is, of courfe, the only 
variety capable of cure. The indications for this pur- 
pofe are obvious enough. 
3. Agenefia incongrua, doubtful impotence: the fe- 
rninal fluid inaccordant, in its conftituent principles, 
with the conftitutional demand of the particular female. 
Genus V. Aphoria , [of ci, priv. and <ptp a, to bear.] Bar- 
rennefs, or female fterility ; i. e. inability to conceive off- 
fpring. Five fpecies. 
1. Aphoria impotens: imperfection orabolition of con- 
ceptive power. Of two kinds, or varieties. 
ex.. Atonica ; from imbecility or want of tone, as in the 
preceding genus, fp. 1. 
( 3 . Organica ; from organic defeCt, whether natural or 
accidental, as imperforate vagina, defective fimbriae, or 
ovaria; want of ova, See. 
An imperforate vagina does not always preclude con¬ 
ception. It has taken place where the vagina itfelf has 
been fo narrow as not to admit the penis. Ephem. Nat. 
Cur. Dee. iii. ann. vii. viii. obf. 83.—Where, with the 
fame impediment, a rigid and unbroken hymen has of- 
Vol. XIX. No. 1307. 
fered an additional obftacle. Hijl. de I’Acad. de Paris, 
1748. An imperforate hymen does, however, in the ma¬ 
jority of cafes, preclude conception. For the mode of 
perforating 'this membrane, fee Surgery. 
a. Aphoria paramenica, barrennefs from mif-menftrua- 
tion, Three varieties. 
a. ObftruCtionis ; produced by menoftation, or reten¬ 
tion of the catamenia. 
( 3 . Difficilis; produced by laborious fecretion. 
y. Superfluitatis ; produced by profufe difcharge. 
The means before laid down for the treatment of ob- 
ftruCted, painful, or profufe, menftruation, muft of courfe 
be ufed when we with to remove barrennefs produced by 
thefe maladies. 
3. Aphoria impercita ; barrennefs from perfonal aver- 
fion or want of appetency. 
4. Aphoria incongrua : the conceptive power irrefpon- 
dent to the conftituent principles of the feminal fluid re¬ 
ceived ; as in the preceding genus, fp. 3. 
5. Aphoria polypofa: the cavity of the uterus or va¬ 
gina, or both, fo rilled and obftru&ed by a polypous ex- 
crefcence as to preclude the action of the feminal fluid. 
See Ba'illie’s Morb. Anat. Fafc. ix. pi. 4. See alfo the 
next genus, fp. 5. 
Genus VI. (Edoptcfis , [from c/aSoiov, the genitals, and 
wWtj, fall.] Protrufion of one or more of the genital or¬ 
gans, or of excrefcences iffuing from them, into the ge¬ 
nital paflage ; impairing or obftrufting its courfe. (Hyf- 
teroptofis, Sauv. Vog.Sug.) Five fpecies. 
1. Gvdoptofis uteri, protrufion of the uterus into the 
vagina. (Prolapfus uteri. Procidentia uteri, Audi. Var.) 
Three varieties. 
ex,. Simplex; the uterus retaining its proper pofture 
and figure. Different names are frequently given to dif¬ 
ferent degrees of this variety. If the defeent be only to 
the middle of the vagina, it is called relaxutio uteri; if 
to the labiss, procidentia; if lower than the labiae, pro- 
lapfus. 
This diflocation of the uterus may take place from tw'o 
caufes. The firft, relaxation of the broad and round li¬ 
gaments of the womb; the fecond, relaxation of the 
mufcular coat of the vagina. Thefe two caufes are com¬ 
monly united. Whatever debilitates the body generally, 
or more particularly the vaginal ftruCture, may caufe re¬ 
laxation of the vagina. Hence, among general difeafes, 
we may reckon fevere lnemorrhages, and long-continued 
dyfpeptic ailments; and, among particular ones, leucor- 
rhcea and exceflive vomiting. It is pretty obvious, how¬ 
ever, that relaxation of the vagina would not be fufficient 
to bring on procidentia uteri, except in the moft trifling 
degree, unlefs the ligamentous connexions of the uterus 
were alfo weakened. Now, as to the caufes of this latter 
affeftion, it feems, when we confider how little the liga¬ 
ments feem to fuffer in-general debility of the conftitution, 
that conftitutional malady cannot very fuddenly or gene¬ 
rally induce it. It is to mechanical injury, therefore, that 
procidentia is commonly traceable. Thus blows may 
lbmetimes bringit on: more generally, how'ever, it follows 
parturition, when the ligaments, in aftretched and wea¬ 
kened condition, are prevented from recovering their na¬ 
tural dimenfions in confequence of the imprudent prac¬ 
tice of rifing from bed early after confinement; a practice 
the more prejudicial, not only becaufe at the period in 
queftion the uterus is more loofely conne< 5 fed and of 
much greater weight than ufual, but becaufe the vagina 
is more relaxed, and confequently offers lefs refinance to 
the defeent of this vifeus. 
In the beginning of this difeafe, the falling of the 
womb is often very flight. The natural projection of the 
cervix uteri into the vagina is about one inch; the dif- 
tance between the os externum and os uteri is about 
four inches ; and, W'hen the os uteri has approached but 
one inch lower, we meet with very troubiefome fymp¬ 
toms. Among the earlieft of thefe is a pain in the back, 
4 Q a fymptom 
