Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

:1858.] Eve's Xotes on Diseases of the Cervix Uteri. 95and produce in their turn considerable sympathetic derangement,yet it must be borne in mind that, unless a distinct localcause be present, they must be looked upon as "the localmanifestations of a general derangement, in order that we mayform correct and rational ideas respecting their nature and treatment."Inflammation of the os and cervix uteri seldom occurs as anacute affection, but, in far the majority of cases, in a subacute orchronic form."It is true, he regards them as most frequently secondary orsympathetic affections, depending on the state of the generalsystem, disappearing and reappearing as the patient's health improvesor declines, for he says, (page 103)" Allowing for the difference of position, &c, I would say thatthe os uteri presents as great a variety and frequent change ofappearance as the tongue and throat do ; and I, moreover, feelconvinced, that if these partscould be as readily inspected, experiencewould soon enable us to recognize the appearanceswhich they present as indications of the state of the patient'shealth—much as we are accustomed to do in examining thosepresented by the tongue."How this may be when these affectious are recent and slight,nor can I conceive how Dr. Rigby has arrivedI do not know;at this conclusion ;for when sufficiently intense to indicate andjustify a specular examination,they have been found remarkablypersistent, varying very little, until they have been properlytreated ; after which I have never known a case relapse. Myexperience cannot recall a single instance in which a patient,after having been cured, has had a return of the disease ;suffering once does not afford any immunity for the future.althoughDr. Bennet says, (page 277,) "Since I have made it a ruleminutely to investigate the state of the cavity of the cervix, andnever to dismiss a patient so long as there is the slightest vestigeof disease remaining,I am much longer in curing my patients,but when they are once cured, I never have any relapse of theulcerative disease.The relapses which I formerly used continuallyto witness in the practice of the French surgeons, wereclearly owing to the disease not being followed into the interiorof the cervical canal, and thus not being entirely eradicated."From the very first, in employing caustic, I have adopted this