Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

96 Eve's Notes on Diseases of (lie Cervix Uteri. [February,rule with respect to the cervical canal, and therefore I do notremember ever to have had a relapse.Dr. Kigby says," Inflammation of the os and cervix seldomoccurs as an acute affection, but in far the majority of cases, ina subacute or chronic form." Is it usual for chronic affections topresent great variety and frequent change of appearance ?Note 3rd.— Repetition of Caustics.It is very important not to repeat caustic applications toooften—once weekly is often enough : every sixth day is the shortestinterval admissible. The eschar does not always fall off ina week. After several applications have been made, from fourto six,it is advisable to allow a period of two or three weeks tointervene, that the effect of the caustic passing entirely off, thereal amount of improvement may appear.If the cauterizationsbe kept up without intermission, it would be impossibleto determinewhen the patient was cured. A physician expressedhis surprise, that although he had cauterized the cervix everyother day for a considerable time, he had not succeeded in curinghis patient—he was advised to stop and give her an opportunityto get well. In another, cauterization was repeated weekly fora year : if curable, she ought to have been cured in less time,and with fewer applications.Cauterizatian ought not to be too oftenrepeated, or too longcontinued. Few cases require more than from five to ten applications.much good ;required.I have known four to suffice, and two, even one, to dothough sometimes from fifteen to twenty have beenNote 4th.— " Dishonest Use of Caustics."Among the causes of inflammation of the cervix, Dr. Rigbymentions what he terms the " dishonest use of caustics," a favoritephrase which he uses several times,of sensoriousness than of sense.and which savours moreThat the injudicious use of causticsmay keep up inflammation, or may cause it, when througherror unnecessarily applied, is highly probable—all are liable tomake mistakes, especially the young and inexperienced; but Icannot comprehend what he means by "dishonest:" certainlyan unscrupulous money -loving physician can charge what hepleases for his advice and visits, without resorting to means so