Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

1858.] Eve's Notes on Diseases of the Cervix Uteri. 101same. The general rale has been, that married ladies, duringthe reproductive age, have borne children after having undergonetreatment by nitrate of silver for inflammation or ulcerationof the cervix : there are, however, some exceptions ; many ofthese, we believe, are due to displacements, such as retroflexion,retroversion, &c, which sometimes persist after recovery,and are not easily corrected.Note 6th.—The Speculum."Whilst it must be acceded that the speculum, like every othervaluable medical or surgical means, has been abused by beingemployed in cases to which it is not applicable—in which itcould neither throw light on the pathology, nor prove of anybenefit in the treatment. But attemps have been made to throwunjust and undeserved obloquy upon its use, by some fromwhom better things might have been expected : As an instancein point ; Dr. Eobert Lee makes the following illiberal and illnaturedremark:— " The speculum emanates from the syphiliticwards of the hospitals at Paris, and it would have been better forthe women of England, had its use been confined to those insti*tutions."It is true, that all of the most important discoveries in patholo*gy, and valuable improvements in practice, have not resultedfrom experiments and investigations made in the Parisian hos*pitals ;but if physicians, from pride or prejudice, were to ignoreor repudiate all that has emanated from that same source, whocould calculate the immense loss to science and to humanity ?Admitting, for argument, that the speculum emanates fromthe venereal wards of Parisian hospitals—doesoften bring good out of evil ?not ProvidenceAnd on whom could it be morejustifiable to make investigations and experiments, that mightredound to the benefit of the good and virtuous, than on thevicious and profligate of the same sex ?There is no doubt but that the speculum has often been misused—thatis, applied in cases wherein no knowledge could beobtained or benefit secured, as, for example, in some cases oflarge polypi and other tumors, and of cancer, especially whenfar advanced, and in the various displacements and malpositionsof the uterus.But the speculum frequently reveals much important informa~