Fig. 121.

presents simply a tube, with dotted lines, exhibiting the points of
stricture. The third is intended to represent a cast of the strictured
cavity, to show how nearly closed in some cases it becomes. In
some cases there is but one stricture, and that is located about
an inch or two from the mouth of the ure-
thra. Then, again, it will be found in a few
cases that the walls of the urethra are knot-
ted up with them throughout their whole
length, so that the canal is about as much
obstructed as a stone culvert would be if it
were caved in from its opening to its outlet.
In some cases, the symptoms of stricture are
so painfully unmistakable, that the affected
person is unable to pass his water without
introducing a small metal or gutta-percha
tube in the obstructed canal, as far as the
bladder, when the water passes off through
this tube. In other persons, the difficulty is
indicated by the urine passing out in a divi-
ded or spiral stream; while in the incipient
stages of the difficulty, its presence is only
suspected from the fact that drops of water
pass from the urethra in a drizzling way for
some little time after urinating.

STRICTURES OF THE URETHRA

While stricture of the urethra is most generally caused by neglected or badly treated gonorrhoea, it may be induced by inflammation of the urethral canal, brought on by other causes, such as colds, urethral catarrh, contusion of the parts, strains, passage of calcareous accretions with the urine, the excessive use of condiments and stimulating drinks. Whatever may be the immediate cause, while that cause exists, internal treatment must be given to modify the acrimony of the urine, to cool and purify the blood, together with local treatment of injections into the urethra of something soothing and disinfecting. When the worst stage of the affection supervenes, and stricture actually takes place, a combination of constitutional and surgical treatment is necessary in the most difficult cases, while in those of not a very serious character, constitutional remedies, to gether with such local treatment as the patient can administer himself without the aid of a physician or surgeon, may be successfully

prescribed; but in no case of gonorrhoea or other inflammatory affection of the urethra, nor in a case of stricture, should the person affected trust to his own judgment and remedies, unless he be himself an expert in the treatment of these maladies.

TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS.-As a matter of course, what are usually called diuretics, may be appropriately, if discriminatingly, used; but, in most cases, these are too greatly relied upon. In nearly all affections of the urinary organs, the treatment should combine a variety of properties, calculated to improve the blood and the condition of all the secreting organs, and in many cases it must possess those which will act favorably upon the nervous system. Electrical treatment is sometimes necessary. The diet of all persons suffering from this class of difficulties, should be as free from stimulating and heating properties as possible. Condiments, ardent spirits, and the water of limestone regions should be avoided. Those desiring to consult the author in regard to any of the affections treated upon in this chapter, are referred to page 588.

SIDE VIEW OF ABDOMEN AND PELVIS, showing the diaphragm,liver, gall bladder and stomach drawn up,out of natural position; the "reflections" of peritoneum or sack which covers the organs and holds them in place; and also the relations of womb bladder and rectum.

CHAPTER VIII.

PRIVATE WORDS FOR WOMEN.

WANT the attention and candid consideration of my female readers, to what I have to say regarding the common affections of the amative and procreative organs of their sex. It will not do to pass this sub. ject over as too vulgar or indelicate for investigation. If it be pretended by any woman that she places no value whatever on the enjoyment which may be derived from the reasonable use of healthy procreative organs, she will not certainly be ashamed to admit that physical health is

a blessing, and that disease, whether in the head, stomach, or the organs of generation, is an evil which she should employ her faculties of reason to avoid. If the subject is delicate, the complex sexual organization is also delicate, and a vast amount of human suffering, not only to women themselves, but to posterity, results from a foolish squeamishness on the part of many females, old and young, who shut their eyes upon every thing calculated to teach them how to preserve the strength and healthfulness of the organs peculiar to their sex.

It is said "Catherine Beecher goes from one village to another in New England and reports that there are no healthy women to be found within their limits, though the oldest inhabitant remembers one, his grandmother." Now there are reasons for this unhealthiness among females, and it will not extenuate the matter to say that while our grandmothers were apparently more healthy than women. at the present day, they were quite as destitute of physiological knowledge. This may be true. But if the advance of civilization carries with it great blessings, it also drags in its trail pernicious. evils, which science as well as religion must do much to avert. Our grandmothers were not so much the slaves of pernicious customs and