OF THE MENSTRUAL DISCIIARGI

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The uterine flux may offend in quality as well as in quantity. Whatis usually called the flour albus, or whites, is a very common disease,and proves extremely hurtful to delicate women. This discharge, how-ever, is not always white, but sometimes pale, yellow, green or of ablackish colour; sometimes it is sharp and corrosive, sometimes foul andfoetid, <fee. It is attended with a pale complexion, pain in the back, lossof appetite, swelling of the feet, and other signs of debility. It generallyproceeds from a relaxed state of the body, arising from indolence, the ex-cessive use of tea, coffee, or other weak and watery diet.

To remove this disease, the patient must take as much exercise as shecan bear without fatigue. Her food should be solid and nourishing, butof easy digestion ; and her drink rather generous, as red port or claretmixed with Pyrmont, Bristol, or lime water. Tea, coffee, and a costivestate of the intestinal canal, are to be avoided. I have often known strongbroths have an exceeding good effect, and sometimes a milk diet alonewill perform a cure. The patient ought not to lie too long a bed. Whenmedicine is necessary, we know none preferable to the Peruvian bark,which in this case ought always to be taken in substance. In warmweather the cold bath will be of considerable service. It is howevergenerally proper for persons who labour under such complaints, to con-sult without reserve a candid and intelligent professor of the healing art.

The period of life at which the menses cease to flow is likewise verycritical to the sex. The stoppage of any customary evacuation, how-ever small, is sufficient to disorder the whole frame, and often to destroylife: hence it comes to pass that so many women either fall into chronicdisorders, or die about this time. Suqh of them, however, as survive it,without contracting any chronic disease, often become more healthy andhardy than they were before, and enjoy strength and vigour to a verygreat age.

If the menses cease all ot a sudden, in women of a full habit, pains inthe stomach, giddiness, flatulence, frequent acid eructations, and painsin the joints resembling rheumatic affections, form a part of the suffer-ings of the patient; they ought then to abate somewhat of their usualquantity of food, especially of the more nourishing kind, as flesh, eggs,&c. They ought likewise to take sufficient exercise, and to keep thebody open. This may be done by taking, once or twice a-week, a littlerhubarb, or half an ounce to an ounce of aloetic wine, or five to fifteengrains of the powder of aloes with guaiacuin.

It often happens that women of a gross habit, at this period of life,nave ulcerous sores break out about their ankles, or in other parts of thebody. Such ulcers ought to be considered as critical, and should eitherbe suffered to continue open, or have artificial drains substituted in theirstead. Women who will have such sores dried up, are often soon aftercarried off by acute diseases, or fall into those of a chronic nature. Invery relaxed habits, a prolapsus viteri (falling-down of the womb) notunusually happens, which requires the assistance of a skilful surgeon•vid ought never to be neglected.

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