Citation

No Author(s) Listed. Buffalo medical and surgical journal 1884; 23(11): 514-516.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1884)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

36663536

PMCID

PMC9401246

Abstract

Prof. Brouardel (Annales de Gynecologie\ says in referring to this matter: " A young girl may be troubled with vulvitis accom panied by a more or less abundant discharge. Her mother, naturally troubled about it, will question the girl closely and as it often happens will really, by her questions, suggest a kind of story which the imagination of the girl seizes upon and finally believes to be her own, though it may really have no founda tion in fact. The incidents are connected perhaps with some boy or man who has been more or less in the company of the child, and thus there sometimes arises a false accusation which may have serious consequences. Hence the exact physiology of the female genital organs in their first conditions, together with such modifications in their general aspects as are most frequently found, should be thoroughly known to the practi tioner if he would avoid very important errors. Three of the principal forms of hymen are susceptible of false interpretations. First is the circular hymen, in whose surrounding parts there exist in many cases certain folds which, upon a too rapid or cursory examination, might easily be taken for ridges, or cicatrices caused by previous ruptures. In holding the membrane tense, however, it will be observed that in cases where the membrane has remained entire, the tissue is continuous in appearance. The same hymens will often, owing to their elasticity and feeble resistive power, permit the en trance of the penis without rupturing at all. Then there is the hymen in form of a cross, and having two of its branches, at their extremities, attached to perfectly normal notches--so to speak--one at each side of the vagina. Care should be used not to mistake these bases of attachment for accidental ruptures. For the third form I will say that in certain cases the hymen, instead of constituting a continuous membrane perforated by two holes, presents the aspect of having originally been so con stituted, while its appearance at the time of examination is that...

Language: en