Dr. Graley Hewitt has often known the menstrual discharge to be suspended for one or two periods, in women who have gone to reside in a house with uncarpeted stone staircase. Many girls are apt to have a “check” from the slightest chill or exposure during the monthly period. Sea-bathing during the period is a frequent cause of suppression, along with severe derangement of the general health. Happily, the effects of some at least of these causes may be diminished by the frequency of their occurrence. Habit blunts the system and its functions to many of the injurious impressions to which they are exposed, and women accustomed to bathe many often go into the sea during menstruation with perfect impunity. Sudden suppression during the period often occasions the most acute suffering, and may develop alarming symptoms in the nervous or circulatory systems, or in both; but chronic suppression is far more serious, as it points to a deeper constitutional cause.
In Anaemia, Amenorrhoea is a prominent symptom, attended with pain in the back, lassitude, headache, depraved taste, deficient appetite, furred tongue, and constipation. Such cases occur commonly among poor, hard-worked women in the close quarters of towns. We have frequently observed, among the early symptoms of Consumption occurring in girls and women, that there has been at first a scanty menstrual discharge; and that, as the constitutional disease has advanced, the suppression has become complete. In such cases as these, it is most undesirable to attempt to restore the function by any stimulating drugs whatever. The attempt would be vain, and the result disastrous. The suppression of menstruation is not the cause of ill health, but ill-health is the cause of the suppression, and it is the primary malady that must be attended to. Country air, early hours, and generous diet will do more than any emmenagogue.
A sea voyage is very apt to occasion in some women suppression of the menses. A very large proportion of the emigrant girls who arrive in New York, after having been on ship-board for some weeks, suffer from Amenorrhoea. Indeed, a sea voyage is sometimes an excellent remedy for excessive menstruation (Menorrhagia.)
TREATMENT – In most cases of sudden suppression, if attended with pain and febrile symptoms, Aconitum will be the most appropriate remedy to administer, and this in conjunction with a hot sitz-bath will in all probability restore the obstructed flow.
EPITOME OF MEDICINAL TREATMENT. –
1. Sudden suppression during the flow. – Aconite, Belladonna, Cim., Dulcamara, Gelsemium, Pulsatilla
2. Suppression from fright. – Aconite, Opium, Verat-A.
3. From mental emotions. – Chamomilla, Coffea, Coloc., Hyoscyamus, Ignatia, Opium
4. Chronic cases. – Calc-Phosphorus, Conium, Phosphorus, Senec., Sepia
LEADING INDICATIONS FOR THE PRINCIPAL REMEDIES.
Aconitum – Sudden suppression from exposure to cold, with weariness and heaviness; heat, thirst, and other febrile symptoms; weight in the loins, and faintness or giddiness on rising from a recumbent posture.
Belladonna – Rush of blood to the brain, with sparks before the eyes, dizziness, confusion, aching pains in the eyeballs and sockets, shooting pains about the womb and ovaries, bearing down, with heat and dryness of the vagina.
Bryonia. – Vertigo, bleeding of the nose, stitches in the sides and chest, dry cough, confined bowels, severe pressing pain in the stomach, irritability.
Cimicifuga. – Intense headache, pain in the eyeballs, back, limbs, especially of the left side; palpitation, depression of spirits, and nervousness.
Conium. – Retarded or suppressed menstruation of long standing, not depending on constitutional causes, pain or swelling of the ovaries, and white leucorrhoea.
Opium. – Recent cases, with great heaviness of the head, dizziness, lethargy and drowsiness, especially if there be also obstinate constipation and retention of urine.
Pulsatilla. – Languor, pain across the small-of-the-back and lower part of the bowels, palpitation nausea and vomiting, sensation of fulness in the head and eyes, and disposition to general coldness, frequent urination, and Leucorrhoea. Especially suitable for females of a mild, timid, and amiable disposition, who are easily excited to tears or to laughter.
Sepia is also an important remedy, and may follow the last medicine, particularly in females of a delicate constitution and sallow skin; the sufferings are often mitigated by exercise and aggravated by rest; bearing-down in the lower part of the abdomen and pains in the loins, melancholic mood, and morning headache.
ADMINISTRATION – A dose thrice daily at the commencement of the treatment; afterwards, as improvement ensues, morning and night. A remedy may be continued for ten days or a fortnight, if doing good; or earlier changed for a more suitable one, if necessary.
When due to exposure to cold, a hot sitz-bath should be bad recourse to at once. If the patient be too ill to take this bath, the lower part of her abdomen should be fomented with flannels wrung out of hot water for half an hour or longer. And in every case all physical or mental depression, undue excitement, night air, late hours, highly seasoned and stimulating food and drink, should be avoided. The meals should be taken with regularity, and under pleasant and cheerful influences, the stomach never over-loaded, the food simple, nourishing, not too great a variety at one meal, and only such as has been uniformly found easy of digestion.
The drink should be milk-and-water; cocoa, black tea (infused only two minutes) in moderation, and pure water. Green tea, coffee, and other stimulating drinks should be omitted, unless prescribed by a competent authority. A change of air to the seaside or to the country is most advantageous; when this is not practicable, out- of door exercise, useful employment, and agreeable company or book. In short, every means should be adopted that is calculated to give constitutional vigour. While hoping for a return of the menstrual discharge, the exercise 4 of patience is sometimes necessary, as the general health is often greatly improved before his crowning evidence of cure is obtained. The spinal ice-bag or cold sitz-bath should not be forgotten in suitable cases (See p.10).
10 – SCANTY OR SHORT – LASTING MENSTRUATION (Menstrua exilia)
Scanty or too brief monthly discharge is only a modification of “Amenorrhoea,” and is often due to constitutional causes, and must be treated accordingly. But if the patient enjoys good health notwithstanding the scanty flow, no medicinal interference is necessary. If, on the other hand, sufferings are present during the monthly period, or a general derangement of the system co exists, medicinal and general means should be adopted to correct the morbid condition.
EPITOME OF MEDICINAL TREATMENT :-
1. Anaemia – Argentum nitricum, Hel., Ferrum, Natrum muriaticum
2. Constitutional Conditions – Calc-Phosphorus, Cim., Cyclamen, Conium, Iodium, Mercurius, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Senec., Sepia, Sulphur
3. Constipation; unhealthy skin. – Collinsonia, Graph, Nux – V.
LEADING INDICATION FOR SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL REMEDIES.
Calcarea phos. – Cough or hoarseness, with loss of flesh and strength, and other hectic symptoms.
Cyclamen – Periodical, semilateral headache with dizziness, swollen eyelids, pale face, lips,, and gums, chilliness, loss of appetite, and palpitation.
Mercurius – Scanty menses, with sallow, unhealthy appearance, bilious or liver derangement, or general feebleness, dyspnoea, etc.
Natrum Muriaticum – Pale, scanty menses in anaemic subjects; constipation, earthy complexion.
Pulsatilla – Pale, scanty, and watery menses, preceded and accompanied by cutting pains in the loins, dejection of spirits, chilliness, etc., in patients of light complexion and mild disposition. Pulsatilla is most suitable to simple cases.
Senecio – Scanty, late, irregular, painful menses.
Sepia – Patients with torpid skin-action, or a chlorotic appearance, with weariness, sensitiveness to cold, a tendency to sick headache and Leucorrhoea.
ACCESSORY TREATMENT – The accessory measures recommended under the Section which treats of the delay of the first menstruation are in every respect applicable to the treatment of scanty menstruation. See page 26).
11. – IRREGULAR MENSTRUATION.
SYMPTOMS. – Sometimes the period comes on twice or three times consecutively at the proper times, and then is absent one or more months; or it may occur at one time too early and another time too late.
CAUSES. – Menstrual irregularities usually depend on defective constitutional vigor; or on bad hygienic conditions or habits, such as close confinement indoors, sedentary occupations, especially if carried on in improperly ventilated rooms, or unrelieved by sufficient outdoor recreation; want of variety in mental and physical employment, etc.
MEDICINAL TREATMENT – The medicines most suitable for this derangement of menstruation are such as are of efficacy in delay of the first menstruation – namely, Arsenicum, Bryonia, Calc-C., Cim., Conium, Nux V., Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Senecio., Sepia, Sulphur, Verbascum – A., etc. and the special indications for their administration will be found on pages 28-30.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."