Ectopic Gestation

Thb eight cases of ectopic gestation here reported have been treated during the past year in the Government Maternity Hospital, Madras and, as a whole, they are instruct ive and interesting. I may premise my remarks by stating the routine treatment employed in the hospital in all cases of abdominal section. The abdomen is first washed with soap and water, then turpentine is rubbed over it, and again it is scrubbed thoroughly with nail brush and soap and water. After this, a pad soaked in corrosive sublimate lotion 1 in 2000 is applied, and a flannel binder is put on to keep the pad in place. Santonine gr. iii is given two nights in succession, and on the 3rd morning a dose of castor-oil. On the morning of the operation an enema is administered. After the operation the patient is moved as little as possible if she can pass her urine, so much the better; if not, the catheter, which is a glass one, and sterilised each time before use, is passed. Before she has come out of chloroform, and whilst she is still on the operating-table, a litre of salt solusion is injected into the rectum. Six hours after the operation she has an enema of beef-juice (raw) 5ii and Liq. Pancreaticus .f ii, and this is repeated every four hours for the first 24 hours, after which it is omitted. The flatus tube is passed half an hour before the second and following nutrient enemata. After 2-i hours, provided there is no sickness, equal parts of milk and warm water are given, a drachm at a time; and this is gradually increased, and the water decreased, until at the end of 4S hours she is taking pure milk. For the thirst, which patients always complain of after a long operation, sips of hot water are given, and gargling the mouth with warm water. This is found to be much more efficacious than pieces of ice to suck Should the temperature fall, as it often does, hot water bottles are applied to the sides of the chest and between the legs, and the patient is covered with a blanket; unless the restlessness is extremely great, no morphia is given.