A Case of Severe Menstrual Headache Successfully Treated by Premenstrual Venesection

distressing sense of weight and fulness in the head. It was so severe that she could not lift up her head, being thus rendered entirely unfit for duty, both during menstruation and for several days afterwards. Sfce was naturally of a somewhat plethoric habit of body. The palpebral conjunctivae were somewhat injected in appearance. The ptilse was large, full, and somewhat incompressible. She complained also of throbbing in the temples. For a few months previous to this time she had suffered from dysmenorrhea, which was accounted for by a degree of uterine congestion which was present. This condition yielded to glycerine packing, and not douching. The headache, however, was quite as severe as before,?the same condition, in fact, which had obtained since puberty. On seeing the case with my father, I suggested the performance of venesection three or four days previous to the next menstruation.