We are in the throes of scanning our accession records, the documentation that accompanies specimens and other items that were, at least, at one time in the museum. Once scanned, they have to go through a review and I've drawn the short straw; it can be mightily boring. But every so often I find a record that I have to pause on. Here's one of them now:
Dr. W. Ashby Frankland,
916 Eighth Street N.W.
Washington, D.C., Dec. 3, 1900
Office Hours:
8 to 10 a.m.
3 to 5 p.m.
Dr. D.S. Lamb,
U.S.A. Medical Museum
Dear Dr. Lamb:
The history of the fetus I left with you on Nov. 27th is as follows:
Mrs. A.F., married, age about 30, mother of five (5) children. Menstruation Aug. 29, lasted 3 days, flow intermittent.
About Oct. 15 having had no menstruation in Sept. and experiencing almost constant nausea patient tried to induce abortion by passing into the [uterus?] a straightened button hook and a hairpin, making many such attempts within the following four weeks. Three haemmorhages occured lasting about an hour and a half each; one about Oct. 18 and one on Nov. 13th and 14th respectively.
After tamponade of vagina and a hot douche a foetus was born on Nov. 18, apparently three months advanced.
An interesting feature of this case is that both Fallopian tubes were tied with silk on Aug. 1 during an operation for appendicitis, menstruation being then in progress.
The ligation of the tubes was done with the purpose of preventing further pregnancies.
Very truly yours,
W. Ashby Frankland
1 comment:
Not long ago I found an article in HDAC referring to one specimen received from a woman who had tried something similar with a stick sharpened for that purpose.
You'd have to be pretty desperate, and I wondered after reading what the outcome was for the woman.
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