A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING THE WOMB IN CASES OF PROLAPSUS UTERI
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING THE WOMB IN CASES OF PROLAPSUS
UTERI. A communication from abroad by Doctor Otto Langgaard, of
Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
Sealed the 13th May 1862, and dated the 26th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th November 1861.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North. Bri-
tain, Gentleman, do hereby déclare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING THE WOMB IN CASES OF PROLAPSUS
UTERI," a communication to me from abroad by Doctor Otto Langgaard, of
Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of apparatus, which the
Inventor terms the "hysterophor," for supporting the womb in cases of pro-
lapsus uteri, or falling of the womb.
This apparatus, which may be made of hard india-rubber or other suitable
material; consists of a ring which is connected by swivel joints to two link

page_text: pieces, situate on diametrically opposite sides of the ring, the opposite ends of
the link pieces being respectively jointed to the outer ends of two expanding
wings or womb supporters. These wings are jointed or hinged together in the
centre of the apparatus, similar joints or hinges being formed across the ring
for the purpose of enabling the apparatus to be closed or contracted, when being
inserted into the vagina and expanded or opened out, when properly adjusted
in its place. In their expanded state the upper surfaces of the wings form an
efficient support to the neck of the womb, the apparatus being retained in its
place by the entrace of the fleshy parts into suitable recesses, or indentations
made for that purpose on the upper surfaces of the wings. The ring when
the apparatus is applied also opens out and fits against the lips of the vagina,
so as to maintain a free passage for the fluids and secretions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN HENRY
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of 166,
Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johuson, my. executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time- agree with, and no others, from time to time
-and-at-all-times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven
tion for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING THE WOMB IN CASES
OF PROLAPSUS UTERI," a communication from abroad by Otto Langgaard, of
Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand-and-seal
of one of them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: said Invention and in what manner the:same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW. KNOW: YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement,. reference, being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-,
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction of apparatus which the
Inventor terms the "hysterophore," for supporting the womb in cases of pro-
lapsus úteri or bearing down of the womb.
This apparatus, which may be made of hardened india-rubber or other
suitable material, consists of a ring which is connected by swivel joints to two
link pieces, situate on diametrically opposite sides of the ring, the opposite
ends of the link pieces being respectively jointed to the outer ends of two
expanding wings. These wings are jointed or hinged together in the centre
of the apparatus, similar joints or hinges being formed across the ring for the
purpose of enabling the apparatus to be closed or contracted when being inserted
into the vagina, and expanded, or, opened out when properly adjusted in
its place.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a plan of the upper part or ring of this
apparatus. Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through the centre thereof,
when opened or expanded, that being the position it is made to assume when
in use. Figure 3 is a plan of the under side or wings of the apparatus, and
Figures 4 and 5 represent respectively an edge view and side elevation of the
apparatus in its folded or closed position in readiness for insertion into the
vagina. The whole of these Figures are drawn full size. A is a ring connected
by swivel joints a, a, to two link pieces, B, B, which are again connected
by ordinary hinge joints, b, b, to the outer ends of the two expanding wings,
C, C. These wings are jointed or hinged together in the centre of the
apparatus at c, similar parallel joints or hinges being formed at d, d, across the
ring, for the purpose of enabling the apparatus to be closed as in Figures 4 and
5 when being placed inside the vagina. In applying this apparatus it is intro-
duced with the ring first into the vagina until the wings have completely entered,

page_text: whereupon it is opened, or expanded by slight lateral pressure against the
inner sides of the wings, when the apparatus will assume the position shewn at
Figures 1, 2, and 3. The ring being thus opened affords a support for the neck
of the womb, and the pressure upon it being transferred to the wings through
the links B, tends to keep the wings open or expanded; e, e, are circular recesses
or sunk portions formed in the outer surfaces of the wings, so that the adjacent
fleshy parts may come in contact therewith, and so tend to retain the apparatus
more securely in the desired. position when once adjusted..
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used, or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the general construction and arrange-
ment of apparatus for supporting the womb, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.