Improvements in and connected with Pessaries, and Supports for the Treatment of Malpositions of the Uterus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
Improvements in and connected with Pessaries, and Supports for
the Treatment of Malpositions of the Uterus.
I ELIZABETH ROWLAND, of 21 Adam Street, Portman Square, London, W., Certified
Ladies' Nurse and Hygienic Specialist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to pessaries and supports for the treatment of prolapsus
flexions and malpositions of the uterus. This invention consists of abdominal belts
a combined corset with back, shoulder, and abdominal supports, and four side straps
and buckles and safety fastenings and lacings and straps at the back, front, and sides
as required.
They are made of elastic coatelle sateen or jean or other suitable materials,
they are cut to fit the body perfectly, and separate buckles are attached back and front
adapted to receive straps which pass down between the thighs to carry or support the
pessaries.
To clearly explain my inventions references are made to the accompanying drawings
which form part of this specification like letters of reference being used to designate
like parts in all figures.
The Belts combined corset and supporting straps are all properly attached to meet
the requirements of all pessaries and supports, except, a shaped band which can be
made if preferred of elastic with buckles attached at the bottom of the corset in the
absence of the belt as required.
Fig. 1A. Belt is made if preferred in two parts I I', and cut to fit the lower part of
the body, the solid belt being secured by two straps and buckles attached H. H. at each
side, with separate buckles J J back and front adapted to receive straps which pass
down between the thighs to carry or support the pessaries.
Fig. 1 B. Belt is made if preferred of elastic silk thread. It is made to fit the body
accurately. It is usually laced at the back, and sides, if desired about 3 or 4 inches
from the front, and when made of a material of an elastic nature a shaped band I'
of cottille or satin-jean is brought wide from the front narrowing to the sides ending in
two straps at each side which buckle at the hips to two short straps H. H. which are
attached to the belt behind the hips. And inserted elastic gussets may be added on
the hips in some cases when the said belt is made of cott ille or satin jean or such like
materials. Buckles are attached J J J' J1, J2 J3 back and front to receive the straps
which carry or support the pessaries.
Fig. 2 C is a combined corset with supporting straps it is cut very long, and to fit
the body perfectly. It may lace in front with moveable bones oo or have safety
fastenings a a as shown on diagram. The said corset may lace at the bottom up to
the waist B about 3 or 4 inches from the front fastenings or at the bust c when
desired. And elastic gussets in some cases may be inserted on the hips. A belt may
be attached 13 and buckle at the hips to two short straps H. H. at each side which
ends are attached to the corset behind the hips but preferably my new invention of
four abdominal supporting straps d d d d are sewn on the corset by the front
fastenings very low and about an inch and a half apart which buckle at the hips to
two short straps H H at each side which ends are attached to the corset behind the

page_text: hips, and gives the greatest possible support and comfort to the patient, and dispenses
with all unnecessary thicknesses and a firm band about 2 or 3 inches deep preferably
of elastic is attached at the bottom of corset with one buckle in front and one at each
side below lacings as required.
The back is laced. It is cut very high and wide at the top M which ends are
crossed at the upper part narrowing to straps which are brought over the shoulders
and buckled in front by armpits N which relieves the body of much weight of the
wearing apparel. Buckles are attached J J J1 J1, J2 J3 back and front as required to
receive straps to carry or support the pessaries.
Referring to Fig. D. Belt is made of coatille and lined with satin jean and is
brought very low. It is made to wrap well in front and is firmly secured by four
straps PPPP, an extra firm piece gives greater support when required, which buckles
to HHH at the sides as shown on drawings. The said belt may lace if required.
Buckles are attached back and front to receive straps for supporting or carrying the
pessaries or any other purpose; the said belt or bandage is made to wear in bed as a
support.
The said pessaries are one to five inches long and are composed of hard or soft rubber
vulcanite, silver, or other suitable materials.
This invention consists of a ball and socket pessary, Fig. 4, the upper part consists
of a sloping or straight cup-shaped portion A, perforated with side holes B on which the
uterus rests when in use. The said cup contains a screw thread at the lower end to
which a very small cup D¹ is screwed which holds a ball C¹ allowing it to move easily.
A junction E¹ about two inches long is nicely rounded at the top, the centre of
which forms a small screw which, passes through a hole in the bottom of the small cup
D', and screws to the ball C¹ therein, thus forming the ball and socket motion of this
pessary. The said junction E¹ contains a screw thread on the inside to which a curved
piston F containing a screw thread is screwed, lengthening or shortening the pessary as
required. The lower curved end of piston is screwed to a piece of hard rubber or
vulcanite C which contains two small holes through which are passed two rubber tube
straps LL, the ends of which are fastened to four webbing straps K K K¹ K¹ (Fig. 1 B)
which are passed between the thighs and buckled to J J J1 J1, which are attached to a
supporting belt, or very long corset, and holds the appliance in its proper position.
When a short pessary is required the junction E' is removed and the upper end of a
short piston F¹ Fig 5 is passed through the hole in the small cup D1 and screwed into
the ball C¹ which forms the Ball and socket motion of the short pessary. The lower
end of short piston F" is sceewed to a piece of hard rubber or vulcanite G which contains
two small holes, through which two tube rubber straps are passed, the ends of which
are attached to four webbing straps as above referred to, and shown on drawings Fig. 5.
Or the lower end of piston F can be screwed to pneumatic foot G¹ Fig. 6 which is a
hard rubber bottom and soft rubber top, to which piston F is screwed to an non-corrosive
nut in the inflated cushion, this pessary represents Fig. 6 and it easily moves with every
movement of the patient.
Or the perforated cup A can be screwed to the pneumatic foot G¹ or to a ball inserted
in the foot, to give the desired Ball and socket movement of the pessary a shallow
perforated cup is also provided.
When the pessary is used in this form namely not to protrude, the patient can easily
remove it by a silk cord attached to the back of pad, and a strap is passed between
the thighs and buckled to a supporting belt or very long corset as shown on
diagram J* J* 2 C.
For the combination and the improved spring stem pessary. The junction E¹ above
referred to, and small cup. D¹, and ball C¹, are easily removed and a curved hollow
cylinder D (Fig. 1) with a wire spring c inserted is screwed to the lower end of the
perforated cup A, the lower curved end of cylinder C rests on the curved piston F³,
which has about one inch play within the cylinder and is prevented from entirely
leaving the same by means of a ball nut or pin E attached to the upper end of
piston. The lower curved end of piston is screwed to a hard piece of rubber or
vulcanite G which contains two small holes through which are passed two rubber

page_text: straps L L which are attached to four webbing straps K K K' K¹ and passed between
the thighs and buckled to J J J J' on a supporting belt or very long corset which holds
the appliance in its proper position as shown on drawings Fig. 1 B. Fig. 1 Sheet 3
represents the sectional view of the above pesssary which is about
inches long.
Fig. 2 A represents the sectional view of the following pessary. It is a short hollow
cylinder 12 with an inserted spring wire it is screwed to the perforated cup A the
lower curved end rests on a curved piston F2 which has about inch play within the
cylinder and is prevented from entirely leaving the same by means of a ball nut
or pin attached to the piston F2 the lower curved end of piston can be attached
to rubber straps and belt as above described or the lower end of piston can be screwed
to a perforated hard rubber foot G2 or the pneumatic foot G' or other devices with
perforations which allow all natural discharges to escape without moving the pessary.
This pessary is properly inserted as shown on diagram Fig. 2 B.
The spring c referred to gently moves up and down when the patient walks.
The spring stem refers to Fig. 1 Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. When a cup is required for
anteversion it is simply to turn the cup in the opposite direction to that used for
retroversion as shown on diagram Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 A, and not screwing cup quite
tight over which a soft rubber ring is placed. A perforated cup shaped portion of
vulcanite rubber or other suitable material is attached to a plain curved stem and
adapted to receive straps as shown on drawings Fig. 7 which is properly inserted
and can be attached to any of the above named supports or to a simple waist band for
Hospetle and similar use, and they are about 4 and 5 inches long.
I do not confine myself to supply the combination of Ball and socket and spring
stem pessaries only or the combination of the Belts corset and supporting straps only.
But my Ball and socket, and spring stem pessaries separately or any part of the said
pessaries.
Or any part of the said belts corset or supporting straps separately as required.
Having now particularly described and asceatained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The invention of the Ball and socket pessaries and pneumatic movements of the
said pessaries substantially as described in this specification.
2. The improved spring stem pessary and moveable foot substantially.
3. The combination of the ball and socket and spring stem pessaries and pneumatic
movements and means of combining the said pessaries, substantially as described in this
specification.
4. The improved plain pessary with curved stem and attachments of same
substantially as described herein.
5. The combination of the pessaries of the belts corset and straps.
6. And also the four abdominal and side straps and shoulder supports lacings and
fastenings of the said corset and belts substantially as deliniated in the drawings and
described in this specification.
10L
Amil 1007