Improvements in and connected with Pessaries and Supports for the Treatment of Malpositions of the Uterus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1898-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Pessaries and Supports for
the Treatment of Malpositions of the Uterus.
I, ELIZABETH ROWLAND, residing at 1, Manchester Street, Manchester Square,
London, W., Specialist of the British and Continental Women's Hospitals, 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 improvements in pessaries and supports for the treat-
ment of prelapses, fluxions and malpositions of the uterus, which consists of an
improved pessary, and surgical corset, and belts and supporting abdominal straps
which are made of horsehair, coutille or other suitable material. The said
pessaries are composed of hard and soft rubber, vulcanite silver or such suitable
material. The object of my invention, is to provide suitable appliances, that are
safe, reliable, simple and convenient for hygenic purposes, and that will not get
out of order, as other pessaries have done hitherto.
To clearly explain my invention reference is made to the accompanying draw-
ings which form part of this specification. Fig. 1 shews a sectional view of the
spiral spring pressary. Fig. 1ª the removeable interior portions thereof. Fig. 2
is an elevation.
The upper part is a sloping or straight cup-shaped portion A, perforated with
side holes B, on which the uterus rests when in use. The lower portion forms
a hollow cylinder C internally screw threaded at its upper and lower ends. D is
the upper end of a spiral spring covered with vulcanized rubber and forms a ball
or screw threaded nut. The wire of same continues, forming a spiral spring E
the end of which forms a wire nut F which is also covered with vulcanized rubber
and is screw threaded on the inside to screw down the rod G. By means of the
said nut F working on the screw threaded rod G the desired distance, allows of
the proper play of the spiral spring and regulates the length of the rod and
spring, as desired, when in use.
When the whole of the moveable portions are attached to each other, they are
simply passed up the hollow cylinder C and the nut D screwed to the upper end
thereof, by means of the registered screw threads. The screw thread on nut D,
being a reverse thread to that on nut F, makes it quite easy to adjust, and pre-
vents all possibility of the pessary overturning and the said attachments in all
parts of the pessary being screwed up to an inadequate or an excessive extent,
and therefore prevented from getting out of order, as other pessaries have
hitherto done. To prevent the interior portions leaving the cylinder c the lower
curved end of the rod G is passed through a hole in the centre of the nut H,
which allows the rod to move up and down freely when in use. The nut H is
screwed to the lower end of cylinder C. The lower end of rod G may be hollow
and screw threaded inside and outside to register with a double screw threaded
nut i, which contains a core in the centre. The said core, being screw threaded,
is passed up and screwed to the lower end of rod G, while the outside of the rod
CD 017

page_text: screws to the inside of the nut i. Said nut is placed in an inflated pneumatic
rubber or vulcanite pad J, which. contains two holes L at the top and two at the
bottom to enable two rubber straps K, K, to pass upwards and downwards from the
back of the pad, thus giving a double support to the pessary and greater comfort
to the wearer. The straps KK are passed up between the thighs and attached,
back and front, to a long surgical corset or supporting belt, which holds the
appliance in its proper position as shewn in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shews the pad J
to an enlarged scale and said pad is so constructed, with all necessary perfora-
tions, for the convenience of internal and external use, and the pessary is simply
removed, in the former case, by the patient, by means of an attached silk cord &
is simply cleaned as an ordinary plain pessary would be, without necessarily
taking any part of the pessary to pieces, the interior of the pessary being care-
fully protected in every way.
In a modification the rod G is made thicker and its upper end screws to the
inside of cylinder C, forming a male and female screw, to lengthen or shorten
the pessary as required.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew a ring or prolongation for attachment to the upper portion
of the cup when an extra deep hollow pessary is required.
Fig. 2 shews the pessary and supports in position, properly attached to a
surgical corset, made of horsehair, or other suitable material, cased on each side
for bones that are removable at a¹ and a they have back sholder straps 66 and
abdominal straps ccc with buckles dd to adjust as desired thus giving the
greatest support and comfort to the wearer and obviating the necessity of wearing
an extra belt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, & in what manner the same is to be be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The construction of the cup A and hollow screw threaded cylinder C made
in one piece, substantially as described and shewn for the purposes specified.
2. The construction of the ball or screw threaded wire nut D, spiral spring E
and nut F in one piece, substantially as described & shewn for the purposes
specified.
3. The use of a ball or nut D to secure the cup A and the cylinder C in
position, as described and shewn for the purposes specified.
4. In the construction of pessaries the use of screw threaded rods G, nuts H
and ; pad J with double holes L & means of attachment KK, substantially as
described and shewn for the purposes specified.
5. The improved pessary as shewn in & described with reference to Figures 4
& 5 of the accompanying sheet of drawings for the purposes specified..
Dated this 12th day of July 1898.
ELIZABETH ROWLAND.