An Improved Instrument for use in Making Internal Medicinal Applications to Internal Organs of the Body.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
An Improved Instrument for use in Making Internal Medicinal
Applications to Internal Organs of the Body.
We, ELMORE OSCAR SMITH, of No. 3732, East Tenth Street, in the City of
Kansas City, County of Jackson, and State of Missouri, United States of America,
Physician, and ARETAS SEE MCCLEAREY, of No. 717, Indiana Avenue, also of the
City of Kansas City, County of Jackson, and State of Missouri, United States of
America, Promoter, 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:―
Our invention relates to what we term an improved instrument for use in
making internal medicinal applications to internal organs of the body, and it
is designed more especially for making local medicinal applications to the womb,
and our object is to produce an instrument of this character by which said
applications may be made easily and without injury, and furthermore an instru-
ment which is of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.
With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar
features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described
and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood we will proceed to
describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1, represents a perspective view with the opening plunger therein.
Figure 2, is a longitudinal section of the same with the packer-plunger therein.
Figure 3, is a cross-section on line III-III of Figure 1.
Figure 4, is a longitudinal section to show clearly the position of the spring
to engage the cord-dressing.
Figure 5, is a perspective view of the opening-plunger.
Figure 6, is a perspective view of the packing-plunger.
In the said drawings, 1 designates the tube of the instrument, which by
preference is curved at its front end, as at 2, so that it may be arranged without
difficulty in the proper relation to the afflicted part, and said tube, at a suitable
point, is provided with an opening 3, adapted to be ordinarily covered by the
sliding-sleeve 4 upon said tube.
The rear end of the tube is of increased thickness and strength, as at 5, and
depending therefrom is a handle 6. Vertically over the handle the upper wall
of the tube is perforated as at 7, and communicating with said hole is a medicine
cup 8.
In advance of the cup the tube is formed with a grooved lug 9, and below the
groove with a threaded arm or screw 10, upon which is mounted a thumb-nut 11.
12 designates a curved spring, which is inserted in the curved end of the tube
through the opening 3, which is then covered by means of the sleeve 4 to
prevent the rear end of the spring from springing through said opening and
possibly injuring the patient.
The opening plunger consists of a spring-metal rod 13, of greater length than
the tube and provided at its front end with an enlargement or wedge 14, having
its front end rounded, in order that there will be no possible chance of injury
resulting from its use. This plunger in width nearly equals the diameter of
the tube, and has a handle 15.

page_text: The packing-plunger, 16, is also of spring-metal, and operates within the
tube after the opening-plunger is removed. This plunger 16 is shorter than the
tube, so that there will be no possible chance of the patient being injured from
its use, as its front end is provided with a notch 17, to receive the free end of
the cord dressing, that the latter may be reliably fed through the front end of
the tube. It is provided at its rear end with a handle 18.
19 is a rod slidably mounted in the grooved lug and provided at its front end
with a guard arm or ring 20, and at its rear end with a handle 21; said rod being
secured at the desired point of adjustment by clamping-nut 11.
In practical operation, the opening-plunger is first arranged within the tube.
The latter is then inserted in the vagina with its front end at the mouth of the
womb, and the plunger is forced inward so as to separate the walls of the womb
and thus permit the tube, which, as stated, is only slightly larger than the
wedge, to be forced in also, this movement being limited by the abutment of the
guard-ring against the womb. Said plunger is then withdrawn from the tube,
and the requisite medicine in the form of a powder or gelatinous liquid, is
deposited in the cup 8. The packer-plunger is now inserted in the tube, a cotton
or other suitable medicated cord dressing 21 being first inserted in the rear end
of the tube, so that the notched end 17 of said plunger shall engage the cord and
draw it forward through the tube until the front end of the cord reaches the.
front end of the tube; the cord in this operation being medicated in an obvious
manner as it passes the hole 7. The plunger is then withdrawn some distance,
but is not accompanied in such movement by the cord, it being impossible for
the latter to be withdrawn by this movement, because the spring 12 is pressing
it laterally against the side of the tube. The plunger is then advanced again and
in such movement grips the cord at a point some distance from its front end,
and at the same time releases the front end of the cord by pushing the spring 12
away, and as this takes place the front end of the cord is projected from the
front end of the tube into the womb. This reciprocation of said plunger is
repeated until almost a sufficient quantity of cord has been deposited. The latter
is then severed if too long, and the plunger reciprocated a sufficient number of
times to deposit nearly all of the remainder in the womb, permitting one end to
project therefrom in order that it may be removed when its medicinal properties
are exhausted and it is desired to replace it with a new dressing.
It has been found in practice that the dressing can be properly deposited with-
out using the spring 12, owing to the bend in the tube and the frictional relation
between the same and the dressing, which keeps the latter practically stationary
on the withdrawal of the plunger, but we prefer to use said spring, as it is more
positive and reliable, and greatly facilitates the operation.
As it may be found desirable in practice to use tubes either straight or bent
more or less than as shown at 2 in the drawing, we prefer to construct the tube 1
in two sections, detachably connected together as shown at 22, or in any other
suitable or preferred manner, so that the portion provided with the handle, clamp
and cup may be used in connection with a front portion of any style desired.
This, of course, will be the most practical method of constructing the instrument.
From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced an
improved instrument for use in making internal medicinal applications to internal
organs of the body, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as
desirable in the statement of invention, and it is to be understood that we reserve
the right to make such changes in the form, proportion, detail construction or
arrangement of the parts as do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope
or sacrifice any of the advantages of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. An improved instrument for use in making internal medicinal applications

page_text: to internal organs of the body, comprising a tube and a plunger fitting therein,
and of somewhat greater length, consisting of a rod having an enlarged and
approximately wedge-shaped front end, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. An improved instrument for use in making internal medicinal applications
to internal organs of the body, comprising a tube provided with a guard to limit
the insertion of the tube, a plunger fitting therein, and of somewhat greater
length, consisting of a rod having an enlarged and approximately wedge-shaped
front end, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. An improved instrument for use in making internal medicinal applications
to internal organs of the body, comprising a tube to receive a cord dressing, a
spring in the tube to engage the cord, and a reciprocatory plunger fitting in
the tube and adapted to repress the spring and feed the cord dressing forward
through and discharge it from the front end of the tube, substantially as
described.
4. An improved instrument for use in making internal medicinal applications to
internal organs of the body, comprising a tube to receive a cord dressing, having an
opening towards its front end, a curved spring fitted through the said opening into
the front end of the tube, a sliding sleeve upon the tube to cover said opening and
said spring, and a reciprocatory plunger fitting in said tube and adapted to feed
the cord dressing through and discharge it from the front end of the tube, sub-
stantially as described.
5. An improved instrument for use in making internal medicinal applications
to internal organs of the body, comprising a tube to receive a cord dressing, a
handle at its rear end, a guard to limit the insertion of the tube, a spring in the
front end of the tube, and a reciprocatory plunger fitting in the tube and adapted
to feed the cord dressing forward through and discharge it from the front end of the
tube, substantially as described.
6. An improved instrument for use in making internal medicinal applications
to internal organs of the body, comprising a tube provided with a hole and a
cup communicating therewith to receive the medicine, and a plunger fitting in
said tube to feed therethrough a cord-dressing; the latter being medicated as it
passes said hole, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of January 1899.
ARETAS SEE McCLEAREY,
ELMORE OSCAR SMITH.