If little can be done to efiect a cure, much
may be done to retard the progress of the dis-



INDURATION OF THE CERVIX UTERI. 211

ease, to render it stationaxy, or to alleviate the
extreme anguish which the unfortunate patients
generally suffer; more, perhaps, than in any
other form of cancer. For the means by which
this end is to be obtained I must refer my
readers to those works which treat at length of
uterine cancer, merely stating, in a general way,
that they consist in great attention to the general
health, to the diet, — which should be as nourishing
as possible, — in extreme care to keep up the
cleanUness of the suppurating parts— an indication
attainable by frequent injections — and in the
judicious general and local use of narcotics. It
is surprising how great a change an intelligent
practitioner may produce in the state of a patient,
apparently at death's door, by these means. The
change is, indeed, often so great as to render it
difficult to persuade th e relations that the patient
is not rapidly recovering.
It is necessary, however, to be very cautious
in our prognosis, as women labouring imder
uterine cancer are subject to sudden relapses,
or crises, which may modify their state from
day to day in the most extraordinary man-
ner; especially at the period of menstruation,



212 INFLAMMATION, ULCERATION, ETC.
