MATERIAL CAUSES. — Similar causes to those mentioned for the father act in the mother, and with more certainty if both parents are affected by them.
In addition the following noxious influences are to be noted: Tobacco (women employed in tobacco manufac tories), carbon disulphide (women em ployed in India-rubber works), and car bonic oxide. To this latter agent is due the frequency of abortion in cooks, whose profession causes them to breath this deleterious gas during a portion of the day.
Bad hygienic surroundings, especially insufficient food, frequently promote abortion, while overfeeding and obesity (Stoltz) may also act as etiological fac tors.
Among local causes fibromyomata of the uterus and deviations (especially re troversion) are the most frequent causes.
Congestion of the uterus is a more im portant factor than retrotlexion. Leith Napier (Brit. Med. Jour., Dee. 20. '90).
The predisposition to miscarriage in certain women is due to retroversion. Excellent results obtained from the use of pessaries when a miscarriage seemed imminent. Henry Coe (Int. Jour. of Slay, '92).
Two causes of successive abortions merit, in particular, the attention of the obstetrician: (1) uterine affeethms, and retroversion in particular; (2) syphilis. Schuh] Arch. d'Obst. et de t:yn., Feb., '92).
Analysis of 235 cases with reference to the causes. Syphilis is the most impor tant cause, and accounts for 27 per cent. of the cases; retrollexion of the uterus is accountable for 18 per cent.; chronic metritis and endometritis, 10 to 15 per cent.: uterine fibroids, 4.7 per cent.; ab
normal conditions of the placenta, 4 per cent.; anteflexion of the uterus, 3.5 to 6 per cent.; molar pregnancy. I per cent.: Bright's disease and lateral deviations of toe uterus, 0.5 per cent. 1Z6mlield (Cent. f. Gyn.. No. 39. '95).
Distinct local uterine conditions in otherwise healthy women: 1. Ill-devel oped uterus: the muscular coat does not readily soften. vet remains very irri table. Rare. 2. Displacements, especially flexions. Spur at the angle of flexion hypertrophies interferes with uterine de velopment. 3. Congestion of the body and cervix, due to idiosyncrasies. Endo metritis. Charpentier (Ann. de Gyn. et d'Obsta., Slay, '97).
Lacerations of the cervix, especially those of sonic depth, are a frequent cause of abortion. A primipara can usually give some cause for an abortion, such as a misstep or a fall, but in those who have previously borne children. where there is r. fissure extending as high as the internal os that will admit the tit) of the index finger, or the integrity of the lower uterine segments is lost. predisposition to abortion is undoubted. It. IV. Rogers (Montreal Sled. Jour., April, 19021.
Extensive laceration of the cervix, the foetus in such a case not being sustained from below. (Olshausen, Schwartz.) Old peritoneal lesions of the adnexa, especially ovarian cysts, come next in order as local etiological factors.