[Reprinted from The Medical News, January 7, 1893.] 
A CASE ILLUSTRATING THE TREATMENT OF 
PAINFUL PROLAPSED OV ARIES IN 
YOUNG GIRLS.1 
By G. BETTON MASSEY, M.D., 
OF PHILADELPHIA. 
The case that I herewith report is illustrative of the 
treatment of painful prolapsed ovaries in young girls. 
The previous history of the case will also suggest a pos- 
sible way in which vaginal ovaries can become pro- 
lapsed and painful without traumatism. 
The patient is a young lady of a sensitive literary 
family, with an introspective bent. She menstruated 
early, and, like many young girls, had painful periods. 
She was ill-developed physically, and the periods were 
irregular. With the ultra-mechanical ideas of the pres- 
ent, her physician sent her to a surgeon for treatment. 
The surgeon is said to have diagnosticated endometritis 
and uterine prolapse of moderate degree, and he in- 
serted a pessary. Therein, I am sure, lies the cause of 
the subsequent prolapse and hyperesthesia of the 
ovary. 
She was sent home, some distance from the office of 
the surgeon, but the pain was not relieved. Before the 
pessary had been worn long it was removed by the at- 
tending physician, but not before there was aggravation 
of the preexisting condition, which I now suppose was 
one of those minor endometrial catarrhs so common in 
1 Reported at a meeting of the Philadelphia Obstetrical Society, 
December i, 1892. 2 
patients of the class to which the girl belongs. The 
case went from bad to worse, and there were numerous 
consultations with physicians and surgeons, and re- 
moval of the ovaries and tubes was advised by several. 
When seen by me, three years after the inception of 
the trouble, she was twenty-one years old. The uterus 
was in a condition of catarrhal inflammation, enlarged 
and tender. The ovaries (particularly the left) were 
prolapsed and very tender, although not enlarged. The 
position and the painful condition of the ovary were, I 
conceive, the factors that had led so many surgeons 
to advise the unsexing of this young lady, and accord- 
ing to accepted teachings this advice was warranted. 
I looked on the case, however, as primarily one of 
uterine disease, having had added to it the ovarian 
trouble and the general neurasthenia from which she 
suffered. 
In brief, this patient was placed on electric treatment 
and rest for the neurasthenia, and was subjected to 
vaginal treatment by the galvanic current with a cov- 
ered positive electrode. Great amelioration of the ten- 
derness of the left ovary followed. Up to this time, a 
period of some weeks, the uterus had not been explored, 
but owing to the copious catarrhal discharge I thought 
it well to pass a flexible aseptic sound, which may be 
done with less danger of injury than if the rigid instru- 
ment be used. The uterus was found to be over three 
inches in depth, showing a source of trouble beyond the 
ovarian displacement. She was then put on the direct 
treatment for the endometrial inflammation, intra- 
uterine galvanic and faradic currents, care being taken 
not to bruise the sensitive tissues outside of the uterus 
by any undue movements. From the first internal 
treatment improvement was noted, the continuous pain 
in the left ovarian region being somewhat relieved. The 
following period was much easier, and she went on to 
a rapid recovery after a treatment of two or three 3 
months. She was discharged cured from my sana- 
torium five months ago, and recent advices state that 
she is entirely well, natural in her periods, and gaining 
flesh. 
It may be asked : What became of the ovary that 
was destined to be removed ? It still remains some- 
what lower than its fellow, but floating freely ; and I 
think that the slight deviation in position will not cause 
any more trouble than a like freedom of movement in 
any of the internal organs.