This section is from the book "Mental Therapeutics Or Just How To Heal Oneself And Others", by Theron Q. Dumont. Also available from Amazon: Mental Therapeutics or Just How to Heal Oneself and Others.
(2) The Uterus, or womb, is a hollow pear-shaped muscular organ, about three inches long, two inches broad, and one inch thick. It is the organ of gestation which receives the fecundated ovum in its cavity, and supports and retains the foetus during its development. The upper and broader part is called the fundus; the lower contracted portion being called the cervix, or neck, which projects into the vagina. The uterus is composed of a muscular coat, which contracts as do the walls of the stomach and bladder; this coat extends very greatly during the period of pregnancy. The "uterus is located just behind and slightly above the bladder, and is supported by eight ligaments which, when in a healthy condition, hold it firmly and easily in place. Displacement of the uterus is caused by :he weakening or relaxing of some of these 'igainents-this condition may be relieved and cure by proper treatment in the direction of strengthening the ligaments by suggestions directed to that end.
(3) The Fallopian Tubes are the ducts of the ovaries which serve to convey the ova from the ovaries to the cavity in the uterus; they are two in number, one on each side, each tube being about four inches in length. They extend from either side of the fundus of the womb until they communicate with the ovaries.
(4) The Ovaries are two oval-shaped organs lying one on each side of the uterus; the ova are formed in them, and they correspond to the testes in the male. They are about one and one-half inches long, one inch wide, and one-half inch in thickness. They are covered with a dense, firm coating which encloses a soft fibrous tissue, abundantly supplied with blood-vessels, which is called the stroma. Imbedded in the meshlike tissue of the stroma are numerous small, round transparent vesicles, in various stages of development, known as the Graafian follicles, which are lined with a layer of peculiar granular cells. These follicles are the receptacles or sacs which contain the ova or eggs which constitute the female reproductive germ; each vesicle containing a single ovum, or egg.
(5) The Ovum, or egg, of the human female is a very small round body measuring from one . two-hundred-and-fiftieth of an inch to one one-hundred-and-twentieth of an inch in diameter. It is surrounded with a transparent colorless envelope in which is contained the yolk consisting of globules of various sizes; the center of the yolk consisting of a thin transparent vesicle wrhich in turn contains a tiny granular, opaque, yellow structure known as "the germinal spot." This ovum, or egg, is discharged and enters the .uterus at the menstrual period. When this period arrives the Graafian follicle becomes enlarged by reason of the accumulation of the fluids in its interior, and exerts such a steady and increasing pressure from within, outward, that the surrounding tissue yields with it, and it finally protrudes from the ovary and is then expelled from it with a gush. Following this rupture there occurs a hemorrhage from the vesicles of the follicle, the cavity being filled with blood which then coagulates and is retained in the Graafian follicle. The formation and development of the Graafian follicles begin at puberty and continues until the menopause or change of life in the woman. The ripening and discharge of the eggs produce a peculiar condition of congestion of the entire female generative organism, including the Fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, etc.
Menstruation is the "monthly flow" of bloody fluid from the uterus which occurs in all healthy (but non-pregnant) women from puberty until the menopause or "change of life." Puberty is the age at which a woman begins her period of possible child-bearing. In temperate climates the average age is about fourteen years, while in tropical climes puberty occurs a year or two earlier, and in arctic zones a year or two later. The menopause or "change of life" in woman is the beginning of her period of non-reproduc-tiveness; this time is reached when the woman is about forty-five years of age, on the average, although in some cases it is reached several years later, and in a few cases a little earlier. The general rule is that a woman's child-bearing possibility extends over a period of thirty years, on the average. At the time of the menopause, and after, the ovaries diminish in size, the Graafian* follicles cease to form and develop, the Fallopian tubes atrophy, and other physical changes manifest themselves.
Menstruation, when once fully established, occurs at intervals of every twenty-eight days on the average in the case of healthy women; in some cases, however, it occurs as often as every twenty-one days, while in others it occurs as seldom as every six weeks, without effecting the general health or normal functioning. Menstruation ceases temporarily during pregnancy, and also usually is inhibited during the period of nursing. The menstrual flow continues for about four or five days, on the average; although here too there is a wide range of variation from the average. The flow increases during the first part of the period, and decreases during the last part. Menstruation is accompanied by the congestion previously noted, and a sense of physical discomfort and irritable emotional feeling. Menstruation is accompanied by a hypertrophy of the mucous membrane of the uterus, and later by a shedding of this hypertrophied membrane, which leaves the underlying vessels exposed and bleeding. After the period new mucous membrane is formed. As before stated, the ovum is discharged and enters the uterus at this period.
The ovum, unless impregnated by a sperma-tazoon of the male, gradually loses its vitality and is thrown out of the system; if impregnated, however, it remains attached to the walls of the uterus and in time develops into the foetus. The ovum contains all the rudiments of the young creature, but unless it is impregnated and fertilized by the spermatazoon it never develops. The impregnated ovum begins to form a segmentation-nucleus, and then the segmentation or "spitting up" process begins, and new cells rapidly form. There appears an opaque streak known as "the primitive trace" of the embryo, and the young living creature begins its life history. The period of gestation continues for about nine solar months, or about two hundred and eighty days, although in exceptional cases it continues for but seven months, and in others even as long as ten months.
The reproductive organism of both man and woman is very responsive to suggestion and mental treatment along the lines indicated in these lessons. Weakened parts may be materially strengthened by the proper suggestions intelligently directed. In the case of weakness of the uterus, falling of the womb, etc., a line of suggestions directed toward the strengthening and contraction of the supporting ligaments and muscles will be found very effective. The uterus is very sensitive to mental treatment, and is much like the heart in its degree of "intelligence" and responsiveness. There is a great field for scientific mental treatment here, and one in which medical science has failed to afford the best results-too often the surgeon's knife has been used needlessly. The skilled practitioner of mental healing who specializes upon this class of cases should obtain wonderful results, thereby performing a worthy work and at the same time establishing himself or herself in a paying practice.
 
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