The diseases of women : a handbook for students and practitioners . sedvaginal cysts a typical vaginal secretion is found; fourthly,the cervical and vaginal secretions present markedly dif-ferent characters. The vaginal secretion is derived from the shedding ofsquamous epithelium together with the exudation of somelymph-serum. Normally, it forms a thin coating on thesurface of the vagina. Characters.—It is a rather thin opalescent fluid, devoid of 111 112 DISEASES OF WOMEN. viscidity, and sometimes, when abundant, forming a whiteflocculent and curdy matter. It gives a strongly acid re-action,
The diseases of women : a handbook for students and practitioners . sedvaginal cysts a typical vaginal secretion is found; fourthly,the cervical and vaginal secretions present markedly dif-ferent characters. The vaginal secretion is derived from the shedding ofsquamous epithelium together with the exudation of somelymph-serum. Normally, it forms a thin coating on thesurface of the vagina. Characters.—It is a rather thin opalescent fluid, devoid of 111 112 DISEASES OF WOMEN. viscidity, and sometimes, when abundant, forming a whiteflocculent and curdy matter. It gives a strongly acid re-action, due to the presence of lactic acid. Estimated quan-titatively, the acidity is equivalent to per cent, of sul-phuric acid or per cent, lactic acid. In the new-bornthe action is neutral; in the healthy virgin it is acid; innormal pregnancy the acidity is greater; whilst in patho-logical conditions the reaction is feebly acid, neutral, or evenalkaline. The acidity disappears during and for some daysafter menstruation, and for five or six weeks after normal. Fig. 31.—Normal secretion from the vagina, showing the vagina-bacillus (Doderlein). labor. Examined microscopically, the vaginal secretion inthe only squamous epithelium. In thevirgin and in normal pregnancy there is constantly found,in addition, the vagina-bacillus (Figs. 31, 32); whilst in acertain percentage of cases a fungus is found, the ManillaCandida. The vagina-bacillus and the fungus are invariablyabsent from pathological secretions. The vagina-bacillus belongs to the anaerobic bacilli. Itmay be cultivated on agar or gelatin, or in bouillon, blood- DISEASES OF THE VAGINA. II3 serum, or milk. It requires moisture and warmth equiva-lent to the body-temperature. It occurs in the form ofshort straight rods. As the result of pure cultivationslactic acid is invariably produced, equivalent quantitatively
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