Reprinted from The American Journal of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and 
Children, Vol. XVL, No. 9 1883. 
A CASE OF INFANTILE MENSTRUATION. 
BY 
A. VAN DERVEER, JLD., 
Albany, N. Y. 
I desire to report the following case, because of its seeming 
rarity: 
Both Mr. B. K. and his wife present a good family history 
and are not related in any way. Mrs. K. was attended in her 
confinement by Drs. Snow and Perry of this city, yet the family 
is an old one of mine, especially on the father's side. I was 
called to see the child September, 1882, for some supposed 
trouble of the spine, and was quite surprised to get the following 
history: She is now two years and seven months old, and began 
a regular normal flow, lasting from four to five days, when she 
was four months old, and which has continued every twenty-eight 
days since. She weighs forty-nine pounds. Features and form 
that of a girl ten or twelve years old. Her mammary glands are 
as large as a small orange. The mons Veneris is well developed, 
and covered with a full growth of hair. The external labia large, 
and all parts of the vulva fully formed. She is bright and intel- 
ligent, but easily irritated, especially so at the beginning of the 
menstrual epoch. She is not allowed, nor does she seem to care, 
to play with children of her own age. Her appetite and tastes 
belong to a child much older. All functions seem to be per- 
formed normally. Has never been troubled with leucorrhea. 
Has never shown any disposition to handle her parts or mastur- 
bate in any way. Is, in fact, quite modest with her mother, and 
particularly so with her father, and when I made my examination. 
Her physical condition is splendid in development, there being 
no disease of the spine. She plays some with her dolls. And 
while it is difficult for a stranger to understand her speech, yet 
her parents have no trouble in that direction. 
December, 1882, and January and February, 1883, she did not 
menstruate, and in her actions was very much more fretful, and 
inclined to be wakeful at night. March 18th, it came on again 
as of old, and has been normal since, she really appearing better 
in her disposition. No case of the kind ever known in the 
family. 
28 Eagle St., Albany, N. Y.