8) Ph. Gabr. Hensler, über den westindischen Ursprung der Lustseuche. Hamburg 1789. 92. 15 S. 8.
(Ph. Gabr. Hensler, “On the West-Indian Origin of the Venereal Disease.” Hamburg 1789. pp. 92 and 15. 8vo.)
Also under the Title: “History of the Venereal Disease etc.” Second Volume, Second Part. The First Part of this Vol., which was to contain the Description of the Disease, never appeared. The Work is particularly directed against Girtanner; and investigates. (2) The exact Time of the appearance of the Disease in Italy. (3) The eye-witnesses of the importation of Venereal Disease from Hispaniola to Spain. (4) Eye-witnesses of the existence of Venereal Disease in Hispaniola as its home. (5) Testimonies to the fact that Venereal Disease was once endemic on the main-land of America. (6) Later witnesses of the importation into Spain of the Venereal Disease previously endemic in Hispaniola. The proofs are from (pp. 1-15): Oviedo, Welsch, Lopez de Gomara, Roman. Pane, Pedro de Cieça de Leon, Augustin. de Zaratte, Hieron. Benzoni.
9) Phil. Gabr. Hensler, Programma de Herpete seu Formica veterum labis venereae non prorsus experte. Kilon. 1801. 64 S. 8.
(Phil. Gabr. Hensler, ““Program” (College Exercise) on the Herpes (Creeping eruption) or Formica of the Ancients,—a Malady not unconnected with the Venereal Disease.” Kiel 1801. pp. 64. 8vo.)
This “Program”, which Hensler wrote on his resignation as Dean and for the Public Announcement of certain Graduations, is divided into 10 Divisions, of which Div. 1 gives a survey of the Contents, Div. 2 considers certain passages from the genuine Writings of Hippocrates (Prorrhetic. 11, 18, 21, “de aere, aquis et locis”—“of the effects of air, water and locality”, II. Aphorism. V. 22.) dealing with Herpes, from which we gather that under the name Herpes were understood eating (phagedenic) Ulcers, that the Herpes esthiomenes attacked especially the abdomen and the Genitals, that Epinyctis was pre-eminently a disease of adults, whence a suspicion arises of its being communicated by coition. Div. 3 gives medical opinion on the different kinds of Herpes down to Celsus. Div. 4 gives the same on Epinyctis, special importance being given to the pains at night. Div. 5 discusses the Therioma of Celsus (V. 28. 3.), which according to Pollux, Onomast. IV. 15., specially affects the Genitals, and is closely akin to the Epinyctis. Div. 6 gives the views of Galen on Herpes. Div. 7. The Author proceeds to the Formica of the Arabians, and shows that they have designated several distinct Skin-diseases by this name. Div. 8 treats the views held by Arabic writers down to the XVth. Century; whilst Div. 9 gives the shape these views took during the XVth. Century. In Div. 10 Hensler draws the following conclusions from the evidence he has adduced: Formica was the same thing as the Herpes of the Greeks; under both names, yet by no means exclusively, were indicated syphilitic affections. Immorality at all periods generated Venereal Disease, which arose at first rather sporadically, but towards the end of the XVth. Century in consequence of its universal diffusion became virtually epidemic. The early neglect of Etiology, as well as the Galenian hypotheses of deteriorations of the humours, stood in the way of the right understanding of the Disease. Venereal Disease is not a single Malady, but a Diathesis (General Condition of Body), which in accordance with time and circumstances may manifest itself in different forms. “Hujusmodi vero lues mihi illa omnis esse videtur, quae ipso coitu, quo quidem loco luis praecipuus focus est, facillime cum aliis communicari et ad ipsam prolem propagari possit. Summa ejus genera esse equidem arbitror Lepram, malum, quod Pians vocant, ipsamque Syphilidem.” “This contagion seems to me to be a general one, and of this sort that it is capable of being very readily communicated to others by the act of coition, where indeed is the chief nidus of the Disease, and of being propagated even to posterity. Its main forms are, in my opinion, Leprosy, a Malady called Pians, and Syphilis itself.” (p. 54). The Pians would seem to be Pox, the seeds of which the Moors disseminated, Syphilis a “Morbus Europae inquilinus” (a Disease native to Europe). The three Diseases are akin, and merge into one another.
10) La America vindicada de la calumnia de haber sido madre del mal venereo. Madrid 1785. 4.
(“America Vindicated from the Calumny of having been the Mother of the Venereal Disease.” Madrid 1785. 4to.)
Sprengel in the Annotations to P. Ant. Perenotti di Cigliano, “Of the Venereal Disease”, p. 348., calls this Work, which would seem to be in the University Library of Göttingen: “a well-written Tract, wherein, from p. 34 onwards, it is demonstrated that Venereal Disease did not come from Hayti.” Comp. Götting. gelehrte Anzeig. 1788. Sect 169 p. 1614.
11) P. Ant. Perenotti di Cigliano, Storia generale dell’ origine dell’ essenza e specifica qualita della infezione venerea. Turin 1788. 8.