[147] According to Al. Donné, Recherches microscopiques sur la nature des mucus et la matière des divers écoulements des organes genitourinaires chez l’homme et chez la femme, (Microscopic Researches into the Nature of the Mucous Secretions and the Constituents of the Various Discharges from the genito-urinary Organs in Male and Female), Paris 1837., the vaginal mucus disengaged under normal circumstances always exhibits an acid reaction.
[148] According to J. P. Schotte, Von einem ansteckenden, schwarzgallichten Faulfieber, welches im Jahr 1778 in Senegall herrschte, (Account of a Contagious, black biliary, putrid Fever, prevalent in Senegal in the Year 1778), from the English (Stendal) 1786. 8vo., p. 103., both men and women in Senegal get ulcers, quite without any syphilitic contagion, in the one sex on the glans penis or the under side of the prepuce, in the other on the inner side of the labia.
[149] Virey, De la Femme, 2nd. edition, Brussels 1826., p. 70., En effet, dans la chaleur, lorsque les excrétions de la peau, des glandes sébacées, des cryptes du vagin, augmentent en abondance et en fétidité, il n’est pas étonnant que le sang menstruel, pour peu qu’il séjourne en ces parties voisines de l’anus, qui sont dans un état d’orgasme, acquière bientôt de l’odeur. (Indeed in a hot climate, when the secretions from the skin, from the sebaceous glands, from the recesses of the vagina, increase in abundance and in foulness, it is not surprising that the menstrual blood, remaining for a time as it does in the regions contiguous to the anus, these regions being in a state of sur-excitation, quickly acquires an evil smell). So Haller too says (Elem. Physiolog. Vol. VII. pt. II. p. 146.), Ex Asia videtur opinio de menstrui sanguinis foetida et venenata natura ad nos pervenisse, et per medicos potissimum Arabes ad Europaeos transiisse. In calidissimis certe regionibus, si ad aestuosum aerem immundities accesserit, non repugnat, sanguinem in loco calente, in vicinia faecum alvinarum retentum, acrem fieri et foetire.... Lentorem aliquem possit mucus admistus addidisse. (It is from Asia that the opinion as to the fetid and poisonous character of menstrual blood would seem to have come to us, being transmitted mainly by the Arab physicians to those of Europe. No doubt in very hot climates, if dirty habits be added to the extreme heat of the atmosphere, there is nothing at all unlikely in the blood, retained as it is in a hot locality, in close proximity to the faeces in the bowels, growing sour and smelling foul.... A certain viscous quality may very well have been added by the admixture of mucous discharge). What has been observed as to the injuriousness of menstrual blood by our predecessors since Pliny (Hist. Nat. VII. 15. XIX. 10. XXVIII. 7.) may be found partially collected in Schurig, Parthenologia 227-240. Comp. Frank de Frankenau, Satyrae Medicae (Medical Satires), p. 89. Comp. pp. 54. sqq.—Hensler, Geschichte der Lustseuche, (History of Venereal Disease), Vol. I. pp. 204. sqq., where it is demonstrated that a great proportion of the Writers on Venereal disease at the beginning of the XVIth. Century attribute its rise to intercourse with women during menstruation.
[150] Burdach, Die Physiologie als Erfahrungswissenschaft, (Physiology as an Experimental Science), 2nd. edition, Vol. I. p. 196.—Boerhaave, Tract. de lue venerea, (Treatise on Venereal Contagion), Venice 1753., p. 6., says, In Asia ad partes genitales sub praeputio naturaliter sordes colliguntur, quae acres redditae generant multa mala, quae praecipue ad luem veneream accedere proxime videntur; non vere sunt lues venerea; imo nostri nautae hoc etiam experiuntur, dum in illis terris degunt, nam nisi quotidie praeputium eluerent aqua salsa et aceto, vel similibus remediis brevi eodem morbo laborarent. (In Asia filth of sorts naturally enough collects on the genital parts beneath the prepuce, and this turning sour originates many complaints, which seem above all others to approximate closely to the Venereal disease. This our sailors found out, when living in those regions; for if they did not daily thoroughly wash the prepuce with salt water and vinegar, or similar remedies, they would soon suffer from the disease in question).
[151] Thevenot, Travels, Pt. I., p. 58., says, “The Arabs in fact have the prepuce so long that, if they did not have it circumcised, they would suffer much inconvenience from it; and little children are to be seen among them whose prepuce hangs down to a very considerable length;—not to mention that, supposing their foreskin uncircumcised, every time after passing water some drops would remain behind, rendering them unclean.”
[152] Niebuhr, Beschreibung von Arabien, (Description of Arabia) Copenhagen 1772. 4to., p. 77.
[153] Josephus, Contra Apionem bk. II. ch. 13., ὅθεν εἰκότως μοι δοκεῖ τῆς εἰς τοὺς πατρίους αὐτοῦ νόμους βλασφημίας δοῦναι δίκην Ἀπίων τὴν πρέπουσαν· περιετμήθη γὰρ ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἑλκώσεως αὐτῷ περὶ τὸ αἰδοῖον γενομένης· καὶ μηδὲν ὠφεληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς περιτομῆς ἀλλὰ σηπόμενος ἐν δειναῖς ὀδύναις ἀπέθανεν. (for translation see text). The expression περὶ τὸ αἰδοῖον (about the privates) is evidently to be understood here as meaning the glans penis, or at any rate the prepuce. This is implied by the general sense of the whole passage.
[154] Philo, De circumcisione, Works edit. Th. Mangey Vol. II. p. 211. Ἓν μὲν, χαλεπῆς νόσου καὶ δυσιάτου πάθους ἀπαλλαγὴν, ἣν ἄνθρακα καλοῦσιν, ἀπὸ τοῦ καίειν ἐντυφόμενον, ὡς οἶμαι, ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας τυχόντος, ἥτις οὐ κολώτερον τοῖς τὰς ἀκροποσθίας ἔχουσιν ἐγγίνετο· Δεύτερον, τὴν δι’ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος καθαρότητα πρὸς τὸ ἁρμόττειν τάξει ἱερωμένῃ. Παρ’ὃ καὶ ξυρῶντο τὰ σώματα προσυπερβάλλοντες οἱ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τῶν ἱερέων. ὑποσυλλέγετο γὰρ καὶ ὑποστέλλει καὶ θριξὶ καὶ ποσθίαις ἔνια τῶν ὀφειλόντων καθαίρεσθαι. (for translation see text above).
[155] That is to say so far as it is suffered to remain for any length of time in the vagina and comes more or less in contact with the atmospheric air; for in the case of healthy menstrual blood no injurious combination is set up at all or any foul acridity developed, as John Stedman (Physiolog. Versuche und Beobachtungen,—Physiological Investigations and Observations, transl. from the English, Leipzig 1778. 8vo., pp. 50-54.) long ago maintained. It is more probable however that any slight putrefactive action occurring is in each case due not so much to this as to the acid quality of the menstrual blood, which in conjunction with the acid vaginal mucus undergoes a kind of acetous fermentation in the vagina, the product of which has thus a corrosive effect. Retzius indeed has lately not only found menstrual blood to possess an exceedingly acid reaction, but even proved that it contains free phosphoric and lactic acids. Comp. Arsberättelse om Svenska Läkare Sällskapets Arbeten, 1835., pp. 19-21. Froriep’s Notiz, Vol. 49., p. 237.
[156] Hence too Hugo Grotius writes (Commentar. ad Mosis lib. III.—Commentary on Book of Leviticus, ch. 15.): Sciendum est autem in Syria et locis vicinis non minus τὴν γονόῤῥοιαν quam τὰ ἐμμήνια habere aliquid contagione nocens, (But it is to be observed that in Syria and the neighbouring regions ἡ γονοῤῥοία (discharge from the genitals) no less than τὰ ἐμμήνια (menstrual discharge) contains a principle contagiously injurious). Even Astruc, the eager advocate of the American origin of Venereal disease, says (Vol. I. p. 92.): Sane constat in hac nostra Europa, quae magis temperata est, si cum menstruatis res habeatur, balanum et praeputium leviore phlogosi aut superficiariis pustulis, quae tamen brevi cessant, plerumque affici. Quanto graviora ergo iis impendere credendum est, quos in calidiore et aestuante climate misceri cum foeminis non pudet, dum illis menses actu fluunt natura acerrimi et quasi virosi. Ideo forsan factum est, ut medici Arabes, qui regiones calidiores incolebant, quam Graeci et Latini, et primi et saepe disseruerint de pustulis et ulceribus virgae, oriundis ex coitu cum foeda muliere, hoc est (?), cum muliere menstruata. (It is an undoubted fact that in this Europe of ours, though enjoying a more temperate climate, if intercourse is had with women during menstruation, the glans penis and prepuce are generally attacked by some little inflammation or by superficial pustules, which however soon disappear. What much more serious consequences then must we suppose threaten those who in a warmer climate, one steaming with heat, are not ashamed to make coition with women, whilst their menses are actually flowing, these being from the nature of the case exceedingly acrid and almost poisonous. Perhaps this is why the Arab physicians, who lived in warmer countries than the Greek and Latin practitioners, first and most often treated of pustules and ulcers of the verge, arising from coition with an unclean woman, that is to say (?) with a woman during menstruation). Comp. Fr. Eagle and Judd in Behrend’s Syphilologie, Vol. I. 117 and 285.