The regimen proper in this case is the same as was mentioned in the last stage of the gonorrhœa: the diet must be drying and astringent, and the drink Spa, Pyrmont, or Bristol waters with which a little claret or red wine may sometimes be mixed.
When the gleet does not in the smallest degree yield to these medicines, there is reason to suspect that it proceeds from ulcers. In this case recourse must be had to mercury, and such medicines as tend to correct any predominant acrimony with which the juices may be affected, as the decoction of China, sarsaparilla, sassafras, or the like.
Mr. Fordyce says, he has seen many obstinate gleets, of two, three, or four years standing, effectually cured by a mercurial inunction, when almost every other medicine has been tried in vain. Dr. Chapman seems to be of the same opinion; but says, he has always found the mercury succeed best in this case when joined with terebinthinate and other agglutinating medicines. For which reason the Doctor recommends pills made of calomel and Venice turpentine;[[4]] and desires that their use may be accompanied with a decoction of guaiacum or sarsaparilla.
[4]. Take Venice turpentine, boiled to a sufficient degree of hardness, half an ounce, calomel half a dram. Let these be mixed and formed into sixty pills, of which five or six may be taken night and morning. If, during the use of these pills, the mouth should grow sore, or the breath become offensive, they must be discontinued till these symptoms disappear.
The last kind of remedy which we shall mention for the cure of ulcers in the urinary passage, are the supperating candles or bougies. As these are prepared various ways, and are generally to be bought ready made, it is needless to spend time in enumerating the different ingredients of which they are composed, or teaching the manner of preparing them. Before a bougie be introduced into the urethra, however, it should be smeared all over with sweet oil, to prevent it from stimulating too suddenly. It may be suffered to continue in from one to seven hours, according as the patient can bear it. Obstinate ulcers are not only often healed, but tumours or excrescences in the urinary passages taken away, and an obstruction of urine removed, by means of bougies. Obstinate gleets may be removed by the use of bougies.
OF THE SWELLED TESTICLE.
The swelled testicle may either proceed from infection lately contracted, or from the venereal poison lurking in the body; the latter indeed is not very common, but the former frequently happens both in the first and second stages of a gonorrhœa; particularly when the running is unseasonably checked, by cold, hard drinking, strong drastic purges, violent exercise, the too early use of astringent medicines, or the like.
In the inflammatory stage, bleeding is necessary, which must be repeated according to the urgency of the symptoms.[[5]] The food must be light, and the drink diluting. High-seasoned food, flesh, wines, and every thing of a heating nature, are to be avoided. Fomentations are of singular service. Poultices of bread and milk, softened with fresh butter or oil, are likewise very proper, and ought constantly to be applied when the patient is in bed; when he is up the testicles should be kept warm, and supported by a suspensory, which may easily be contrived in such a manner as to prevent the weight of the testicle from having any effect.
[5]. I have been accustomed for some time past to apply leeches to inflamed testicles, which practice has always been followed with the most happy effects.
If it should be found impracticable to clear the testicle by the cooling regimen now pointed out, and extended according to circumstances, it will be necessary to lead the patient through such a complete antivenereal course as shall ensure him against any future uneasiness. For this purpose, besides rubbing the mercurial ointment on the thighs as directed in the gonorrhœa, the patient must be confined to bed, if necessary, for five or six weeks, suspending the testicle, all the while, with a bag or truss, and plying him inwardly with strong decoctions of sarsaparilla.