A Miscellaneous group of diseases
are here associated: several of them unconnected in symptom, cause, or cure: others are of exotic origin, and transplanted amongst us. Mankind left exposed, without defence or remedy, against even this small morbid host, would soon be sensible of the calamities and scourge of medicinal ignorance: and they would be less surprised at the incorporation of medicine with divine worship in ancient times.
Venereal Disease.
Three hundred years have not altogether elapsed since the discovery of America, and the importation of the venereal disease into the old world. Before the discovery of its antidote, mercury, and in some inferior degree of the native Indian remedy, the decoction of guiacum, Europe was alarmed with universal confirmation at the rapid inroads of this disease: multitudes, of all ranks, perished in lingering torture, under its corroding ulcers, presenting before death hideous spectacles of cadaverous corruption and deformity. In the last thirty years of the preceding century, 2360 deaths are recorded under French pox, in the London bills; and even at this day, the chart of diseases demonstrates its fatality to be infinitely greater than medical men could suspect.
It would, in this disease, be ridiculous to inspect hospital registers, for the purpose of either ascertaining the ages wherein venereal ravages prevail, or the proportion of cured and incurable. Its ravages cannot be in infancy, nor in adolescence, nor in the decline of life. The merest smatterer in medicine knows the infallible remedy and cure I except that in the application to particular cases, some more judgment and dexterity is necessary. The multitudes who now perish in these battles of Venus, are so many sacrifices either to negligence or to indigence; or to the grossest ignorance and empiricism of licenced murderers. There is no other disease wherein professed quackery is so generally resorted to, or wherein its decoys are so pernicious to the community. The great majority of these victims to seduction, pleasure, and necessity, are in all probability amongst the swarm of wretched and unfortunate female prostitutes; and in the male sex amongst the lower orders: for in those of less straitened circumstances, a small bribe to the searchers would conjure venereal mortality into sores or ulcers, or into consumptions. Besides, were we to add to venereal carnage the shattered constitutions, in consequence of these wounds and scars, it would appear an object of sufficient magnitude to attract the attention, interposition, and regulation of the legislature. In every metropolis, especially amongst the unmarried, and in armies and navies, it is without doubt, much more fatal to the community. Indeed, in cities, few of the male sex, arrived at adult years, can boast of not having been, in some giddy moment, fascinated into impure embraces.
There are two distinct genera, or species, of the venereal disease; the Local Gonorrhœa, and what is called Confirmed Pox. The gonorrhœa generally begins from two to six days after the infection, with titillation of the glans, redness of the orifice of the urethra, and oozing of mucus; which tinges the linen in spots and hardness. These symptoms are daily aggravated with strangury, dysury, involuntary painful priapism, and nocturnal pollution. Sometimes, though rarely, gonorrhœa is confined to the external mucous glands about the neck or ring of the glans. In females, the gonorrhœa affects principally the vagina, with pain, heat, and mucous discharge; but no considerable dysury. The lues venerea confirmata, or syphilis, commonly begins with either one or more ulcerations of the penis, or vagina; or with inflammation in the glands of the groin. The ulcer or chancre appears as a red spot on the glans, or prepuce, is hot, prurient; in a few days the top changes into a white speck, ulcerates, and, if not prevented, gradually spreads and corrodes all around. Inflammation, or bubo in the lymphatic glands of the groin, may either originate from previous chancre, or without it. In this a tumour and pain is felt in the groin, with enlargement of the glands; this tumour and inflammation, if not checked, increases to a boil, and suppuration; but often with tedious subsequent ulcerations, fistulas, and sanious discharge.
These are the two usual and slight appearances of gonorrhœa, and of confirmed pox, when the infection is first applied to the genitals; and frequently these two genera are complicated. But in both genera, from various causes, originating from the virulence of the disease, the intemperance of the patient, or mismanagement of his medical pilot, many adventitious and aggravated symptoms are superadded; in number and severity varying in different persons; several of them, when violent and precipitate, requiring speedy alleviation; and often to be treated as separate diseases. In the malign train of gonorrhœa are violent inflammation and constriction of the prepuce, before or behind the glans, or phymosis, and paraphymosis; dysury, strangury, priapism; painful and inflamed testicles; scirrhous and indurated testicles; chronic gleet; stricture, caruncles, and obstructions in the urethra. Confirmed pox, in its inveterate and chronic stages, contaminates the whole constitution; erodes the genitals, or anus; ascends to the throat, and excites callous ulceration and dilapidation in the uvula, tonsils, fauces, palate, nose; hence hoarse, guttural voice, fetid breath: the patient is variously tormented with gnawing pains in the legs, shoulders, and hand bones, which are exasperated in bed; with chronic headach; with cutaneous eruptions on different parts of the face, trunk, or extremities, and dry, scaly, humid, ulcerated, red, yellow, or purple; with ophthalmy; with nodes and tumour of the forehead, exostoses and caries of the bones; atrophy. Chronic warts about the genitals and anus, and called by different names, porri, crystæ, condylomata, rhagades, thymi, moræ; are generally innocuous.
The Causes. Infection by contact with the genitals: or the pox, when inveterate, may be communicated by the mouth and nipples; by drinking out of the same vessels, by touching any diseased or ulcerated part. When inoculated by suction, it begins first in the mouth or nipples.