306 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



most likely to suffer in this way, as also from invol- 

 untary ejaculation occurring at night. 



Internal Emissions.— As the disease progresses, 

 external discharges finally cease, in some cases, or par- 

 tially so, and the individual is encouraged by that cir- 

 cumstance to think that he is recovering. He soon 

 discovers his error, however, for he continues to droop, 

 even though the discharges apparently cease altogether. 

 This seems a mystery until some medical friend or a 

 medical work calls his attention to the fact that the 

 discharges now occur internally instead of externally, 

 the seminal fluid passing back into the bladder, and 

 being voided with the urine, a microscopic examination 

 of which shows the presence of zoosperms. 



An Important Caution.— It is necessary, how- 

 ever, to caution the reader not to pronounce every 

 whitish sediment or flocculent matter found in the urine 

 to be a seminal discharge, for the great majority are 

 of a different character. They are most frequently 

 simply mucus or phosphates from the bladder. Sem- 

 inal fluid cannot be distinguished from mucus by any 

 other than a careful microscopic examination. A 

 microscope of good quality, and capable of magnifying 

 at least one hundred and fifty diameters, is required, 

 together with considerable skill in the operator. Quacks 

 have done an immense amount of harm by frightening 

 patients into the belief that they were suifering from 

 discharges of this kind, when there was, in fact, noth- 

 ing more than a copious deposit of phosphates, which 

 is not at all infrequent in nervous people, especially 

 after eating. 



Wlien the condition described does really exist, 

 however, the patient cannot make too much haste to 

 put himself under the care of a competent physician 



