DISEASES PECULIAR TO MEN 655 



inal fluid, catarrhal or bloody discharges from some portion 

 of the urinary passages, too frequent sexual indulgence, 

 seminal losses, catarrh of the prostate, absence of sperma- 

 tozoa, consumption, syphilis, nervous debility, and diseases of 

 the brain and kidneys. The management of diseases of this 

 kind requires the greatest skill on the part of the physician, 

 and cannot be left to the patient himself, and hence few 

 remarks concerning treatment are needed here. Many cases 

 are incurable from their very nature ; but cases in which the 

 sterility is the result of abnormal discharges, are cured by 

 correcting the discharge. 



Gonorrhea. — This very grave disease is due to infection 

 with the gonococcus, one of the most virulent germs known. 

 The gonococcus produces a very virulent and irritating 

 toxin, which causes intense inflammation of the tissues with 

 which it comes in contact, even producing ulceration and 

 destruction of the tissues. The disease is usually con- 

 fined to the urethral canal, but may affect other portions of 

 the penis, as the head of the organ and the foreskin. Its 

 usual course is from the orifice of the urethra inward. It 

 may be confined to the mucous membrane, but usually in- 

 volves the deeper structures. In severe cases, the inflamma- 

 tion may reach into the surrounding tissues so extensively 

 as to cause distortion of the shape of the organ by contrac- 

 tion or stricture. Ulceration and various other grave in- 

 juries may be produced. 



The infection of gonorrhea may not be confined to the 

 urinary canal. It may extend to the bladder, the kidneys, 

 the seminal ducts and the testicles. When the testicles be- 

 come involved in the disease, they are almost certain to be 

 irreparably damaged and the result in time may be sterility. 

 One of the most serious and painful complications results 

 from the extension of the disease to the prostate, causing 

 acute or chronic prostatitis. It is very difficult to reach and 

 destroy the germs in this region, and chronic infection, with 

 frequent relapses, is likely to occur. 



A fact which should be more generally understood is the 

 great susceptibility of the eye to gonorrheal infection. The 

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