Epidemics. igi 



but leprosy is decidedly so. One disease is acute, and the 

 other chronic. Both appear to be blood diseases, but 

 leprosy, according to the ancients, was an universal and 

 internal cancer, working from within outwards, and laying 

 hold of every vital structure, which moderns have confirmed 

 save with regard to the kidneys. Plague was a blood and 

 lymphatic disease ; therefore its poison was prone to reach 

 certain glands, as of the inguinal and axillary regions and 

 the neck. 



Syphilis, in its secondary or tertiary forms, is a blood 

 disease. Modern pathology has detected syphiloid infiltra- 

 tion, or morbific deposits, in almost every structure of the 

 body ; it is of limited hereditary transmission, and whether 

 it ever reaches the second generation is extremely doubtful, 

 though testimony here and there might lead to such an 

 inference ; but careful observation, and a little ordinary 

 discernment, might lead to a wholesome doubt as to the 

 value of the testimony given. 



All matter from an exposed surface upon the extremities 

 is prone to excite inflammation of lymphatic glands in the 

 inguinal or axillary regions ; but the syphilitic poison is 

 perhaps more prone than that of any other kind to excite in- 

 flammation in the glands, and develop ordinary buboes. 

 Occasionally the soft superficial chancre will produce true 

 secondary symptoms without buboes appearing, and will in- 

 fect another person. Mr. A. had a soft chancre on the penis 

 at its middle ; its greatest width was transversely to its 

 long axis, never was hard, healed perfectly, and was followed 

 by eruption and ulcerated sore throat, and thinning of the 

 hair, all of which followed within three months from the 

 time the chancre healed, Mrs. A. followed in the train, but 

 a month later ; but got more distinct bald patches on the 

 head, and the hair very scanty elsewhere. Fifteen months 

 after, a son was born, and in six weeks a wretched syphilitic 



