jgO PHARMACEUTICAL BACTERIOLOGY 



tnary influence as to any increase or decrease in cases. The reason why 

 the morally clean are quite free from the diseases is because they do not 

 expose themselves. The immoral men and women (that is, sexually highly 

 promiscuous) might be equally free from infection provided they were 

 themselves physically clean and kept away from those who were infected. 



It is essentially chronic in its course, the effects being apparent even 

 (n the third and fourth generations. Primitive races are said to have been 

 free from this disease until the advent of civiUzation, yet the disease is of 

 great antiquity having been widespread in ancient Rome and Greece. It 

 is very infectious via abrasions, cuts and all breaks in the continuity of 

 the skin and mucous membranes. The infection is carried by all manner 

 of exposed objects, as clothing, dentist's instruments, pipes, dishes, drinking 

 vessels, etc., in fact anything and everything which may have been in 

 contact with a syphiUtic. The primary lesions of the, patients are very 

 infectious. 



The disease is readily preventable. All that is necessary is to keep 

 away from the carriers of the infection. Syphihtics should be isolated 

 until cured. The disease is very readily kept under control by the proper 

 remedial agents, but persistency in the use of medicines is necessary 

 to effect a cure. Ehrlich's 606 (Salvarsan), is considered in the nature of 

 a specific, given in hypodermic, intramuscular or intravenous injections. 



M. Gonorrhea. — This is also a filth disease. The primary cause is the 

 non-sporogenous Micrococcus {Diplococcus) gonorrhece. It is not infectious 

 but exceedingly contagious to mucous membranes. As Ophthalmia 

 neonatorum (ophthalmia of the new-born) it is a very fruitful cause of 

 blindness. The suppurative discharges from patients are highly con- 

 tagious. The contagion is carried by patients and by the articles touched 

 or handled by them. The disease is diflScult to eradicate from the system. 

 It is not so frequently locahzed in urethra and vagina as is generally 

 supposed, but it may travel to the bladder, kidneys, joints, etc., and it 

 may be general upon nearly all mucous membranes of the body. It is very 

 apt to become chronic, giving rise to very serious after effects. Syphilis 

 and gonorrhea have the following in common. 



1. Both are highly contagious by direct contact, but particularly so to 

 mucous membranes. They are in no sense infectious and are epidemic 

 or general only in proportion to the number of contact inoculations. The 

 chief carriers and disseminators of the contagions are the women in public 

 houses and the male frequenters of such houses. Lack of personal cleanli- 

 ness is a very fruitful source of spreading the infection. 



2. The innocent (infants, children and adults) are occasionally infected 

 through contact with those afficted with the diseases, as in shaking hands, 

 kissing, contact with clothing and other articles used by those already in- 



