GONORRHCEA. 



the fymptoms immediately, or foon after the application, 

 ajid prevent the formation of matter, which has given rife 

 to the notion of their lliutting up the difeafe and driving it 

 into the conftitution ; but this fuppofition cannot be true, 

 iince the matter is the only fub.lance in which the poifon is 

 contained, and the formation of the poifon is inleparable 

 from the formation of matter. I'herttore, if we can pre- 

 vent the one, the other cannot take place, and, of courfe, 

 there can be no room for abforption ; fo that there can 

 neither be any power of infetting the conllitution in the fame 

 perfon, nor of conununicating the infedtion to others. 



Mr. Hunter divided injediions into four kinds, namely, 

 the irritating, fedative, emollient, and allringent. He be- 

 lieved tliat we are not acquainted with any fpccilic one, al- 

 though a mercurial injection, of fome fort or another, is 

 frequently fancied to have fuch a quality. 



AH irritating injections act upon the principle of pro- 

 ducing an irritation of another kind, which ought to be 

 greater than that of the gonorrhcca, by which means the 

 latl is dellroyed ar.d the difeafe cured, although the pain 

 .and difcharge may dill be kept up by the application. 



Thefe fymptoms will loon go olf, as foun as the injection 

 is laid afide, becaufe they only arife from its irritating qua- 

 lities. In this w-ay bougies, as well as many injeittions, may be 

 fuppofed to perform a cure; and although they increafe the 

 fymptoms for a time, they never can increafe the dilcafe it- 

 fclf, any more (fays Mr. Hunter) than the fame injeftion, 

 which would produce tlie lame fymptoms, if applied to the 

 urethra of a found man, can communicate the difeafe. 

 Moll of the irritating injections have an allringent elFeft, 

 and, when mild, prove hmply allringents ; their irritating 

 quality depending chiefly upon their Itrength. 



Mr. Hunter was not able to determine abiolutely the kind 

 of cafes in which irritating injeiitions might be uled with 

 advantage. He thought, however, that fuch applications 

 fhould never be ufed when there is already much inflammation, 

 efpecially in conftitutions which cannot bear a great deal of 

 irritation, as a previous knowledge of the difeafe in the 

 fame perfon fometimes teaches us. Neither flioulji thefe 

 injections be ufed when the irritation has fpread beyond the 

 fpecilic dillance ; when the tefticles are tender, or when 

 they have become fore upon a fudden diminution of the dil- 

 cliarge ; when the perinosum is very fuiceptible of inflamma- 

 tion, and particularly if it {hould have formerly fuppurated. 

 Irritating injections alfo ought not to be employed when 

 there is a tendency in the bladder to irritation, which is 

 known from the patient having had, for fome time, a fre- 

 quency in making water. In all the preceding caies they 

 do no good, and often do mifchief : Mr. Hunter thought he 

 had feen abfcefles in the perinxum brought on by their 

 employment. 



In mild cafes, and in conltitutions which are not irrita- 

 ble, fuch injections often fucceed, and remove the difeafe 

 almoft immediately. The practice, liowever, as the fore- 

 going writer remarks, ought to be attempted with caution, 

 and not, perhaps, till milder methods have failed. Two 

 grains of corrolive lublimate (hydrargyrus muriatus), dif- 

 lolved in eight ounces of dilHlled water, are an eligible in- 

 jeCtion of this kind ; but an injeftion of only half this 

 itrength may be ufed, when it is not the defign to attempt 

 a very fudden cure. If, however, the mjeCtion thus 

 weakened fliould give conliderable pain, or occafion a great 

 increafe of foreneis in making water, it mult be Hill more 

 diluted. 



Sedative injeftions, according to Mr. Hunter, will al- 

 ways be of fervice in cafes where the inflammation is conti- 

 ..derable, not by lefTening the difeafe itfelf, but by lefTening 



the difeafed aftion, which always allows the natural actions 

 of the part more readily to take place. They are likewifc 

 very ufeful in relieving the painful feelings of the patient. 

 Perhaps, fays this celebrated iurgeon, the bell fedative 

 which we iiave is opium, as when given by the mouth or 

 anus, as when applied to the part affefted in the form of an 

 injeftion. But even opium will not agree, nor act as a feda- 

 tive in a'l conftitutions or parts. On the contrary, it ha'< 

 often oppofite effects, producing great ii-ritability. Lead 

 may be reckoned a fedative, fo far as it abates inflammation, 

 while, at the fame time, it may aCt as a gentle allringent. 

 Fourteen grains of faccharum faturni (acetite of lead), dif- 

 folved in eight ounces of dillilled water, make a good feda- 

 tive allringent injedlion. 



Mr. Hunter next remarks, that the drinking freely of 

 diluting liquors may, perhaps, be conlidered as liaving a 

 fedative eifeCt, as it in part removes fome of the caufes of 

 irritation, rendering the urine lefs llimulating, either to the 

 bladder, when the irritation is there, or to the urethra in its 

 paflage through it ; and the plan may poflibly lefTen the 

 fufceptibility of irritation. . The vegetable mucilages of cer- 

 tain feeds and plants, and the emollient genus, are recom- 

 mended for impregnating the patient's dnnk. Such fub- 

 ftances pafs olf with the urine, and render the evacuation of 

 that fluid lefs painful. It is proper to notice, however, 

 that Mr. Hunter does not appear to have a high opinion of 

 the utility of this praftice. 



When the inflammation is very great, Mr. Hunter be- 

 lieved, that emollient injections are the molt proper applica- 

 tions. It feems probable, that they aft tiril by fimply 

 wafliing away the matter, and then leaving a foft app'icaticni 

 to the part, in which way, fays this eminent writer, tliey 

 can be of lingular fervice by leflening the irritating elFeCts 

 of the urine. A folution ol gum arable, milk and water, 

 or iweet oil, will frequently lelfen the pain and other fymp- 

 toms, when the more aftive injedtions have done nothing, 

 or feemed to do harm. 



AVhen great irritation and forenefs prevail at the moutli 

 of the urethra, the point of the fyringe cannot be intro- 

 duced, and no attempt to ufe an injeftion ought to be made 

 before the inflammation abates. Emollients may be ufed 

 externally in the form of fomentation. 



The aftringent injections, obferves Mr. Hunter, can only 

 aft by leflening the difcharge. They can have no fpecific 

 effeft upon the inflammation. They fliould only be ufed to- 

 wards the latter end of the difeafe, when it has beconH.' mild 

 and the parts begin to itch. However, if the difeafe fliould 

 begin mildly, they may be ufed at the very beginning ; for, 

 by gradually leflening the difcharge, without increaling the 

 inflammation, we complete the cure, and prevent a continua- 

 tion of tlie difcharge called gleet. If the aftringent i»jec- 

 tions be ftrong, they will be irritating, and frequently in- 

 creafe the difcharge, inlleadof diminillnng (tt When weaker, 

 they often Hop the running, without halrening, however, 

 the cure in all cafes ; for the inflammation may Itill continue 

 even longer than it would liave done, had the tendency to 

 fecretion not been removed. But fometimes an allringent 

 injeftion w'ill cure a flight irritation in a verv few davs. Mr. 

 Hunter never found one aftringent more efficacious than 

 another. The aftringent genus, as dragon's blood, the bal« 

 fams, and the turpentines, diflblved in water; the juices of 

 many vegetables, as oak bark, Peruvian bark, tormentil 

 root, and, perhaps, all the metallic falts, as green, blue, 

 and white vitriols ; the falts of mercury, and alfo alum ; 

 probably all aft much in the fame way. Mr. Hunter, how-' 

 ever, owns that tliey do not iKt equally well in every go. 



norrlia-a. 



