LUES VENEREA. 



fail with three (flips and no men, arrived at Hifpaniola in 

 December of tlie fame year, and returned to Spain in March 

 149;. On the 25th of September following, ho departed 

 from Cadiz again with 1 7 fliips and i yoo men, betides ma- 

 riners and workmen ; and, in November, he arrived once 

 more at Hifpaniola. In the following year, 1494, he dif- 

 patched 14 iTiips back to Spain. In April 1494, Barth. 

 Columbus, the brother of Criftopher, arrived at Hifpaniola 

 with three fliips, which returned to Spain, about the con- 

 chifion of the fame year, with Pedro de Margarit, a Cata- 

 lonian gentleman, and father Bayl, a Benedidine monk: 

 the former was, at that time, feverely afflifted with the ve- 

 nereal difeafe. In Auguft 1494, four other fhips arrived at 

 Hifpaniola from Spain, under the command of Antonio de 

 Torrez, and returned at the fame time as thoie laft fpecificd. 

 LalUy, in Oclober 1495, John Aguado, the envoy of their 

 Catholic majefties, came to Hifpaniola with four (hips, to 

 inquire into the crimes of which Chrillopher Columbus 

 flood accufed ; and, the year following, departed for Cadiz, 

 where he arrived with Chriftopher on the i ith of June 1496, 

 and with 2co foldiers, who were infeftcd with the venereal 

 difeafe. 



The firft conveyance of this didemper from the Wed 

 Indies to Europe, by the followers of Columbus, is fup- 

 ported by numerous teftimoniei ; among which are thofe of 

 Anthony Mufa BralTavolus, John Baptilla Montanus, 

 Gabriel Fallopius, and Roderic Diaz Thelc confirm the 

 difeafe to have originated in the Weft Indies, and to have 

 been brought over by Columbus's men ; that it appeared in 

 Spain firit in 1493, at Barcelona, and there fpread immedi- 

 ately through the whole city ; that, in Hifpaniola and the 

 adjacent Well India iflands, the difeafe was very frequent 

 and familiar to the natives, who had found out an antidote, 

 called guaiacum wood ; and, laftly, that the diftemper in 

 America was milder than in Europe, where, on its firll 

 breaking out, it was undoubtedly more fevere than at fub- 

 fequent periods. 



This laft circumftance is referred by fome authors to the 

 treatment being now better underftood, and, in particidar, 

 to the efficacy of mercury, with which praftitioners were for- 

 merly unacquainted Others appear to think the diftemper 

 actually milder in its nature. Mr. Foot entertains the firft 

 of thefe opinions ; while Aftruc and Sydenham prufefs the 

 latter. Our own ohfervations have induced us to believe, 

 that the difeafe has atluallv become fomewhat milder within 

 the laft fifteen years : for, we are lure, not half fo many 

 bad and fatal cafes are now met with in the London hof- 

 pitals, as were feen about the clofe of the preceding cen- 

 tury. If this be a fuel, it cannot be afcribed to our more 

 fa^llllar acquaintance with mercury, though it may perhaps 

 be imputed to better treatment : for there cau be no doubt 

 that many cafes have been exafperated by the long, unre- 

 mitting, and violent faiivations, which the old furgeons, 

 who were blinded by falfe fear: and prejudices, deemed io 

 eftential to the radical cure of the diftemper. 



Thefe is only one other fentiment, which we have to 

 notice, rcfpefting the firft origin of fyphilis, namely, that 

 it was not brought from the Weft Indies, but began in 

 Europe, as an epidemical afFeftion. Mr. Hunter ieems in- 

 clined to think, that the diftemper did not originally come 

 from, the Weft Indies ; and he was led into this perfuafion 

 by reading a ftiort treatife, entitled, " A Didertation on the 

 Origin of the Venereal Difeafe ; proving, that it was not 

 brought f'om America, but began in Europe from an epi- 

 demical Diftemper. Tranilated from the original Manu- 

 fcript of an emment Phvfician. Loudon, printed for Robert 

 GrilE'.Ls, iJSi-" 



In our opinion, however, Aftruc has adduced abundajit 

 proofs of the diftemper having exifted in Hifpaniola, before 

 it was at all known in Europe ; and he has explained, as fa- 

 tisfadlorily as can reafonably be expected, how the difeafe 

 was conveyed from the Weft Indies to Barcelona in 1493, 

 and to Italy fhortly afterwards. 



The fuhject, whiih we are about to quit, is highly in- 

 terefting ; though the time that has now elapfed, fince the 

 commencement of lues venerea in Europe, forbids any ad- 

 vantageous inveftigations of the controverted points. That 

 the ancient leprofy could not be fyphilis. Dr. Aftruc has 

 entirely fatisfied us ; and we join him in the belief that th« 

 latter difeafe was originally imported into Europe from the 

 Weft Indies. It is unqueflionably a matter of infinite cu- 

 riofity, that the leprofy, common as it was in former times, 

 Ihonld fcarcely ever have made its appearance after the ve- 

 nereal difeafe fpread over Etirope ; but this may not be 

 more curious and unaccountable than the departure of the 

 plague, and the accefs of the fmall-pox. See Aftruc De 

 Morbis Venereis, and Foot on Lues Venerea. 



General Obferimticiis. — As Mr. Hunter has remarked, in 

 whatever manner the difeafe arofe, it certainly began in the 

 human race ; for we know of no other animal that is capable 

 of being infeiied with this poifon. It is probable, too, that 

 the parts of generation were the firft affected ; for if the 

 diforder had occurred in any other part of the body, it 

 might probably never have gone further than the perfon in 

 whom it firft arofe, and, therefore, never have excited public 

 attention ; but as it was feated in the parts of generation, 

 where the only natural connexion takes place between one 

 human being and another, except that between the mother 

 and child, it was in the moft favourable fituatiou for being 

 propagated. Befides, as no conftitutional effeft of the poifon 

 can impart the difeafe to others, we are obhged to conclude 

 that the firft effefts were local. 



We know little about the fyphilitic poifon, if we exclude 

 from confiJeration its effefts upon the human body. It is 

 commonly in the form of pus, or united with pus, or fome 

 fuch fecretion, and, when applied to parts, it has the pe- 

 culiarity of giving rife to a procefs, in which is produced 

 matter of fimilar qualities to its own. In moft cafe.-;, it ex- 

 cites an inflammatien in the parts contaminated : but there is- 

 not finiplv inflammation ; a peculiar mode of aftion is fuper- 

 added, different from all other aftions attending inflamma- 

 tion ; and, according to Mr. Hunter, it is this fpecific mode 

 of adion that produces the fpecific quality in the matter. 

 The peculiar mode of aftioii, however, may exift without 

 tlie prefence of inflammation : at Icaft, this inference is 

 drawn, fince the poifon continues to be formed, and a 

 healing chancre will comrsunicate the difeafe to another 

 perfon. 



The formation of matter, alfo, though a very general, is 

 not a conftant attendant on this difeafe ; for fometimes the 

 fyphi'itic poifon produces a kind of inflammation, which 

 does not terminate in fuppuration. But, according to Mr. 

 Hunter, no venereal poifon can exift, unlels matter is 

 formed. A perfon, therefore, having the venereal irritation 

 in any form, not attended with a difcliargc, cannot com- 

 municate the difeafe to another. To impart the diforder, 

 the venereal action muft firft have taken place; matter muft 

 have been formed in confeqwence of that adlion ; and fuch 

 matter mutt be applied to the perfon who is to be infefted. 

 We have no examples of this diftemper being communicated 

 by vapour, or effluvia, like many other difeafes. 



Mr. Hunter believed, that the circumftance of the virus ' 

 being more or lefs diluted, m different cales, is not the caufe 

 of any variety in the eifefls produced, provided the dilutica 

 4 D e * 



