LUES VENEREA. 



peifted manner. This is a fubjeA urgently requiring the 

 attention of the praftitioner ; but as we have treated of it 

 elfewhere, we (hall here be content with referring to the 

 above-mentioned part of the prefent publication. 



Mercury occafionally gives rife to a mod fevere apd es- 

 tcnfive rafh all over the body, attended with alarmintr in- 

 difpofition. This complaint is noticed in the article Ery- 

 thema, and is one with which every furgeon fliould be well 

 acquainted. 



The precife manner in which mem.ory a<fts in checkinpr 

 and curing fyphilitic difeafes, has been the fnbjetl of various 

 conjeiSures. Some writers fancy that it muft operate by 

 neutralizing the virus, juil as an alkali deftroys an acid. 

 Others, feeing that njercury only exerted an anti-venere?,l 

 quahty, when combined with oxygen, have endeavoured to 

 account for the aftion of this mineral, by the quantity of 

 oxygen which it conveys with it into the fyftem. Againft 

 the firft of thefe fuppofitions it is argued, that mercury 

 cannot aft by neutralizing the virus, fmce its effeft would 

 then always correfpond with the quantity introduced into 

 the fyftem. This experience contradicts, and the Hun- 

 terian doftrines lead us to conclude, that the virus does 

 not long remain in the conilitution, after contaminating 

 the parts, and communicating to them the difpofition which 

 is afterwards to come into aftion. Againft the fecond 

 opinion it may be obferved, that though mercury has no 

 effect in its fimple ftate, yet thofe mercurial preparations 

 which have the moft power over fyphilis, are fuch as are 

 combined with the fmalleft quantity of oxygen. Befides, 

 there are othar fubftances which contain infinitely more 

 oxygen than mercurial medicines, and yet have not gained 

 the celebrity and confidence which furgeons place in mer- 

 cury, as an antidote for fyphilis. There can be no doubt, 

 however, that the nitric and nitrous acids, the oxygenated 

 muriatic acid, and the oxygenated muriate of potafta, fub- 

 ftances which largely abound in oxygen, are in a certain 

 degree anti-fyphilitic, though they cannot be deoended 

 »pon fo much as mercury. With refpedl to the modus 

 operandi of mercury, it was Mr. Hunter's belief, that this 

 mineral produced in the coulUtution an irritation which 

 counterafted the venereal and entirely deftroyed it. Trcatile 

 on Ven. Difeafe, p. 3(55. 



The indifcrete and immoderate employment of mercury 

 fometimes gives rife to difeafes, which are very liable to be 

 millaken for continuations of the fyphihtic affection, for 

 which that remedy was at firft prefcribed. Mr. Hunter 

 himfelf confeffes that thefe cafes puzzle confiderably, it 

 being difficult to fay when the venereal aftion is abfolutely 

 deftroyed. He obferves, that fuch complaints are moft 

 common in the throat ; for while a mercurial courfe is 

 going on, and the ulcer on the" tonfils healing, or even 

 healed, thefe parts will fometimes fvvell, and excoriations 

 occur and fpread over the whole palatum moUe. Mr. Hun- 

 ter believed that fuch excoriations, as well as other appear- 

 ances of difeafe coming on during the ufe of mercury, were 

 feldom or never vene.eal. Hence he recommended mer- 

 cury to be-contimied no longer than was fufficient to over- 

 come the original fypliilitic difeafe. In thefe cafes, he 

 thought that bark was often of fervice, and that it might 

 be uicfully givsn, either with the mercury, or after the mer- 

 curial courfe was over. 



Frequently venereal abfceffes will not heal up, though 

 they have become confiderably better ; for while the fyphi- 

 litic actions remained in the part, mercury difpofed that part 

 to heal ; but under the mercurial courfe, the conttitution 

 and part had acqui-red another difpofition, proceeding (to 

 ufe Mr. Ranter's language) from a venereal and mercurial 



irritation, affefting a particular habit of body, or par^, at 

 the time which new difpofition differs from ths venereal, 

 mercurial, and natural, being a fourth difpofition arifing 

 out of all the tliree. Mercury, when continued under fuch 

 circumftanccs, afts as a poifon, and makes the local difeafe 

 grow worfe and fpread. Some of the fores, formed in this 

 way, not only refift all means of cure, but often inflame, 

 ulcerate, and produce hard callous b«fes, fo as to put on a 

 canceruus appearance. New difeafes may arife from mer- 

 cury alone, as fw'elling of the tonfils, unattended with 

 any fyphilitic difeafes, thickenings of the perioftcum, and 

 oedema, and lorenefs of the parts over the bones. Thefe 

 complaints, arifing under a courfe of mercury, are too often 

 regarded as veneieal, and that mineral pufhed to the ntmoft; 

 extent. If mercury has already been given fufficiently to 

 cure the original difeafe, it ought to be now immediately 

 left off, and not continued for thefe incidental afFections, 

 which will be rendered worfe by it. If, after the cure of 

 fuch maladies, the venereal difeafe (hould begin to come 

 into aftion again, mercury muft be given a iecond time. 

 Mr. Hunter fufpefted fhat'the diforders of the tonfils and 

 periofteum, above alluded to, originated from fcrofulr,, and 

 he entertained a favourable opinion of bark and fea-bathing 

 for their relief. P. 369 — 37 1. The terrible forms of difeafe, 

 which we every day fee fyphilitic complaints converted into 

 by rafti local and mercurial treatment, are really deplorable. 

 The worft phagedenic buboes, and deftruftive lioughing 

 chancres, and other ulcers, ate often more owing to the 

 wrong continuance and immoderate exhibition of mercury, 

 and bad local treatment, than any original fault in the 

 habit. 



From mercury, we proceed to notice a few of the other 

 principal remedies which have obtained repute for their anti- 

 fyphilitic virtues. 



Gcaiacum is the medicine with which the natives of the 

 Weft Indies are faid to have cured fyphilitic affeftions 

 before thefe difeafes made their appearance in Europe. 

 Many writers of the i6th century contended that guaiacum 

 was a true fpecific for the venereal difeafe ; and the cele- 

 brated Boerhaave, in the i8th, maintained the fame opinion. 

 We learn from Mr. Pearfon that he was firft; entrufted 

 with the care of the Lock hofpital in 1781. Mr. Bromfield 

 and Mr. Williams were in the habit of repofing great con- 

 fidence in the efficacy of a decoftion of guaiacum wood. 

 This was adminiftered to fuch patients as had already em- 

 ployed the ufual quantity of mercury ; but who com- 

 plained of nofturnal pains, or had gummata, nodes, oza:na, 

 and fuch other effefts of the venereal virus connefted with. 

 fecondary fymptoms, as did yield to a courfe of mercurial 

 friftions. _ The diet confifted of raifins and hard bifcuit ; 

 from two to four pints of the decoftion were taken every 

 day; the hot-bath was ufed twice a week ; and a dofe of 

 antimonial wine and laudanum, or of Dover's powder, was 

 commonly taken every evening. Conftant confinement to 

 bed was not deemed neceffary ; neither was expofure to the 

 vapour of burning fpirit, with a view of exciting perfpira- 

 tion, often praftifed, as only a moift ftate of the fkin was 

 defiled. This treatment was fometimes of Angular advan- 

 tage to thofe whofe health had fuftained injury from the 

 diieafe, long confinement, and mercury. The itrength in-' 

 creafed ; bad ulcers healed ; exfoliations were completed ; 

 and thefe anomalous fymptoms, which would have been ex- 

 afperated by mercury, foon yielded to guaiacum. 



Befides fuch cafes, in which the good effefts of guaiacum 

 made it to be regarded as a fpecific for lues venerea, the medi- 

 cine was alfo formerly exhibited by feme praftitioners on 

 the firft attack of the venereal difeafe. The difordcr, being 

 4 F 2 thus 



