LUES VENEREA. 



feryes, that, as all tneR' applications are only of fervice in 

 remedying any peculiar difpolition of the parts, as they 

 have no fpecific power over the venereal poifon, and as fuch 

 difpolitions are innumerable, it is almoft impoffible to fay 

 \vhat applications will be cfTeftual in every inllan -e. Some 

 kinds of dreffings will anfwer in one ftate of the fore ; fome 

 ill another. The parts aflcdled are often found extremely 

 irritable, in which circumftance the mercury (bouid be tnixed 

 with opium (jr preparations of lead. 



Mr. Hunter was an advocate for changinij the dreffings 

 very often, becaufe the matter feparates them from the fore, 

 fo as to diminilli their effetls. He ftates, that champing 

 the applications thrice a day, will not be found too often, 

 parcicularly when they arc in the form of an ointment. 



When the venereal nature of a chancre is removed, the 

 fore frequently becomes ftationary, in which cafe Mr, 

 Hunter obferves, that new difpofitions have been Required, 

 and the quantity of dife.ife in the part has been increafed. 

 When chancres are only llationary, Mr. Hunter fays, they 

 may often be cured, by touching them (lightly with the 

 lunar cauftic. . No cicatrization, in this cafe, feems poffible, 

 till the contaminated furface, or the new flefli, which grows 

 on that furface, has either been deftroyed or altered. It 

 is often furpriting, how quickly the fores heal up, after be- 

 ing touched with the application. 



At the fame time that topical applications are made to 

 chancres, mercury muft be internally exhibited, both with 

 a view of curing thefe ulcers, and preventing a lues venerea. 

 Mr. Hunter believed, that the venereal diipofition of the 

 chancre would hardly ever withlland both local and internal 

 mercurials. 



When local applications cannot eafily be made to chancres, 

 as in cafes of phymofis, there is a ftill greater necelEty for 

 giving mercury internally, by which means, the cure may 

 in the end be cfFedled. 



Mercury fhould always be given internally in every cafe 

 of chancre, let it be ever fo flight, and even when the fore 

 has been deftroyed on its very firfl; appearance. The re^ 

 medy fhould always be exhibited the whole time of the cure, 

 and continued fome time after the chancre has healed ; 

 for, fays Mr. Hunter, as there are, perhaps, few chancres 

 without abforption of the matter, it becomes abfolutely 

 neceffary to give mercury to aft internally, in order to hinder 

 the venereal difpofition from forming. How much mercury 

 -fhould be thrown into the conilitution in the cure of a chan- 

 cre, with a view of keeping the fyltem from being affefted, 

 cannot eafily be determined, as there is no dileafe adlually 

 formed, by which we can be guided. Mr. Hunter ftates, 

 that the quantity muft in general be proportioned to the 

 fize, number, and duration of the chancres ; or, in other 

 words, proportioned to the opportunity, which tiiere h.as 

 been given for abforption. 



The mercury, which is exhibited to aft internally, may 

 be conveyed into the fyftem, either by the Ikin, or llomach, 

 according to circumftances, and it fliould be fo taken, as 

 to produce a flight afFeftion of the mouth. 



Mr. Hunter next remarks, that when the fore has put on 

 an healthy look, when the hard bafis has bscome fofc, and 

 the ulcer has Ikinned over in a favourable manner, it may 

 be regarded as cured. ' 



The fame diitinguifhed writer notices, however, that in 

 very large chancres, it may not always be neceffary to con- 

 tinue the application of mercury, either for external or in- 

 ternal aftion, .till the fore is healed, for the venereal aftion 

 isjuft as fo«n deftroyed in a large chancre, as it is in a fmall 

 one, fince every part of the fore is equally affefted by the 

 JBedicine, and, of courfc, cured with equal expedition. 



But, in regard to cicatrization, circumftances are different, 

 becaufe a large fore is longer than a fmall one, in becoming 

 covered with flciq. Hence Mr. Hunter very juiUy explains, 

 that a large chancre may be deprived of its venereal aftion 

 long before it has healed ; while, on the other hand, a fmall 

 one may heal before the fyphilitic afFeftion has been de- 

 ftroyed. I;i the latter cafe, this gentleman reprefeiits it 

 as moft prudent, both on account of the chancre and con— 

 ftitution, to continue the employment of mercury a little 

 while after the fore has healed. 



Mr. Hunter, in the valuable work which he has left on 

 the prefent fubjeft, takes notice of (loughs, which occur in 

 the tonfils, from die effeft of mercury on the throat, and 

 are apt to be miftaken for venereal complaints. He alfo 

 mentions, that fometimes, when the original chancre has 

 been doing well, and been nearly healed, he has feen nev/ 

 fores break out on the prepuce, near the firft, and affume 

 all the appearance of chancres. 



When, in the treatment of chancres, a bubo arifes, while 

 the conftitntion is loaded with a fufficient quantity of mer- 

 cury to cure fuch fores, which medicine has alio been rubbed, 

 into the lower extremity, on the fame fide as the bubo, Mr. 

 Hunter fufpefted, that the fwelling in the groin is not 

 venereal, but is produced by the mercury. In thefe cafes, 

 he always preferred conveying mercury into the fyftem ia 

 fome other manner. 



With refpeft to the treatment of chancres in women, 

 fince it is difficult to keep dreffiiigs on the parts. Mr. 

 Hunter advifcs the fores to be frequently waftied with. fome 

 mercurial folution, and fpeaks of one made with corrofive 

 fublimate, as perhaps being the beft, fince it will ac^ as a 

 fpecific, and ilimulant alfo, when this is lequifite. When 

 the chancres, however, are irritable, they are to be treated 

 in the fame manner, as fimilar complaints in men. When 

 the fores extend into the vagina, this pafTage muft be kept 

 from becoming conftrifted, or clofed, by the introduftioa 

 of lint. 



Sometimes, after a chancre and all venereal difeafe are 

 cured, 4he prepuce continues thickened and elongated, fo 

 that the glans cannot be uncovered. Perhaps, the cafe is 

 often without remedy. Mr. Hunter, however^ very pro- 

 perly recommends trying every poffible means, and he in- 

 forms us, that the fteam of ^varm water, hemlock fomen- 

 tations, and cinnabar fumigations, are frequently of fingular 

 fervice. 



Wlien the thickenirrg and enlargement of the prepuce 

 cannot be removed by applications, all the portion, anterior 

 to the glans penis, may be cut away. See PiiVMOsls. 



Mr. Hunter has very ably explained, that chancres, both 

 in men and women, often acquire, during the treatment, 

 new difpofiiions, -which are of various kinds, lome retard- 

 ing the cure, and leaving the parts in an indolent thickened 

 ftate, after the cure is jaccomplillied. In other inftances, 

 a new difpofition arifes, which utterly prevents the parts 

 from healing, and often produces a much worfe difeafe, than 

 that from which it originated. Such new difpofitions may 

 lead to the growth of tumours. They are more frequent 

 in men than women, and generally occur only when tl.e in- 

 flammation has been violent from fome pecuhanty of the 

 parts, or conftitution. They have fometimes been confidered 

 as cancerous. 



Among the difeafes in queftion, Mr. Hunter notices thofe 

 continued, and often increafed inflammations, fuppurations, 

 and ulcerations, which become ditfuled through the whole 

 prepuce, and alfo along the common Jkiu vi the penis, 

 which become of a purple hue, attended with fuch a general 

 thickening of the .cellular membrane, as makes the whole 



organ 



