A practical treatise on venereal disorders : and more especially on the history and treatment of chancre / by Philippe Ricord.

  • Philippe Ricord
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A practical treatise on venereal disorders : and more especially on the history and treatment of chancre / by Philippe Ricord. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Gonorrhoea.—Many years have not elapsed since the doctrine prevailed, that chancre and gonorrhoea are the same disease, dii- feringonly in form. Hunter maintained this opinion, and accounte for the difference of form by the difference of seat; but that these diseases are distinct in nature, and very different in importance, was first taught by Sigwart, John Clement Tode, and Dr. A. Duncan, Senior, and afterwards demonstrated by Benjamin Bell, in his Treatise on the Venereal Disease. Although this doctrine now prevails, daily observation furnishes cases which puzzle the practi- tioner, and cause him to waver in the faith which he professes. Some men contract chancre from intercourse with females who exhibit only symptoms of gonorrhoea; while others are seized with symptoms of gonorrhoea after connection with individuals who are affected with chancre, and in whom this symptom may or may not be apparent. It is by no means rare to meet with cases of consti- tutional syphilis in persons who refer the symptoms to a previous gonorrhoea, or who disclaim having ever been affected with any primary venereal disease. But these cases can be explained in a manner confirmatory of the doctrine established by M. Ricord, that chancre alone can produce chancre. Every experimenter is satisfied of the fact, that, in the vast majority of cases, the inoculation of gonorrhoeal matter is innocuous; but it is equally true, that the secretions furnished by the urethra of the male and vagina of the female are sometimes inoculable, and give origin to true chancres. Superficial observers would conclude from this, that the matter of gonorrhoea is sometimes inoculable; but M. Ricord has demon- strated the contrary, and shown that the matter of gonorrhoea per se never gives origin to chancre. We here insert the table of his researches on this subject. Table of Inoculations performed with the secretions of venereal symptoms not syphilitic, 1831-1837. Symptoms, the inoculation of whose secretion was succeeded by no positive result:— Buboes occurring as the first symptom (d'emblees), . . 38 Acute Go norrhoea sympathetic, of the glans and prepuce,—Balanitis, urethra], vaginal, . <( vulvular, uterine, . anal, .... k ophthalmic, 249 28 29] 82 31 27 36 6 112 3 Chronic gonorrhoea of different seats, Suppurated Epididymitis, .... Symptoms not characteristic, which may succeed venereal affections, either simple or virulent. Vegetations, ulcerated and not ulcerated, of different forms and localities, ••••.. 28