On the foetus in utero : as inoculating the maternal with the peculiarities of the paternal organism in a series of essays now first collected / by Alexander Harvey.

  • Harvey, Alexander, 1811-1889.
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the foetus in utero : as inoculating the maternal with the peculiarities of the paternal organism in a series of essays now first collected / by Alexander Harvey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ceives by Um. Facts bearing on tliis pomt might prove that secondary syphilis is not communicated directly by the seminal fluid, but by the child begotten with it; and this mode of inoculation being proved would go far to prove the foundation of your [Mr. M'Gillivray's] theory. I fear it will turn out, on inquiry, that secondary syphilis may be transmitted directly by the seminal fluid, independently of con- ception ; but perhaps it may appear also that its transmission in this way is occasional only and un- certain, while it is venj frecpient, or almost inevitable, when conception follows intercourse. And a com- parative observation of this kind, if clear and un- doubted, would be nearly equally decisive.* (3.) In my former paper, I represent Mr. M'Gil- Hvray as holding that there is a direct vascular * Important as is Mr. Paget's suggestion, it may be difficiilt successfully to follow it out. It appears, indeed, that of the chil- dren horn syphilitic in the middle and higher classes of society, a very largo proportion derive the virus from the father—a circrim- stance m itself favourable for the prosecution of the inquiry (sec Brit, and For. Med. Chir. Eev., No. XII., p. 348). But in several such cases the mother never exhibits any manifest indication of the virus in her own person (Op. cit., p. 347—Maunsell and Evanson on Diseases of Children, 5th edit., p. 452) ; and although she may not have imbibed the poison, the ease given in the text on the authority of Dr. MaunscU is sufficient to show that the only certain criterion of her immunity may be her bearing a non- syphilitic child in a second marriage with a perfectly healthy hus- band—a test which can be available only in a very few cases. If, therefore, such cases of latent syphilis in the female are common, Mr. Paget's inquiry may fail of an affirmative result only from in- ability to test them. Possibly, however, the instances of developed syphilis in the female, consequent on conception, may be numerous enough, and sufficiently decided, to lead to that result.