On the foetus in utero as inoculating the maternal with the peculiarities of the paternal organism : and on the transmission thereby of secondary or constitutional syphilis from the male to the female parent / by Alexander Harvey, M.D.

  • Harvey, Alexander, 1811-1889.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the foetus in utero as inoculating the maternal with the peculiarities of the paternal organism : and on the transmission thereby of secondary or constitutional syphilis from the male to the female parent / by Alexander Harvey, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    And if I mistake not, a paper was published in tlie Edinlurgh Monthly Journal in 1851 or 1852, in which the author, either writing from the antipodes or giving the results of his observations while there—whether in Australia or New Zealand, I do not now recollect—states that exceptional instances, at least, to Strzelecki's observation are of frequent occurrence among the aboriginal females of one or other or both of these countries. I have thus endeavoured as impartially as one partial to tlie inociilation theory well could, to lay before you a complete general view of this interesting and important subject. I have referred to every fact known to me as bearing upon it, and have omitted no- thing that seems in any way adverse to the theory in question. And submitting, in particular, the bird test and the syphilis test to the consideration of those among you who may take an interest in that theory, I will conclude by quoting a suggestion made by Dr. Carpenter in regard to the latter, but in its principle as appli- cable to the one test as to the other:—As this is a point of great practical importance, it may be hoped that those who have the opportunity of bringing observation to bear upon it, will not omit to do so.* Since the foregoing paper was written, and read to the Medical Society of Southampton, several important communications bear- ing on the subject of the inoculation theory have appeared in the Medical Times and Gazette and in the Lancet^ from Mr. Hutchin- son,] Mr. Savory, of St. Bartholomew's Hospital,:}: Mr. Langston Parker, of Birmingham,§ and Mr. De Meric, of London. || I purpose considering these several communications in a future number of this journal, and will merely remark, meanwhile, that, by his well-conceived and admirably-executed experiments with strychnine, whereby he has demonstrated (what Magendie and Williams failed in demonstrating by theirs), that fluid matters do, in fact, pass fi'om the foetus to the mother through the placenta, Mr. Savory has added to the chain of evidence in support of the inoculation theory, the only link wanting to make that chain complete. His discovery, for such it is, may be said to furnish the keystone of the arch on which the theory now rests, and rests securely. * Principles of Human Physiology, 5th Ed., p. 82G. t On the communication of Syphilis from the Fojtus to the Mother. Medi- cal Times and Gazette, December 20, 1856, and January 10, 1857. X An Experimental Inquiry into the EfFect upon the Mother of Poisoning the Foetus. Lancet, April 10 and 17, 1858. g Lectures on Infantile Syphilis. Lancet, May and June, 1858. II Lottsomian Lectures—Lecture III. On Hereditary Syphilis. Lancet, September 12, 1858,