A treatise on the venereal disease / by John Hunter ; with copious additions, by Philip Ricord ; translated and edited, with notes, by Freeman J. Bumstead.

  • John Hunter
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the venereal disease / by John Hunter ; with copious additions, by Philip Ricord ; translated and edited, with notes, by Freeman J. Bumstead. 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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    gonorrhoeal matter does not come from the bulb, or from parts posterior to it, because it is not thrown out by jerks. It is easily shown, in many patients, that the gonorrhoeal discharge is furnished by the posterior part of the canal; and that although it generally accumulates in the enlarged part of the canal at the fossa navicularis, especially during the upright position, yet by external pressure from behind forwards in the course of the canal, it may be derived from the perineal region. The same thing takes place here as in those cases in which the canal has in a measure lost its elasticity, and the urine continues to drop for some time after the stream has stopped, or the patient is obliged to evacuate the urethra by repeated pressure along its whole accessible extent. Gonorrhoea commences in that point which was subjected to the exciting cause, and may extend gradually to the follicles, the cellular tissue, or to those parts which are continuous or contiguous.—Kicoed.] § 8. Of the Chordee. The chordee appears to be inflammatory in some cases, and spas- modic in others. We shall treat first of the inflammatory chordee. When the inflammation is not confined merely to the surface of the urethra and its glands, but goes deeper and affects the reticular mem- brane, it produces in it an extravasation of coagulable lymph, as in the adhesive inflammation, which, uniting the cells together, destroys the power of distension of the corpus spongiosum urethra?, and makes it unequal in this respect to the corpora cavernosa penis, and therefore a curvature takes place in the time of erection, which is called a chordee. The curvature is generally in the lower part of the penis, arising from the cells of the corpus spongiosum urethrse having their sides united by adhesions.1 Besides the effect of inflammation, when the chordee is violent, the inner membrane is, I suppose, so much upon the stretch as to be in some degree torn, which frequently causes a profuse bleed- ing from the urethra, that often relieves the patient, and even some- times proves the cure. As chordee arises from a greater degree of inflammation than common, it is an effect which may, and often does, remain when all infection is gone, being merely a consequence of the adhesive inflammation. § 9. Of the Manner in which the Inflammation affects the Urethra. In what manner the disease extends itself to the urethra is a ques- tion not yet absolutely determined. I suspect that it is communicated or creeps along from the glans to the urethra, or at least from the be- ginning or lips of the urethra to its inner surface; because it is im- possible to conceive that any of the venereal matter from the woman can get into the canal during coition, although the contrary is commonly asserted. It is impossible, at least, that it can get so far as the common seat of the disease, or into those parts of the urethra where it very often 1 The precediDg sentence omitted.—Home.