Hyoscyamus and camphor in gonorrhoea / [Benjamin Bell].

  • Bell, Benjamin, 1802-1843.
Date:
[1826]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hyoscyamus and camphor in gonorrhoea / [Benjamin Bell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    21. Hyoscyamus and Camphor in Gonorrhoea.* Mr. Bell is by no means satisfied with the plans which have been recommended for the cure of gonorrhoea, especially in its chronic stage. He thinks, and pro¬ bably with reason, that “ the disease, in most cases, would exhaust it¬ self more rapidly, if not interfered with, than it is observed to do, when treated in the common method.” Perhaps gonorrhoea is not the only disease to which this observation might apply—but this is delicate ground to tread on, now that the newspapers are becoming the vehicles for medical discussions. Gonorrhoea is, according to Mr. Bell, “ a constitutional affection of the irritable class, and should therefore, from that circumstance, be treated throughout all its stages, on those princi¬ ples which have for their object the allaying of irritability.” We cannot help demurring to this sweeping position of Mr. Bell, that gonorrhoea is “ a constitutional affection of the irritable class.” The disease may indeed occur in constitutions of the irritable class, but it is a strange confusion of ideas to designate it, on that account, a constitu¬ tional affection. It is assuredly a local disease, capable, like almost all other local diseases, of producing constitutional disorders. This indeed is made out even by Mr. Bell himself. 44 Every practitioner must be aware, that, even after the local acute inflammatory symptoms of a mucous membrane have been allayed, a degree of subacute irritation, attended with more or less turgescence of the vessels of the part, remain, which are also accompanied by general derangement in the functions of the digestive organs. On taking this view of the subject, the impropriety of employing those drugs, which tend either to disorder, by their general stimulating influence, or by their local specific effects, the functions of digestion, is apparent,—for it is well known, that a very intimate sympathy prevails among all the mucous surfaces.” 76. Our author, proceeding on this view of the case, considers it necessary, after the acute symptoms are subdued, to proceed on the plan of allay¬ ing irritation, both local and general. To this we have no objection, provided the means of allaying irritation will remove the gonorrhoea, for it is too late in the day to speculate on the nature of a disease with¬ out direct reference to the treatment. Mr. Bell thinks it is very difficult to determine when the inflammatory stage of gonorrhoea has subsided, since the absence of pain, ardor urinae, and chordee does not afford suf¬ ficient proof. It frequently happens, he remarks, that after the disappear¬ ance of these symptoms, a degree of uneasiness remains, which is more difficult to remove than the primary symptoms of the complaint. This uneasiness is characterised by painful spasms after micturition, irritabi¬ lity of the erectile tissue of the penis and cervix vesicas, and tenesmus, arising from irregular action of the sphincter and levator ani. Under such circumstances the impropriety of pursuing the stimulating plan he thinks is evident. 44 In this state of the organs, a single dose of copaiba, cubeb pepper. * Mr. Benj. Bell. Ed. Journ. Med. Science, No. I. Jan. 1826.