Sketches of facts and opinions respecting the venereal disease. / by William Houlston, member of the Corporation of Surgeons; Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Medical Society of London; surgeon to the Philanthropic Reform, and to the Royal Universal Dispensary.

  • Houlston, William, 1755-1815
Date:
1794
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketches of facts and opinions respecting the venereal disease. / by William Houlston, member of the Corporation of Surgeons; Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Medical Society of London; surgeon to the Philanthropic Reform, and to the Royal Universal Dispensary. 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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    2dly, The progress and natural termina- tion of the two difeafes are exceedingly different; the lues venerea going on, if unre- {trained by mercury, to a termination cer- tainly fatal, whilft the other, after exifting for a length of time, admits of a fpontane- ous abatement of the fymptoms, and at laft ceafes entirely. grdly, The treatment required for the cure of each is eflentially different; which it would not be if both were the effects of the fame poifon. We (hould by no means employ mercurial fri6lions, for inftance, in curing a gonorrhoea; nor fhould we prefcribe remedies adapted for the removal of the latter, in a confirmed lues. To ftrengthen the former of thefe argu- ments the authority of Sydenham might alfo be adduced. He afferts that the lues vene- rea had exifted for the fpace of a whole which fo nearly af]Fe<9:s the credit of Britifh navigators ; and I cannot more effectually do it than by tranfcribing a fupplemental note in his own hand-writing, affixed to his printed narrative of Capt. Cook’s death. It runs thus—“ Since the publication of the foregoing remarks, “ feveral Engliih navigators have vifited the Sandwich “ Illands and received from the natives a full and clear “ confirmation of the truth.of my opinion, that the Ve- “ nereal Difeafe was known among them before they were “ difeovered by Captain Cook. Thus far is proved “ beyond a doubt. I alfo think, that future enquiries <£ will prove the fame malady to have exifted in all “ the South Sea ifland's, before they were difeovered by 4‘ Europeans.”