On a new way of treating gonorrhoea / by John L. Milton.

  • Milton, J. L. (John Laws), 1820-1898
Date:
1852
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On a new way of treating gonorrhoea / by John L. Milton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    some cases to hasten the disappearance of scalding when injec- tions were used, hut alone its effects were quite negative, and ex- ternally it had no very marked action; in addition to which it made a nasty filthy mess, one of the things to which almost every gonorrhoea patient most seriously objects. Belladonna I have not tried, nor have I much hope of any service from the use of it. 2. The demulcents exerted hut very slight effect, though pa- tients, in some instances, drank as much as a quart of thick linseed-tea in a day. These remedies have been recommended by very many writers; they have been supposed to sheatli the fluid mechanically, and thus prevent the acridity of the urine from acting on the inflamed mucous membrane. This idea smacks a little too strongly of Dr. Cullen’s opinion, that, “in tabes venenata, one cause of emaciation is produced by an absorption of oil from the cells of the cellular membrane into the blood, for the purpose of inviscating the acrimonious spiculie of the poisonous substance.” It is not very probable that any portion of the mucilaginous matter, or gum, contained in them, ever enters the bladder, or even the kidneys, being all previously digested and assimilated. M. Lagneau* says, “The liquids act in two ways; 1st, by calming the general inflammatory disposition which is sometimes very active ; 2ndly, by thinning the urine, the acridity of which would, without this precaution, infallibly augment the irritation.” Against the first part of this explanation it may he urged, that the inflammation, when very active, requires much more energetic means to counteract it than a few pints of ptisan ; and against the second, that water will effect the same end more cheaply and conveniently. 3. Diuretics seemed to have some slight effect; and the solu- tion of nitrate of potass (5ss. in o.j. of barley-water daily) has appeared, in some cases, to alleviate the scalding; but it had evidently no power of materially benefiting it, so long as the diseased state of the passages remained unabated; still I am bound to add, that its effects were more satisfactory than those of any other remedy of this kind I have as yet seen, when pro- perly aided. It was carried, in some instances to the extent of * Ex])Os6 des Symptoincs de la Maladie Venl'rienne, Paris, 1815. Art. Traitemcnt dc la Blcnnorrhagic. Vol. i.