An essay on the venereal disease and its treatment : illustrated by numerous cases : intended to ascertain the effect of nitrous acid and other analogous remedies, lately proposed as substitutes for mercury / by William Blair.

  • Blair, William, 1766-1822.
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the venereal disease and its treatment : illustrated by numerous cases : intended to ascertain the effect of nitrous acid and other analogous remedies, lately proposed as substitutes for mercury / by William Blair. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    under a variety of forms, where no other remedy had ever been employed ; and for two years, I have seen no relapse in those cases. I have administered it against the primary symptoms of the disease ; and I have given it for exostoses, for carious bones, for nocturnal pains, for eruptions and ulcers of the skin, and for all the train of misery that is attendant on Lues.'' This respectable writer concludes by hinting, t( that several of his friends had begun to use the nitric acid in Syphilis, and that an account of their experience should make the subject of a future paper.” “ I hope,” says he, 44 this slight account will induce medical practitioners to try the effect of the nitric acid in Syphilis ; a disease which, in this climate (viz. the East Indies), is so frequently the disgrace of their art (i). The second letter of Mr. Scott is dated June the 11th, 17Q0. He therein endeavours to obviate an objection which might be made against the acid, on account of its decomposing the teeth : his method is, to mix the conjee of rice with it, or to sweeten it with sugar or liquorice-root. Although these ad- ditions may deprive the remedy of some of its oxy- gen, he 44 has not found that they diminish its effect.” Mr. Scott also notices that when the acid has been 44 united with the earth of alum, it had the advan- tage of not acting in the same way on the teeth. From this nitric clay he obtained the same effects as from the nitric acid.” Some stress has been laid, by certain medical prac- (i) Mr. Scott, in a letter to Dr. Beddoes, dated id Dec. 17pp, says, “ I have been blamed for giving too warm a testimony of my success. I have, however, nothing to detract [retract] “ from the first letter that 1 published on the subject. ? . titioners