Sexual disease and its medical prevention / by H.N. Robson.

  • Robson, H. N.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Sexual disease and its medical prevention / by H.N. Robson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    rhoea is the blinding of infants, owing to their eyes becoming infected with the gonococcus as they pass in the act of birth along the diseased parts of their mothers; the infection sets up a violent inflammation which impairs or destroys the sight. These cases form about fifty per cent, of the inmates of blind institutions in different countries ; and it is usual to describe them as born blind, whereas they are not born blind at all, but with normal vision. The affection is known as ophthalmia neonatorum, and so prevalent is gonor- rhoea amongst mothers, that it is routine treat- ment to wash or disinfect the eyes of the infant as soon as possible after birth, so as to ward off the disease by prophylaxis. Adults may also infect their eyes, and get gonorrhoeal ophthalmia ; which is a very serious matter for them, and politely termed a purulent conjunctivitis. Gonorrhoea is not the mere local complaint that it is popularly supposed to be, but becomes a con- stitutional disease; by the microbe invading the system and causing inflammation of the joints, pleurisy, infective endocarditis or heart disease, and other serious complaints, the true origin of which has been revealed of late years by the tell- tale microscope, which is usually able to show up
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