This section is from the book "The London Medical Dictionary", by Bartholomew Parr. Also available from Amazon: London Medical Dictionary.
Another method of extinguishing the disease has been attempted, viz. by exhibiting a large dose of the corrosive sublimate internally. It produces a very violent commotion in the system, in which every spasm, even-obstruction, yields; but the remedy has not been sufficiently tried to enable us to decide on its efficacy, or indeed on its safety.
In the cure of gonorrhoea, vaenesection has been freely recommended. The earlier practitioners used it liberally; but we have said that the disease was, at that time, probably more violent. At present the young and the eager surgeon is so fond of his lancet, that we often find blood drawn, when little necessity appears for any evacuation. The inflammation is, in general, local, and requires rather a steady antiphlogistic plan than any decisive interference. If, however, general fever should come on, should the erections be painful and frequent, bleeding must be freely used, to diminish the general tone. Purging, another general remedy for active inflammation, has been too rashly employed. It was usual to give a large dose of calomel at bed time, and the colocynth pill, or some other drastic early in the morning. This plan debilitated the constitution, occasioned gleets, and left the most distressing hypochondriacal complaints. It has been accused also, though perhaps without reason, of producing hernia humoralis and strangury. Yet a plan, which was for so many years continued, could not have been wholly useless, or highly injurious. From its abuse arose probablv the chief inconveniences; for we now find an active laxative, about twice in a week, with cooling diet and perfect rest, a ready way of removing even troublesome gonorrhoeas.
In the general treatment of the disease, rest is of the greatest consequence; and this alone, with little assistance from medicine, will complete the cure. But, with this, every part of the antiphlogistic plan should be employed. The diet should be cooling, and even the mildest animal food should be eat sparingly. Milk, vegetables, ripe fruit, and the different farinacea, should constitute the principal nourishment; and the drink consist of barley water, with gum arabic, lintseed -tea, toast and water, capillaire, or orgeat with water. It has been usual to dissolve nitre in the drinks; but this remedy is not without suspicion of irritating the urinary organs; and, if given, it should be largely diluted. Cream of tartar is more useful, and may be admitted. Whatever increases the flow of urine renders it less acrimonious, if the medicine is not conveyed to these organs; and a gentle diuresis will do little injury, as it will not weaken the tone of the parts. The usual laxatives, now recommended, are the neutral salts, castor oil, or senna; and with these two or three motions may daily be procured. Opiates should be given at night, to prevent the painful erections, and to relieve the pain of the chordee, if it exist; and, to the opium, camphor forms an useful addition.
Topical remedies are important. Frequent bathing the part, and the greatest cleanliness, are requisite; particularly washing under the glans, to prevent the accumulation of the fluids from the odoriferous glands, which produces irritation, inflammation, and often ulcers. Injections are now freely used, perhaps too freely. If emollient only, or gently sedative, they do little injury; but astringent injections in the early periods often prolong the disease, and we suspect, occasion the too frequent consequence of gonorrhoea, strictures. It is not sufficiently considered, that even the introduction of the pipe of the syringe often occasions a greater irritation than the injection itself can relieve. In the earlier stages, the aqua lithargyri acetati, largely diluted, is only admissible; and, with this, sometimes the mucilage of gum arabic, occasionally oil of almonds, may be added. Opium often forms a useful ingredient in such injections, and we have usually added it to milk, separating the curd; but the opium, finely powdered, and united with the oily injections mentioned, is equally useful. To four ounces of distilled water, or oil of almonds, eight drops of acetated litharge is sufficient, and about fifty drops of tincture of opium, or three grains of the substance. One part of acetated ammonia to eight or ten of water, forms a cooling pleasant injection. When the scalding of urine is troublesome, four drops of muriatic acid, added to two ounces of water, is often useful. When the hydrargyrus muriatis is employed, one grain may be added to six ounces of water: sometimes a drachm of purified mercury is mixed with an ounce and half of water, by the means of as much mucilage; but this injection seems to possess no peculiar virtue.
When the inflammatory state is removed, astringent injections are employed. Of the metallic astringents, zinc and copper are the principal; but the astringent balsams are sometimes recommended. Ten grains of vitriol-ated zinc may be dissolved in four or six ounces of water; a drachm of the cuprum ammoniacale in six ounces of rose water; or ten grains of the blue vitriol in two or three ounces, according to the sensibility of the patient. When the inflammation is considerable and long continued, a mixture of syphilitic infection maybe suspected, and mercurials are sometimes, though rarely of service. In such cases, Plench's powder, or calomel, has been suspended in mucilage,and injected into the urethra, or mercurial ointment has been rubbed in the course of the urethra or the perinaeum. When the balsams are employed in injections, about one drachm of the balsam co-paibse may be united with two ounces of water.
When the inflammation is slight, the pain inconsiderable, and the matter glairy, the Peruvian bark maybe freely administered, the diet rendered a little more nutritious, and the cold bath employed.
See Aretaeus de Causis et Signis Chron. Morborum, lib. ii. c. 5; Fordyce's Elements, part ii.; Howard on the Venereal Disease; Bell on Gonorrhoea; Swediaur on Venereal Complaints; Cullen's Firsc Lines, edit. 4. vol. iv. p. 386, &c; London Medical Journal, vol. ii. p. 233; White's Surgery, p. 400.
 
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