A, (from teed, and to flow,) an involuntary efflux of seminal juice: but this is not the proper appellation of the disease to which it is applied, and the term now commonly used is blennorhagia, from mucus, and to flow, i. e. mucifluxus; and to gleets the name blenorrhae, or mucifluxus pas-sivus, without phlogistic symptoms, is assigned.

Dr. Cullen places this disease in the class locales, and order apocenoses; and defines it a preternatural flux of fluid from the urethra in males without any libidinous desires. The first species is gonorrhae a picra, or be-nigna, a mucous discharge from the urethra, without dysuria, or lascivious inclination.

2. Gonorrhce'a impura, maligna, syphilitica, a discharge resembling pus from the urethra, with heat of urine, Etc. after impure coition, to which often succeeds a discharge of mucus from the urethra, with little or no dysury, called a gleet.

3. Gonorrhoe'a laxorum, libidinosa, a pellucid discharge from the urethra, without erection of the penis, but with venereal thoughts while awake.

4. Gonorrhoe'a dormientium, oneirogmos, when during sleep, but dreaming of venereal engagements, there is erection of the penis, and a seminal discharge.

The gonorrhea benigna is defined by Dr. Fordyce, an increased secretion from the mucous glands of the urethra, without infection." The matter discharged is whitish and mild, producing no excoriation, or other disorder, on the parts through which it passes, or on which it falls.

The principal cause is a weakness in the parts which are the seat of the disorder; occasional causes are too frequent purging, violent exercise on horseback, too frequent indulgences, cold, excess of spirituous liquors.

The virulent gonorrhoea is a local inflammation, attended with the discharge of a puriform matter from the urethra in men, and from the vagina in women, preceded by a slight sensation at the end of the penis, like a flea bite; accompanied with a frequent desire of making water, which occasions a scalding, or pricking and burning pain, during the time of its passage, particularly felt at the orifice of the urethra, and a little below it, arising from a stimulus applied to these parts. The lips of the urethra appear full and inflamed; a tension is felt in the penis, and the urinary passage is seemingly straitened, particularly at one part, viz. about half an inch below the orifice of the urethra. At this place also the urine, which is felt like scalding water, gives a hot pungent sensation, almost insupportable, and flows in a small interrupted stream. A little whitish mucus appears about the orifice of the urethra, and, if pressed a little above its extremity, the discharge is increased. The mucus soon assumes a greenish hue, verging to a yellow, and is thin. The disease sometimes appears within twenty-four hours after the infection, and is then proportionally slight; generally between the fourth and fourteenth days. Sometimes, by the violence of the irritation, the secretion of mucus seems to be considerably diminished, so that a very small discharge only takes place, though the other symptoms be extremely violent. In this case the disease hath obtained the very improper name of gonorrhaea sicca.

When the inflammation is extremely violent, the irritation produces frequent erections, particularly in bed; and as the fraenum is usually inflamed, and will not admit of the usual distention, the penis is incurvated with intolerable pain. In this very exasperated inflammation, the perinaeum is red and swollen, and all the parts around the trunk are distended and uneasy. -The glans penis swells, and is transparent; the prepuce inflames, and cannot be drawn back, or if back, cannot be brought forward, constituting the disease styled Phymosis or Paraphymosis, q. v. In the former case a hard cord is sometimes felt extending along the back of the penis, which is an inflamed lymphatic, and sometimes the forerunner of a bubo; but almost universally some ulceration precedes the appearance of a bubo. The seat of the disease is in the urethra, near its extremitv; but it sometimes extends to Cowper's glands and the prostate. In the greater number of cases the inflammation goes on gradually increasing for ten days or a fortnight, and then as gradually recedes: the tightness grows less; the mucous discharge thickens and grows whiter, and at last wholly disappears. In women the seat of the complaint is in the vagina, attended with the pungent sensation as in men; but, except when violent, so that the nymphae and meatus urinarius are affected, not with such a painful heat of urine. See Fluor albus.

The matter of the discharge hath a purulent appearance; but is only the mucus of the urethra or vagina secreted in an unusual quantity, and changed in its colour and consistence by the stimulus applied to the parts; like the mucous discharge from the nose or lungs on taking cold. The discharge from the urethra or vagina was long supposed to arise from an ulcer, and various arguments were adduced in favour of an opinion now rejected. Much stress has been laid on the following fact recorded by Swediar, from Dr. Stoll; but numerous observations of a similar kind have been made in England, and we want not to go to Vienna to dissect persons who have died while affected with gonorrhoea.

Dr. Stoll had, about the year 1782, the instructive opportunity of dissecting a man who died while labouring under a virulent gonorrhoea. On opening the urethra carefully, he found its internal surface preterna-turally red; two of the lymphatics preternaturally white and enlarged; and the puriform matter oozing out from the internal membrane, especially at the lacunae, where the seat of the disorder was, without the least appearance of an ulceration or excoriation."