Public-domain ebook
Language: en920 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Health & Medicine·Drugs/Alcohol/Pharmacology
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #65003.
The opening · free to read
EVERY medical man who will study to investigate as far as possible, in every case, the original channel through which disease or constitutional disorder first found its entry into the system, will be astonished at the mass of human suffering which may be traced up to a venereal origin, although its primary symptoms may have been for years apparently eradicated from the frame. The malady generally commences its attack in early life, before experience has overcome the short-sighted heedlessness of youth, and taught it to look beyond the pains and pleasures of the passing moment. Delicacy or shame will not allow him to seek assistance, until the poison has acquired strength and virulence too alarming to be neglected; and the patient then, instead of applying to his usual professional friends, flies to some empirical practitioner, who temporarily arrests the external symptoms, and discharges him as cured. Thus matters go on, until the malady becomes constitutional; and the patient is at last compelled to place himself under the treatment of those who, at an earlier period, might have preserved his constitution untainted, and his body comparatively uninjured by the ravages of this insidious disease.
Some years ago the idea first occurred to me that a popular treatise, divested as much as possible of technical phraseology, explaining to the non-medical reader the structure and anatomy of the parts primarily affected by the venereal disease, and describing its first as well as its subsequent and aggravated symptoms, and pointing out the safest treatment of it in inexperienced hands, while in its simple form, would be of much avail in counteracting the effects of the complaint resulting from mal-treatment or neglect among the young and thoughtless. This work is intended to teach him where serious danger exists, or may be apprehended; for the treatment in a great degree, and under any circumstances, must fall upon the patient himself: and every medical man knows that, in very many instances, those who are fully alive to the injury that may arise from such self-management, are yet reduced, by considerations of delicacy and secrecy, to practise it; and it is hoped that a perusal will contribute to give him a knowledge and confidence which he never could acquire from the uneducated empiric. Under these impressions have I ventured to submit the following pages; and while I hope their utility may be acknowledged, I would remark, that they are not intended to supersede medical aid in any stage of the disorder, but that, on the contrary, I would impress upon the reader, if he need it, the prudence of having immediate recourse to a well-educated physician in the earliest stages of the disease, and to beware of advertising quacks. But where, from circumstances which, in venereal complaints, very frequently occur, the party can not have recourse to professional aid, the next best step is certainly to place in his hands a formula of that treatment which is most likely to be successful with himself.
In thus publicly unfolding the mysteries of this department of the profession, I expect some reprehension from those who assume that all medical knowledge should be limited to the regular practisers of the science; but I would fain remind all parties that, although this branch of medical writing has hitherto been in the hands of mercenary empirics, it is equally conducive to the honor of the profession, and the interest of the patient, that these pretenders should be driven from the field. Conscious of my integrity as a regularly educated surgeon, and not altogether destitute of successful practice to rest my claim upon, it is with less hesitation I depart from professional ceremony; and whatever opinion may be pronounced, as to my success in performing the task I have undertaken, I may be allowed to hope, without arrogance, that I am at least entitled to the praise of industry and humanity.
R. J. CULVERWELL, M. D. 1843.
CONTENTS.
Page. GENERAL REMARKS 7 Anatomical and Physiological Review of the Male Organs of Generation, with eight engravings 7 Of the Testicles, their Structure and Functions, with seven engravings 14 On Gonorrhœa, or Morbid Secretion and Irritability of the Urethra, with five engravings 20 The Surgical Treatment of Gonorrhœa, with prescriptions 26 Medical Treatment of Gonorrhœa and its Consequences, with engravings, prescriptions, and specific remedies 29 On Gleet 41 Morbid Irritability of the Urethra 44 Stricture of the Urethra, with fifteen anatomical engravings and diagrams, illustrative of the nature of the disease 45 Treatment of Stricture, with thirty engravings, explanatory of the mode of treatment, prescriptions, &c. 58 Diseases of the Testicles, with three engravings 68 Hydrocele 69 Radical Cure of Hydrocele 71 Hydrocele Cured by Acupuncturation 71 Diseases of the Bladder 73 Irritability of the Bladder 74 Paralysis of the Bladder 75 Inflammation of the Bladder, with prescriptions 75 Origin of the Venereal Disease 79 On the Character of the Syphilitic Poison 84 Of Syphilis, with fifteen engravings 86 Of Buboes, with two engravings 93 Of Lues Venerea, or Secondary Symptoms 96 Of the Symptoms of the First Stage of Lues, with eight engravings 98 On the Treatment of Syphilis 104 Treatment of Chancre, with prescriptions 106 Bubo, with engravings and prescriptions 112 Secondary Symptoms 117 Syphilitic Eruption, with an engraving 117 Sore Throat, with prescription 121 Venereal Affections of the Bones, Joints 122 Secondary Symptoms 123 Treatment of Ditto, with prescriptions 125 Syphilitic Lepra 127 Nodes and Pains in the Bones 128 Syphilitic Sore Throat, with prescriptions 130 Advice to Invalids 133 The Female Organs of Generation—their Structure, Purposes, and Diseases, with thirteen engravings 136 On the use of the Speculum, with an engraving 150 Gonorrhœa in the Female 151 Syphilis in Females, with five engravings 152 Leucorrhœa, or the Whites 154 Treatment of Ditto, with numerous prescriptions 155 Effects of Incontinence, Celibacy, and Marriage 162 On the Hereditary Transmission of Disease 169 On Impuissance, or Impotence 173 Impotence and Sterility of the Male—four engravings 174 Impotence and Sterility of the Female—five engravings 180 Treatment of Impotence 184 Sexual Debility 188 On Piles, internal and external, with prescriptions and four engravings 191 Prolapsus of the Rectum, with an engraving 196 Stricture of the Rectum, with an engraving 197 Diseases of the Urine, with three engravings 200 On Incontinence of the Urine 204 The Gravel 212 Cause of Gravel 213 Treatment of Gravel 213
THE diseases known by the general term of syphilis or venereal disease, and arising from impure coition, appear generally in three forms, gonorrhœa, chancres, and bubo. These sometimes exist alone, and sometimes together. As they affect the genital organs and their appendages, a description of these organs is necessary to a full understanding of the subject.
_Genital organs and appendages in the male._—This term embraces the penis, testicles, bladder, and kidneys. The form of the penis is familiar to every one. It commences at the bladder, is of a spongy nature, and is composed of three different parts; the two upper and larger are called the cavernous bodies, and the lower the spongy body; these bodies are covered by the skin which comes over the head of the penis, and forms the prepuce. When this skin is drawn back, the head of the penis, or the glans penis is seen, which is a development of the spongy body, and is extremely sensitive. A whitish secretion, with a peculiar odor, forms at the end of the glans, where the prepuce seems to join it. The object of this secretion is to preserve the sensitiveness of the glans, and to facilitate the withdrawal of the prepuce in coition and in urinating. This material sometimes collects, irritates, hardens, and causes much inconvenience. This can be done away with by circumcision, which is performed as follows:—draw an inked line on the skin of the prepuce, corresponding to the base of the glans penis; draw the prepuce forward, and have the inked part held firmly by an assistant with a pair of forceps. Then the surgeon takes that part of the prepuce projecting beyond the forceps with his left hand, and with a bistoury cuts the prepuce at the inked line with his right. When this is done, the lining skin of the prepuce, which cannot be drawn forward, remains entire, and covers the glans; this lining is divided by a single cut with the scissors: then the flaps are removed round to the frenum, and then the two flaps are held together and removed, with the frenum, at one cut. The mode of holding the prepuce, &c. is seen in the cut.
On the under side of the glans, near the mouth of the water passage, or urethra, the prepuce is attached by a fold called the frenum, or bridle, or martingale of the penis. The use of this frenum is to confine the movements of the prepuce, and to draw down the mouth of the water passage to direct the flow of the urine. Sometimes the frenum is too short, and confines the prepuce too much; it may be slit down with a pair of scissors as far as is considered expedient. The frenum is frequently ruptured in a first coition. The frenum is very elastic, and protects the sensitive surface beneath it as the eyelid does the eye. Sometimes, however, it becomes permanently contracted;—the glans is then denuded, but soon loses its sensibility. The person is sometimes born with this formation.
The cavernous bodies form two tubes, united in most of the length of the penis, separated only by a thin partition, and enveloped in a firm sheath; they are composed of an immense number of cells, principally formed by dilated veins, which communicate with each other; these, when the penis is erected, become filled and even distended with blood. The cavernous bodies terminate abruptly and form rounded points under the glans penis. At the other extremity they separate, and form the crura or legs of the penis.
The spongy body forms the lower and under body of the penis, terminates at one end at the point in the glans, whilst it extends the whole length of the penis, again becomes enlarged, and forms the bulb. The urethra or water passage extends through the spongy body, and connects the penis with the bladder. This cut is a section of the penis showing the three bodies:
The cut below shows a section of the cavernous body, showing the blood vessels that go to it and cause a distension or erection of the penis:
In the cut above we see the septum or division of the cavernous bodies, in which are seen the vessels by which, when the erection of the penis subsides, the blood passes into the dorsal vein of the penis.
The Urethra, or water passage, is the canal that passes through the spongy body to the bladder. The urine and semen pass through it. It is very elastic, and may be dilated so as to admit a large instrument to be passed into the bladder, and it contracts on the smallest. It is supported in its course by the spongy body and the prostate gland, between which is a portion unprotected, called the membranous portion. The passage varies in its size in different parts: thus it is rather contracted at the orifice, enlarges within, and for an inch again contracts, dilates nearer the bulb, diminishes at the membranous portion and near the prostate gland, and finally enlarges into the bladder. The cut opposite will show these parts.
The book keeps going
Reading is free forever. Sign up and watch scenes appear while you read.
Scenes Storieta drew for other classics.
New illustrated classics
Once or twice a month: the latest books to get full character casts, scene art, and free comic editions. No account needed.
