Searchlights on Health/The Curse and Consequence of Secret Diseases
THE CURSE AND CONSEQUENCE OF SECRET DISEASES.
1. THE SINS OF THE FATHERS ARE VISITED ON THE CHILDREN.—If persons who contract secret diseases were the only sufferers, there would be less pity and less concern manifested by the public and medical profession.
2. There are many secret diseases which leave an hereditary taint, and innocent children and grandchildren are compelled to suffer as well as those who committed the immoral act.
3. GONORRHOEA (Clap) is liable to leave the parts sensitive and irritable, and the miseries of spermatorrhoea, impotence, chronic rheumatism, stricture and other serious ailments may follow.
4. SYPHILIS (Pox).—Statistics prove that over 30 per cent. of the children born alive perish within the first year. Outside of this frightful mortality, how many children are born, inheriting eruptions of the skin, foul ulcerations swelling of the bones, weak eyes or blindness, scrofula, idiocy, stunted growth, and finally insanity, all on account of the father's early vices. The weaknesses and afflictions of parents are by natural laws visited upon their children.
5. The mother often takes the disease from her husband, and she becomes an innocent sufferer to the dreaded disease. However, some other name generally is applied to the disease, and with perfect confidence in her husband she suffers pain all her life, ignorant of the true cause. Her children have diseases of the eyes, skin, glands and bones, and the doctor will apply the term scrofula, when the result is nothing more or less than inherited syphilis. Let every man remember, the vengeance to a vital law knows only justice, not mercy, and a single moment of illicit pleasure will bring many curses upon him, and drain out the life of his innocent children, and bring a double burden of disease and sorrow to his wife.
6. If any man who has been once diseased is determined to marry, he should have his constitution tested thoroughly and see that every seed of the malady in the system has been destroyed. He should bathe daily in natural sulphur waters, as, for instance, the hot springs in Arkansas, or the sulphur springs in Florida, or those springs known as specific remedies for syphilic diseases. As long as the eruptions on the skin appear by bathing in sulphur water there is danger, and if the eruptions cease and do not appear, it is very fair evidence that the disease has left the system, yet it is not an infallible test.
7. How many bright and intelligent young men have met their doom and blighted the innocent lives of others, all on account of the secret follies and vices of men.
8. PROTECTION.—Girls, you, who are too poor and too honest to disguise aught in your character, with your sweet soul shining through every act of your lives, beware of the men who smile upon you. Study human nature, and try and select a virtuous companion.
10. SYPHILITIC POISON INERADICABLE.—Many of our best and ablest physicians assert that syphilitic poison, once infected, there can be no total disinfection during life; some of the virus remains in the system, though it may seem latent. Boards of State Charities in discussing the causes of the existence of whole classes of defectives hold to the opinion given above. The Massachusetts board in its report has these strong words on the subject:
"The worst is that, though years may have passed since its active stage, it permeates the very seed of life and causes strange affections or abnormalities in the offspring, or it tends to lessen their vital force, to disturb or to repress their growth, to lower their standard of mental and bodily vigor, and to render life puny and short."
11. A SERPENT'S TOOTH.—"The direct blood-poisoning, caused by the absorption into the system of the virus (syphilis) is more hideous and terrible in its effect than that of a serpent's tooth. This may kill outright, and there's an end; but that, stingless and painless, slowly and surely permeates and vitiates the whole system of which it becomes part and parcel, like myriads of trichinae, and can never be utterly cast out, even by salivation.
"Woe to the family and to the people in whose veins the poison courses!
"It would seem that nothing could end the curse except utter extermination. That, however, would imply a purpose of eternal vengeance, involving the innocent with the guilty."
This disease compared with small-pox is as an ulcer upon a finger to an ulcer in the vitals. Small-pox does not vitiate the blood of a people; this disease does. Its existence in a primary form implies moral turpitude.
12. CASES CITED.—Many cases might be cited. We give but one. A man who had contracted the disease reformed his ways and was apparently cured. He married, and although living a moral life was compelled to witness in his little girl's eye-balls, her gums, and her breath the result of his past sins. No suffering, no expense, no effort would have been too great could he but be assured that his offspring might be freed from these results.
13. PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE.—Here is a case where the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," may be aptly applied. Our desire would be to herald to all young men in stentorian tones the advice, "Avoid as a deadly enemy any approaches or probable pitfalls of the disease. Let prevention be your motto and then you need not look for a cure."
14. HELP PROFFERED.—Realizing the sad fact that many are afflicted with this disease we would put forth our utmost powers to help even these, and hence give on the following pages some of the best methods of cure.
HOW TO CURE GONORRHOEA (Clap).
CAUSES, IMPURE CONNECTIONS, ETC.
SYMPTOMS.—As the disease first commences to manifest itself, the patient notices a slight itching at the point of the male organ, which is shortly followed by a tingling or smarting sensation, especially on making water. This is on account of the inflammation, which now gradually extends backward, until the whole canal is involved. The orifice of the urethra is now noticed to be swollen and reddened, and on inspection a slight discharge will be found to be present. And if the penis is pressed between the finger and thumb, matter or pus exudes. As the inflammatory stage commences, the formation of pus is increased, which changes from a thin to a thick yellow color, accompanied by a severe scalding on making water. The inflammation increases up to the fifth day, often causing such pain, on urinating, that the patient is tortured severely. When the disease reaches its height, the erections become somewhat painful, when the discharge may be streaked with blood.
HOME TREATMENT.
First, see that the bowels are loose—if not, a cathartic should be given. If the digestive powers are impaired, they should be corrected and the general health looked after. If the system is in a good condition, give internally five drops of gelseminum every two hours. The first thing to be thought of is to pluck the disease in its bud, which is best done by injections. The best of these are: tinct. hydrastis, one drachm; pure water, four ounces; to be used three times a day after urinating. Zinc, sulphate, ten grains; pure water, eight ounces; to be used after urinating every morning and night. Equal parts of red wine and pure water are often used, and are of high repute, as also one grain of permanganate of potash to four ounces of water.
If the above remedies are ineffectual, a competent physician should be consulted.
GENERAL TREATMENT.—One of the best injections for a speedy cure is:
- Hydrastis, 1 oz.
- Water, 5 oz.
Mix and with a small syringe inject into the penis four or five times a day after urinating, until relieved, and diminish the number of injections as the disease disappears. No medicine per mouth need be given, unless the patient is in poor health.
SYPHILIS (POX).
1. This is the worst of all diseases except cancer—no tissue of the body escapes the ravages of this dreadful disease—bone, muscle, teeth, skin and every part of the body are destroyed by its deforming and corroding influence.
2. SYMPTOMS.—About eight days after the exposure a little redness and then a pimple, which soon becomes an open sore, makes its appearance, on or about the end of the penis in males or on the external or inner parts of the uterus of females. Pimples and sores soon multiply, and after a time little hard lumps appear in the groin, which soon develop into a blue tumor called bubo. Copper colored spots may appear in the face, hair fall out, etc. Canker and ulcerations in the mouth and various parts of the body soon develop.
3. TREATMENT.—Secure the very best physician your means will allow without delay.
4. LOCAL TREATMENT OF BUBOES.—To prevent suppuration, treatment must be instituted as soon as they appear. Compresses, wet in a solution composed of half an ounce of muriate of ammonia, three drachms of the fluid extract of belladonna, and a pint of water, are beneficial, and should be continuously applied. The tumor may be scattered by painting it once a day with tincture of iodine.
5. FOR ERUPTIONS.—The treatment of these should be mainly constitutional. Perfect cleanliness should be observed, and the sulphur, spirit vapor, or alkaline bath freely used. Good diet and the persistent use of alteratives will generally prove successful in removing this complication.
RECIPE FOR SYPHILIS.
- Bin-iodide of mercury, 1 gr.
- Extract of licorice, 32 gr.
Make into 16 pills. Take one morning and night.
LOTION.
- Bichloride of mercury, 15 gr.
- Lime water, 1 pt.
Shake well, and wash affected parts night and morning.
FOR ERUPTIONS ON TONGUE.
- Cyanide of silver, 1/2 gr.
- Powdered iridis, 2 gr.
Divide into 10 parts. To be rubbed on tongue once a day.
FOR ERUPTIONS IN SYPHILIS.
- A 5 per cent. ointment of carbolic acid, in a good preparation.
BUBO.
TREATMENT.
- Warm poultice of linseed meal,
- Mercurial plaster,
- Lead ointment.
GLEET (CHRONIC CLAP).
1. SYMPTOMS.—When gonorrhoea is not cured at the end of twenty-one or twenty-eight days, at which time all discharge should have ceased, we have a condition known as chronic clap, which is nothing more or less than gleet. At this time most of the symptoms have abated, and the principal one needing medical attention is the discharge, which is generally thin, and often only noticed in the morning on arising, when a scab will be noticed, glutinating the lips of the external orifice. Or, on pressing with the thumb and finger from behind, forward, a thin, white discharge can be noticed.
2. HOME TREATMENT.—The diet of patients affected with this disease is all-important, and should have careful attention. The things that should be avoided are highly spiced and stimulating foods and drinks, as all forms of alcohol, or those containing acids. Indulgence in impure thoughts is often sufficient to keep a discharge, on account of the excitement it produces to the sensitive organs, thus inducing erections, which always do harm.
3. GENERAL TREATMENT.—The best injection is:
- Nitrate of silver, 1/4 grain
- Pure water, 1 oz.
- Inject three or four times a day after urinating.
STRICTURE OF THE URETHRA.
SYMPTOMS.—The patient experiences difficulty in voiding the urine, several ineffectual efforts being made before it will flow. The stream is diminished in size, of a flattened or spiral form, or divided in two or more parts, and does not flow with the usual force.
TREATMENT.—It is purely a surgical case and a competent surgeon must be consulted.
PHIMOSIS.
1. CAUSE.—Is a morbid condition of the penis, in which the glans penis cannot be uncovered, either on account of a congenital smallness of the orifice of the foreskin, or it may be due to the acute stage of gonorrhoea, or caused by the presence of soft chancre.
2. SYMPTOMS.—It is hardly necessary to give a description of the symptoms occurring in this condition, for it will be easily diagnosed, and its appearances are so indicative that all that is necessary is to study into its cause and treat the disease with reference to that.
TREATMENT.—If caused from acute gonorrhoea, it should be treated first by hot fomentations, to subdue the swelling, when the glans penis can be uncovered. If the result of the formation of chancre under the skin, they should be treated by a surgeon, for it may result in the sloughing off of the end of the penis, unless properly treated.