The complete works of John Hunter, F.R.S (Volume 2).

  • Hunter, John, 1728-1793.
Date:
1841
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The complete works of John Hunter, F.R.S (Volume 2). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    published his Critical Inquiry, in which he introduced this fact, That matter may be formed without a breach of substance; not mentioning whence he had derived this notion. It was ever after taught by Dr. Hunter in his lectures. We, however, find writers adopting it without quoting either Mr. Sharp or Dr. Hunter. So much being known, I was anxious to examine whether the matter in a gonorrhoea was formed in the same way. In the spring of 1753 there was an execution of eight men, two of whom I knew had at that time very severe gonorrhoeas. Their bodies being procured for this particular purpose, we were very accurate in our examination, but found no ulceration. The two urethras appeared merely a little blood-shot, especially near the glans. This being another new fact ascertained, it could not escape Mr. Gataker, ever attentive to his emolument, who was then attending Dr. Hun- ter's lectures, and also practising dissection under me. He pub- lished soon after, in 1754, a treatise on this disease, and explained fully that the matter in a gonorrhoea did not arise from an ulcer, without mentioning how he acquired this knowledge ; and from that time successive writers have repeated the same doctrine. Since the period mentioned above I have constantly paid particular atten- tion to this circumstance, and have opened the urethra of many who at the time of their death had a gonorrhoea, yet have never found a sore in any; but always observed that the urethra, near the glans, was more bloodshot than usual, and that the lacunas were often filled with matter I have indeed seen an instance of a sore a little within the urethra ; but this sore was not produced by any ulceration of the surface, but from an inflammation taking place, probably in one of glands, which produced an abscess in the part, and that abscess opened its way into the urethra. The very same sore opened a way through externally at the frsenum, so that there was a new passage for the urine. Indeed the method of curing a gonorrhoea might have shown that it could not depend upon a venereal ulcer, for there is hardly an instance of a venereal ulcer being cured by anything but mercury, escharotics excepted. We know, however, that most gonorrhoeas are curable without mercury, and, what is still more, without any medical assistance; which, I believe, is never the case with a chancre. This doctrine, that a gonorrhoea does not depend on ulcers, was first taught pub- licly by Dr. Hunter, at his lectures, in the year 1750 ; but he did not attempt to account for it. §1.0/* the Time between the Application of the Poison, and Effect. In most diseases there is a certain tima between the application of the cause and the appearance of the effect. In the venereal disease this time is found to vary considerably, owing probably to the state of the constitution when the infection was received. Each form of the disease also varies in this respect; the gonorrhoea and chancre being earlier in their appearance after contamination than