Letter to His Grace the Duke of Somerset, First Lord of the Admiralty, relative to the question is there a syphilitic virus? / by David Macloughlin.

  • Macloughlin, David, 1786-1870.
Date:
[1865]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letter to His Grace the Duke of Somerset, First Lord of the Admiralty, relative to the question is there a syphilitic virus? / by David Macloughlin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Consequently, the individual who first suggested the necessity of appointing this Commission, and who, by the evidence of facts, induced the above two depart- ments to appoint this medical commission, will, it is hoped, be permitted to submit to the two above depart- ments, what it is necessary they should do to assist this Commission to do their duty. And this medical commission will, it is, also, hoped, forgive the individual if he takes the liberty to place before them what he would do, if he were charged to perform the duty entrusted to them. The above two departments are not aware, that if the English army had not gone to Portugal fifty-seven years ago, the English surgeons would not have had the opportunity to see the humble, but intelligent, Portugese surgeons, cure all ulcers on the genitals, by ablution, rest, and attention to the general health ; and cure these ulcers quicker than those attended to by the English surgeons—and without any secondary symptoms. Whereas, the English surgeons treated all these ulcers, on the genitals, by the administration of mercury, which, not only injured their patient’s constitution, but too often inflicted in their patients, the cruellest mutilation that man can suffer, and too often destroyed their life. Consequently, I say, had the English army not gone to Portugal fifty-seven years ago, in all probability, the Government would not now be called upon to appoint a medical commission to study and to report if there is or if there is not a syphilitic virus.