No medical practitioner, in England or France, could or can point out one symptom pathognomonic of a syphilitic virus / by David Macloughlen.

  • Macloughlin, David, 1786-1870.
Date:
1867
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: No medical practitioner, in England or France, could or can point out one symptom pathognomonic of a syphilitic virus / by David Macloughlen. 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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    DR. MACLOUGHLEN ON THE NON-EXISTENCE OF A SYPHILITIC VIRUS. [Extract from the Medical Times and Gazette, January 26th, 1867. TO THE EDITOR. 36, Bruton Street, Berkeley Square, W. Sir, London, 3ls£ Dec., 1866. I have before me the Army Sanitary and Medical Report for 1864, and the Naval Medical Report of the Health of the Navy for 1863. From these two reports, it appears that the loss of service yearly, by the so-called Syphilitic Disease, is equal to the loss of the whole force of the Army and Naval Service in this country for eleven days. Permit me to ask, if there is such an entity as a syphilitic virus ? In other words, is there such a disease as a specific syphilitic disease? At this moment two opinions divide the Medical world as to what are the pathognomonic symptoms of this syphilitic virus. The first is that of Mr. Hunter, and the second is that of Dr. Record, of Paris. Mr. Hunter maintains “ that the pathognomonic symptoms of a syphilitic ulcer are, that the specific inflammation is confined to the base of the ulcer on the reproductive organs; that the base is hard; and that the edges of the ulcers are a little inverted.” Dr. Record maintains that no one, by his eyesight or by his touch, can ascertain the existence of syphilitic virus in an ulcer on the reproductive organs, but he asserts that every ulcer on the reproductive organs which secretes an inoculable pus contains the syphilitic virus. Is either of these opinions correct? Herpes prseputialis in the male, and herpes pudentialis in the