An essay on the venereal disease and its treatment : illustrated by numerous cases : intended to ascertain the effect of nitrous acid and other analogous remedies, lately proposed as substitutes for mercury / by William Blair.

  • Blair, William, 1766-1822.
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the venereal disease and its treatment : illustrated by numerous cases : intended to ascertain the effect of nitrous acid and other analogous remedies, lately proposed as substitutes for mercury / by William Blair. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    proposed plan, was f< to employ the new medicines in unequi- vocal cases of confirmed Syphilis.” And any other successful trials than u with inveterate cases,” were distinctly declared to be, in my judgment, illegitimate proofs. The object which I had in view, and the sentiments I entertained, when the above letter was first circulated, may be inferred from the following extract of a communication inserted by me, Jan. 1798, in the Monthly Magazine : “ It is well known that many medical men have been lately engaged in making experiments to ascertain whether or not the venereal disease, in all its complicated forms, can be radically cured by medicines containing a large pro'- portion of oxygen, or vital air; and particularly by means of the nitrous acid and oxygenated muriate of potash. “ The very respectable testimonies which have already appeared in favour of these remedies, and the mild as well, as expeditious manner in which they are said to ope- rate, have induced me to give them a fair and unprejudiced trial, in a great variety of cases ; and also to solicit the communications of other gentlemen in London, who have had opportunities of exhibiting them : but I am sorry to observe, that our experience obliges me to differ in opinion from those physicians and surgeons who have raised our expectations on this subject. “ This diversity of opinion being founded on actual ob- servation, and not any preconceived notions, has emboldened me to use the freedom of circulating a printed letter, to re- commend the trial of the new medicines in advanced stages of the disease; where well-marked blotches, nodes, ulcer- atedJ'auces, ozeena, and other characteristic symptoms of a genuine Syphilis appear : since in these cases only can we be fully assured ihat the syphilitic poison exists in the con- stitution, and indubitably requires the administration of an antivenereal medicine. t( fhe most judicious practitioners, and those of the largest experience, are ready to confess, that although it be usually advisable to give mercury in recent stages of the venereal disease, with a view to prevent the further progress of the symptoms, or the occurrence of a coi-twmed Lues Venerea; yet in very many such instances, the patients would escape and recover their health, by a proper plan of treatment, without the use of mercury j and, notwith- a 2 itanding