Volume 1

Remarks on some of the opinions of the late Mr. John Hunter respecting the venereal disease; in a letter to Jeseph Adams / [Henry Clutterbuck].

Clutterbuck, Henry, 1767-1856

Date:: 1799

Credit: Remarks on some of the opinions of the late Mr. John Hunter respecting the venereal disease; in a letter to Jeseph Adams / [Henry Clutterbuck]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$and also very similar to the venereal in many e respects, although not in all j therefore, it is 6 the want of similarity that is the criterion to 6 judge by, and not the similarityIf this doc¬ trine were admitted, the species of disease would soon be multiplied to an immeasurable extent. We should, shortly, have no standard character to which to refer. I agree with you, that, in the present state of science, it would be unphilosophical to denominate a disease merely after that which it most resem¬ bles. But it would surely be equally unphi¬ losophical to exalt varieties into the rank of species. By so doing, neither our knowledge of causes, nor means of cure, would be extended. If uniformity be found to take place in no other disease ; if varieties in constitution, as well as other circumstances, be observed to alter the character of diseases in general \ there can be no reason, a priori, for lues venerea, resisting the influence of causes so powerful • and evidence much stronger than has been yet adduced is wanting to prove that it does so. From what has been quoted above, one would be led to suppose, that Mr. Hunter considered the venereal disease as having one simple, uniform character. From other pas¬ sages, how ever, of his work, it is clear, he ad¬ mitted$