On the experiemtns of Dr Casimiro Sperino, of Turin, on the subject of syphilization / by Charles Murchison.

  • Murchison, Charles, 1830-1879.
Date:
[between 1850 and 1859?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the experiemtns of Dr Casimiro Sperino, of Turin, on the subject of syphilization / by Charles Murchison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    c^oLxtzs. ON THE EXPERIMENTS OF DR CASIMIRO SPERINO, OF TURIN, ON THE SUBJECT OF SYPHILIZATION. BY CHARLES MURCHISON, M.D., &c., AND LATELY PHYSICIAN TO THE BRITISH EMBASSY AT TURIN. [EXTRACTED FROM THE REPORTS OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH.] Dr Murchison read the following communication on the experiments of Dr Sperino on the inoculation of the syphilitic virus:—Many of the members of the Physiological Society are probably aware that the subject of syphilisatiou, or the inoculation of the syphilitic virus, is one, which for some time has been engaging the attention of several of the medical societies upon the Continent, and, among others, that of the Academy of Medicine of Paris. The experiments of John Hunter and M. Ricord had shown that inoculation might he employed as a test for distinguishing between primary and secondary syphilitic sores, true chancres developing themselves from the inoculation of the discharge taken from the former class of ulcers only; but a French physician, M. Auzias Turenne, was the first to announce the extraordinary fact, that the oftener the inoculation of matter from primary sores is repeated in the same individual, he gradually exhibits a less tendency to the reproduction of such sores, until at last the inocu¬ lation has no effect at all in producing them. The experiments Avhich led M. Auzias Turenne to this extraordinary and important conclusion, were all made on the lower animals, principally monkeys, and they were detailed by him in a memoir on the subject laid before the Academy of Sciences of Paris, Nov. 18, 1850. Since then, similar experiments have been made on the human body by Dr Casimiro Sperino, who for a period of fourteen years has been the head sur¬ geon of the “Regio Sifilicomio,” or Royal Syphilitic Hospital, in the neighbour¬ hood of Turin, containing upwards of 200 beds, allotted entirely to females affected with syphilis, and who has therefore had ample opportunity of making himself thoroughly acquainted with this class of surgical diseases. On the 17th of last December i visited the Regio Sifilicomio in company with Dr Sperino, and, through the kindness of that gentleman, I there had an opportunity SUTHERLAND AND KNOX, GEORGE STREET, EDINBURGH.