DEP/DUA/1/13/07 (Transcript version)

Daniel Robertson

(1777)

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Next Patient on list Dan. Robertson

Respecting disease with which he is affec no room for entert. any hesit.

Can be no doubt that when came under care was affectd with Gonnor. [veral.]

Or that pecul. disch. from urethra [which] is conseq. of a Vener. infect.

This in case before us occurrd in most simple state without any appear., indicat an affect of any other kind.

And if not now entirely removd is at least so far relieved that patient reckon it unnecess to cont. attend longer.

Will not indeed from this pretend to say that disch. may not yet cont for some time

Yet I appreh. can be no doubt in pronoun fav. prognos.

And indeed without some fresh appear should even consider farther treatment as unnecess.

Or at least would consid nothing more to be requis. than cautious management

In treatment of this case have not employd many med.

And at same time these cheifly with intent of obviating sympt.

Although disposed to think that some have had tenden to radic cure, yet look on recov. to have been more work of [natur]

This you will observe a treatment very diff. from what could have followed in cases of Syphil.

And naturally leads us to consid of question how far Gonnor. & Syphilis are as has gen. been supposed to be consid as diff. modif. of same disease.

Not long ago some may rememb. that had occas. to mention in practic lectures that lately subj. of debate whether humn race subj. to one vener. disease only or to two diff. affections.

Then however could enter no farther into controv. than barely to mention gener. [head] on which this controv. founded.

Hope however that no apology now necess. for taking more full view of what said on this subject.

Especially as may be consid as a quest. not merely mattr of specul. but connected with practice.

And if shall be able to render it probab. that disease are in reality diff. will at least be a comfort reflex. for those lab. under Gonnor. merly to think that not from [illegible] subj. to syphil.

Am far from imagin indeed that any thing which can now advance on this sub will afford satisf. evid that the disease in reality diff.

Yet must own that after consid this quest. am of the two rather inclind to that opin.

And shall now pres. with argum by [which] disp. to adopt this sentim.

Before ment. these howevr necess to take notice on what said in support of opp. [illegible]

And endeav to refute or at least inval. them

In support of opin that virus in Gon. & Syphil. the same many argt adduced.

Four following howevr may be consid as those on which greatest stress has been laid.

1^st Observd that both Gonnor. & Syphil very gener. affect of same remote cause that is impure [coitus].

2. Asserted that from single inst of expos to infect a patient will be subj. to both diseases of Gon. & Syphil.

3. Maintained that from same female & one & same time, one male affected with Syphil. anoth with Gonner.

And 4^th Contended that an affection begin as Gonnor. will in conseq. of improp. treatment be converted into Syphil.

These argt must at first sight appear very convincing.

And if well founded to full extent [that] mentiond would necess. estab. doctrine of diseases being the same.

On accur. exam. howevr will I appreh. by no means be found so conclus as is in gener. imagind.

Admitting some strictly true conclus. by no means follows.

And respecting other will not be denied that at least room for deception.

To evince this howevr necess. to take more partic view of them.

That both disease by much most freq. at least from same remote cause cannot be doubted.

And with males may be consid as prin if not even solely derivd from infect commun by females.

This however by no means suff. proof that both of same nature.

And indeed may be consid as merely conseq. of both diseases being cheifly seated in organs of generat.

But not more unnat to suppose two diff kinds of infect matter partic acting on these organs than one.

And no more argt that matter of Gon. & Syphil. the same than would might be used to prove sameness of mattr of Small Pox & itch.

For while two formr diseases cheifly obtained in conseq. of contact by organs of generat. two latter chiefly by [contact] surface.

From remote cause then nothing farther to be inferrd than that both the affect of actual contact.

And contact capab. of inducing both syphil & Gonnor. when in other ways.

Whenever matter of Syphil. prop. [applic] to absorb. as from suckling an infected child from cutting finger on opening bub. or like syphil. prod.

Applic of matter of Gonnor. indeed in any other manner than by coit. not so freq.

But in proof of this also sever. facts which I appreh. can hardly be disputed.

An ingen Gent. a Stud at this Univ about 12 years ago oftener than once gave himself Gonnor. by innoc.

That is by applying mattr of Gonnor to point of Ureth. on a probe.

But farther observed that applic of matter of Gonnor. to other mucus glands prod from these simil. disease as from those of Urethra.

This I think conf. by a fact which am well assured happened at this city some years ago.

A young Gent. lab. under Gonnor. employ handcerch. for short time to save shirt.

After obt howevr other cloths, again imprud put handcerchf in pocket.

And without being aware of conseq. afterwd used it in blowing nose.

Effect was a disease of inside of nose & affect of mucous glands these in every respect resemb. gonnorr.

From these circum then appear that pres. argt far from being conclus.

And that sameness in remote cause in reality proves nothing farther than that both the affect of contact.

2^den In proof of sameness of matter in both diseases contended that from comm with an infected female for one time only both diseases often the conseq.

This assert. cannot pretend to deny.

But far from proving matters the same.

And perfectly reconcilable with suppos. of there being diff.

If which often the case female affectd with both diseases patient thus equally exposed to both.

No more therfore proof that mattr of Syp & Gonnor. the same than would be [afforded] of samenss of mattr in Syphil & Variola if both these diseases should be com. by same person at same time.

And no doubt that has happend in some inst.

No one howevr thence disp to imagine that any simil in matters.

3^d. Argt. From same female one man affected with Syphil, anoth with Gonnor.

Of this will here of numer. inst.

On accurate inquiry howevr will be found much less freq. than is in general imagind.

In greatest number of inst. little certainty from whence infect derivd.

Very gener. ascribd to most recent suspicious expos.

When attend however to lurking nature of the disease will appear that in this much room for falacy.

Well known that syphil will often appear at interv. of months after infect communic.

Have known same also happen with regard to Gonnor.

Knew one inst of its making first [appear] at end of four months from time of any possib. infect.

From these circum. necess. doubts even where most posit. asserted.

But even admitting it true that the two diff. diseases thus commun by same female yet proves nothing.

As by no means incompatib. with suppos. of diff. matters.

Female may as probab. have been subj. to both diseases as to one only.

And no diffic in supposing that may have commun one to each.

Had she been also subj. to Psora third might have [catchd] that infect.

Fourth might have escaped without any disease.

While in fifth may have had conj of all three

Even admitting therfore the assertion on which this argt is built to be no rare occurrence by no means proves that matters are the same.

4^th Last argt. that an affect begun as Syphil Gonnor will in conseq. of improp. treatment be converted into Syphil.

Could this be estab. would unquest. [prov] sameness of matter.

And will meet with many practit who will pos. affirm that have seen it

Here however more ground for decep. than is commonly imagind.

And on such deceptions the assert. seems to have been founded.

Commonly alledged to be affect of astring inject at early periods of disease.

And not to be refused that from [improp] administ of these bad conseq. often result

In some inst induce very consid & obstin inflammat.

In others & that more freq. too give rise to swelld testic.

Neither one nor othr of these howevr in such cases to be reckond Syphil. symp

But merely affect of inflammat [induced] by sudden change in state of circul.

And accordingly cured by use of anti-phlogistics regim & med.

Not to be denied indeed that cases where syphil. has succeeded Gonnor.

But as freq. happens [where] Gonnor. [illegible] in most judic & caut. manner as when precip. cured.

Nor is it necess. for explan. that should adopt suppos. of two diseases dep on same [illegible]

As easily expl. on suppos. that patient had recievd both infect.

But that for some time one had remaind latent

A circum which have already observd freq. happens where one only communicated.

There take to be cheif argt adduced in support of opin that matter giving infect of Gonnor & Syphil in reality of same nature.

And from examin of these appears [that] by no means so conclus. as is in general imagind.