362

GLEETS.

The regimen proper in this case is the same as was men-tioned in the last stage of the gonorrhoea : the diet must bedrying and astringent, and the drink Spa, Pyrmont, or Bris-tol waters, with which a little claret or red wine may some-times be mixed.

When the gleet does not in the smallest degree yield tothese medicines, there is reason to suspect that it proceedsfrom ulcers. In this case, recourse must be had to mercury,and such medicines as tend to correct any predominant acri-mony with which the juices may be affected, as the decoctionof china, sarsaparilla, sassafras, or the like.

Mr. Fordyce says he has seen many obstinate gleets, oftwo, three, or four years' standing, effectually cured by amercurial inunction, when almost every other medicine hadbeen tried in vain. Dr. Chapman seems to be of the sameopinion, but says he has always found the mercury succeedbest in this case when joined with terebinthinate and otheragglutinating medicines. For which reason the doctor re-commends pills made of calomel and Venice turpentine,* anddesires that their use may be accompanied with a decoctionof guaiacum or sarsaparilla.

The last kind of remedy which we shall mention for thecure of ulcers in the urinary passage are the suppurating can-dles or bougies. As they are prepared various ways, and aregenerally to be got ready made, we shall not spend time inenumerating the different ingredients of which, they are com-posed, or teaching the manner of preparing them. Before abougie be introduced into the urethra, however, it should besmeared all over with sweet oil, to prevent it from stimulatingtoo suddenly. It may be suffered to continue in from one toseven or eight hours, according as the patient can bear it.Obstinate ulcers are not only often healed, but tumors andexcrescences in the urinary passages taken away, and anobstruction of urine removed, by means of bougies.

* Take Venice turpentine, boiled to a sufficient degree of hardness,half an ounce, calomel half a dram ; let these be mixed and formedinto sixty pills, of which five or six may be taken night and morning.If, during the use of these pills, the mouth should grow sore or thebreath become offensive, they must be discontinued till these symp-toms disappear.