A Collection of Chirurgical TractsBeckett, William
Science
A Collection of Chirurgical Tracts
Beckett, William
Surgery
The greatest Evil that attends this Vice, or could well befall Mankind,
is the Propagation of that infectious Disease, called the _French-Pox_,
which in two Centuries, has made such incredible Havock all over
_Europe_. In these Kingdoms it so seldom fails to attend _Whoring_,
now-a-days mistaken for _Gallantry_ and _Politeness_, that a hale,
robust Constitution is esteem’d a Mark of Ungentility; and a healthy
young Fellow is look’d upon with the same View, as if he had spent
his Life in a Cottage. Our Gentlemen of the Army, whose unsettled way
of Life makes it inconvenient for them to marry, are hereby very much
weaken’d and enervated, and render’d unfit to undergo such Hardships
as are necessary for defending and supporting the Honour of their
Country: And our Gentry in general seem to distinguish themselves
by an ill State of Health, in all probability the Effect of this
pernicious Distemper: for the Secrecy which most People are obliged to
in this Disease, makes the Cure of it often ineffectual; and tho’ the
Infection itself may possibly be remov’d, yet for want of taking proper
Methods, it generally leaves such an ill Habit of Body as is not easily
recover’d. ’Tis to this we seem to owe the Rise of that Distemper, the
_King’s-Evil_, never known till the _French Disease_ began to prevail
here. But what makes this Mischief the more intolerable, is, that the
Innocent must suffer by it as well as the Guilty; Men give it to their
Wives, Women to their Husbands, or perhaps their Children; they to
their Nurses, and the Nurses again to other Children; so that no Age,
Sex, or Condition can be intirely safe from the Infection.
Another ill Effect of this Vice, is, its making People profuse, and
tempting them to live beyond what their Circumstances will admit of;
for if once Men suffer their Minds to be led astray by this unruly
Passion, no worldly Consideration whatever will be able to stop it;
and Wenching as it is very expensive in itself, without the ordinary
Charges of Physic or Children, often leads Men into a thousand other
Vices to support its Extravagance: Besides, after the Mind has once got
this extravagant Turn, there naturally follows a Neglect and Contempt
of Business; and Whoring of itself disposes the Mind to such a sort of
Indolence, as is quite inconsistent with Industry, the main Support of
any, especially a trading, Nation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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