The Plague of Lust, Vol. 2 (of 2): Being a History of Venereal Disease in Classical AntiquityRosenbaum, Julius
History
The Plague of Lust, Vol. 2 (of 2): Being a History of Venereal Disease in Classical Antiquity
Rosenbaum, Julius
Sexually transmitted diseases -- History
[170] Comp. _Hillary_, “Beobachtungen über die Veränderungen Luft und
die damit verbundenen epidemischen Krankheiten auf der Insel Barbados,”
(Observations on Changes of Atmosphere and the Epidemic Sicknesses
connected with them in the Island of Barbadoes), transl. from the
English by J. Ch. G. Ackermann. Leipzig 1776. 8vo., pp. 3 sqq.
[171] _Alex. Traj. Petronius_, De morbo Gallico, (On the French
Disease—Syphilis), bk. II. chs. 24., and 26 (Aphrodisiacus pp. 1225,
1226.) in his time says: Et in regione calida, quoniam secundum naturae
suae impetum ad cutem fertur, minus saevire, in frigida vero, quoniam
contra suam naturam ad interna migrare cogitur, magis.—Neque nos non
lateat, in ambiente (ut dicunt) calido, quoniam ad cutim attractio
fit, morbum hunc et secundum naturae suae impetum creari, et simul ad
exteriora prorumpere solere. In frigido autem, quia intro repellitur
contra suae naturae motum retroverti et solidas corporis partes saepius
depasci. Frequentius etiam in regione calida quam frigida apparere;
hic enim circumfusus aer, ne morbus ad cutim extendatur, prohibet
(nam intro pellit), illic vero et ad cutim trahit et eandem retinet.
(Moreover in a hot region, inasmuch as in accordance with the impulse
of its nature it is carried to the skin, it is there less virulent;
whereas in a cold one, as it is compelled against its nature to travel
to the inward parts, it is more so.—Again we should not let this escape
our notice, that in a hot environment (as they say), inasmuch as an
attraction takes place towards the skin, this disease also according
to the impulse of its nature is there brought into being, and is wont
to break out towards the external parts. On the other hand in a cold
one, because it is drawn within, it is turned back contrary to the
motion of its nature, and more often feeds upon the solid parts of the
body. Again it appears more frequently in a hot region than in a cold
one; for in the latter case the surrounding air (driving it within as
it does) hinders the disease from extending to the skin, whereas in
the former it draws it to the skin and keeps it there). But specially
pertinent in this connection is p. 1211.—_Puydebat_, “Über den Einfluss
des Climas auf den Menschen,” (Of the Influence of Climate on Man), in
the “Bulletin méd. de Bordeaux, 1836. May 21. (Froriep Notiz. 1836.
Vol. 49. p. 179.) writes: Die immer geöffneten Hautporen hauchen in den
heissen Ländern einen reichlichen, mehr oder weniger stark riechenden
Schweiss aus. Die Hautdrüsen sondern eine ölige Flüssigkeit in Menge
ab, welche die Haut schlüpfrig macht und derselben jenes bei den
Negern so auffallende Ansehn giebt. Dieser Zustand der Haut macht sie
zu Exanthemen, z. B. Masern, Blattern, Syphilis, Lepra, Elephantiasis
geneigt. (The ever open skin-pores expire in hot countries a rich and
more or less strongly smelling sweat. The cutaneous glands secrete an
oily fluid in quantities, which makes the skin slippery and gives it
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