Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark Corners Part 61

Brooding kills; hope enlivens. Then sing with joy that the savior of knowledge has vanquished the death-dealing ignorance of the past; that the glorious strength of manhood has awakened and cast from you forever the grinning skeleton of vice. Be your better self, proud that your thoughts in the day-time are as pure as you could wish your dreams to be at night.

10. HELPS.--Do not use tobacco or liquor. They inflame the pa.s.sions and irritate the nervous system; they only gratify base appet.i.tes and never rouse the higher feelings. Highly spiced food should be eschewed, not chewed. Meat should be eaten sparingly, and never at the last meal.

11. DON'T EAT TOO MUCH.--If not engaged in hard physical labor, try eating two meals a day. Never neglect the calls of nature, and if possible have a pa.s.sage from the bowels every night before retiring. When this is not done the feces often drop into the r.e.c.t.u.m during sleep, producing heat which extends to the s.e.xual organs, causing the lascivious dreams and emission.

This will be noticed especially in the morning, when the feces usually distend {463} the r.e.c.t.u.m and the person nearly always awakes with s.e.xual pa.s.sions aroused. If necessary, use injections into the r.e.c.t.u.m of from one to two quarts of water, blood heat, two or three times a week. Be sure to keep clean and see to it that no matter collects under the foreskin. Wash off the organ every night and take a quick, cold hand-bath every morning.

Have something to do. Never be idle. Idleness always wors.h.i.+ps at the shrine of pa.s.sion.

12. THE WORST TIME OF ALL.--Many are ruined by allowing their thoughts to run riot in the morning. Owing to the pa.s.sions being roused as stated above, the young man lies half awake and half dozing, rousing his pa.s.sions and reveling in lascivious thought for hours perhaps, thus completely sapping the fountains of purity, establis.h.i.+ng habits of vice that will bind him with iron bands, and doing his physical system more injury than if he had practiced self-abuse, and had the emission in a few minutes. Jump out of bed at once on waking, and never allow the thought to master you.

13. A HAND BATH.--A hand bath in cold water every morning will diminish those rampant s.e.xual cravings, that crazy, burning, l.u.s.tful desire so sensualizing to men by millions; lessen prost.i.tution by toning down that pa.s.sion which alone patronizes it, and relieve wives by the millions of those excessive conjugal demands which ruin their s.e.xual health; besides souring their tempers, and then demanding millions of money for resultant doctor bills.

14. WILL GET WELL.--Feel no more concern about your self. Say to yourself, "I shall and will get well under this treatment," as you certainly will.

Pluck is half the battle. Mind acts and reads directly on the s.e.xual organs. Determining to get well gets you well; whilst all fear that you will become worse makes you worse. All worrying over your case as if it were hopeless, all moody and despondent feelings, tear the life right out of these organs whilst hopefulness puts new life into them.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

{464}

The Curse and Consequence of Secret Diseases.

[Ill.u.s.tration: INNOCENT CHILDHOOD.]

1. THE SINS OF THE FATHERS ARE VISITED ON THE CHILDREN.--If persons who contract secret diseases were the only sufferers, there would be less pity and less concern manifested by the public and medical profession.

2. There are many secret diseases which leave an hereditary taint, and innocent children and grandchildren are compelled to suffer as well as those who committed the immoral act.

3. GONORRHOEA (Clap) is liable to leave the parts sensitive and irritable, and the miseries of spermatorrhoea, impotence, chronic rheumatism, stricture and other serious ailments may follow.

4. SYPHILIS (Pox).--Statistics prove that over 30 per cent. of the children born alive perish within the first year. Outside of this frightful mortality, how many children are born, inheriting eruptions of the skin, foul ulcerations, {465} swelling of the bones, weak eyes or blindness, scrofula, idiocy, stunted growth, and finally insanity, all on account of the father's early vices. The weaknesses and afflictions of parents are by natural laws visited upon their children.

5. The mother often takes the disease from her husband, and she becomes an innocent sufferer to the dreaded disease. However, some other name generally is applied to the disease, and with perfect confidence in her husband she suffers pain all her life, ignorant of the true cause. Her children have diseases of the eyes, skin, glands and bones, and the doctor will apply the term scrofula, when the result is nothing more or less than inherited syphilis. Let every man remember, the vengeance to a vital law knows only justice, not mercy, and a single moment of illicit pleasure will bring many curses upon him, and drain out the life of his innocent children, and bring a double burden of disease and sorrow to his wife.

6. If any man who has been once diseased is determined to marry, he should have his const.i.tution tested thoroughly and see that every seed of the malady in the system has been destroyed. He should bathe daily in natural sulphur waters, as, for instance, the hot springs in Arkansas, or the sulphur springs in Florida, or those springs known as specific remedies for syphilic diseases. As long as the eruptions on the skin appear by bathing in sulphur water there is danger, and if the eruptions cease and do not appear, it is very fair evidence that the disease has left the system, yet it is not an infallible test.

7. How many bright and intelligent young men have met their doom and blighted the innocent lives of others, all on account of the secret follies and vices of men.

8. PROTECTION.--Girls, you, who are too poor and too honest to disguise aught in your character, with your sweet soul s.h.i.+ning through every act of your lives, beware of the men who smile upon you. Study human nature, and try and select a virtuous companion.

_Transcriber's note: there is no 9. in the original._

10. SYPHILITIC POISON INERADICABLE.--Many of our best and ablest physicians a.s.sert that syphilitic poison, once infected, there can be no total disinfection during life; some of the virus remains in the system, though it may seem latent. Boards of State Charities in discussing the causes of the existence of whole cla.s.ses of defectives hold to the opinion given above. The Ma.s.sachusetts board in its report has these strong words on the subject:

"The worst is that, though years may have pa.s.sed since its active stage, it permeates the very seed of life and {466} causes strange affections or abnormalities in the offspring, or it tends to lessen their vital force, to disturb or to repress their growth, to lower their standard of mental and bodily vigor, and to render life puny and short.

11. A SERPENT'S TOOTH.--"_The direct blood-poisoning, caused by the absorption into the system of the virus (syphilis) is more hideous and terrible in its effect than that of a serpent's tooth._ This may kill outright, and there's an end; but that, stingless and painless, slowly and surely permeates and vitiates the whole system of which it becomes part and parcel, like myriads of trichinae, and can never be utterly cast out, even by salivation.

"Woe to the family and to the people in whose veins the poison courses!

"It would seem that nothing could end the curse except utter extermination.

That, however, would imply a purpose of eternal vengeance, involving the innocent with the guilty."

This disease compared with small-pox is as an ulcer upon a finger to an ulcer in the vitals. Small-pox does not vitiate the blood of a people; this disease does. Its existence in a primary form implies moral turpitude.

12. CASES CITED.--Many cases might be cited. We give but one. A man who had contracted the disease reformed his ways and was apparently cured. He married, and although living a moral life was compelled to witness in his little girl's eye-b.a.l.l.s, her gums, and her breath the result of his past sins. No suffering, no expense, no effort would have been too great could he but be a.s.sured that his offspring might be freed from these results.

13. PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE.--Here is a case where the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," may be aptly applied. Our desire would be to herald to all young men in stentorian tones the advice, "Avoid as a deadly enemy any approaches or probable pitfalls of the disease. Let prevention be your motto and then you need not look for a cure."

14. HELP PROFFERED.--Realizing the sad fact that many are afflicted with this disease we would put forth our utmost powers to help even these, and hence give on the following pages some of the best methods of cure.

HOW TO CURE GONORRHOEA (Clap).

CAUSES, IMPURE CONNECTIONS, ETC.

SYMPTOMS.--As the disease first commences to manifest itself, the patient notices a slight itching at the point of the the {467} male organ, which is shortly followed by a tingling or smarting sensation, especially on making water. This is on account of the inflammation, which now gradually extends backward, until the whole ca.n.a.l is involved. The orifice of the urethra is now noticed to be swollen and reddened, and on inspection a slight discharge will be found to be present. And if the p.e.n.i.s is pressed between the finger and thumb, matter or pus exudes. As the inflammatory stage commences, the formation of pus is increased, which changes from a thin to a thick yellow color, accompanied by a severe scalding on making water. The inflammation increases up to the fifth day, often causing such pain, on urinating, that the patient is tortured severely. When the disease reaches its height, the erections become somewhat painful, when the discharge may be streaked with blood.

HOME TREATMENT.

First, see that the bowels are loose--if not, a cathartic should be given.

If the digestive powers are impaired, they should be corrected and the general health looked after. If the system is in a good condition, give internally five drops of gelseminum every two hours. The first thing to be thought of is to pluck the disease in its bud, which is best done by injections. The best of these are: tinct. hydrastis, one drachm; pure water, four ounces; to be used three times a day after urinating. Zinc, sulphate, ten grains; pure water, eight ounces; to be used after urinating every morning and night. Equal parts of red wine and pure water are often used, and are of high repute, as also one grain of permanganate of potash to four ounces of water.

If the above remedies are ineffectual, a competent physician should be consulted.

General Treatment.--One of the best injections for a speedy cure is:

Hydrastis, 1 oz.

Water, 5 oz.

Mix and with a small syringe inject into the p.e.n.i.s four or five times a day after urinating, until relieved, and diminish the number of injections as the disease disappears. No medicine per mouth need be given, unless the patient is in poor health.

SYPHILIS (Pox).

1. This is the worst of all diseases except cancer--no tissue of the body escapes the ravages of this dreadful {468} disease--bone, muscle, teeth, skin and every part of the body are destroyed by its deforming and corroding influence.

2. SYMPTOMS.--About eight days after the exposure a little redness and then a pimple, which soon becomes an open sore, makes its appearance, on or about the end of the p.e.n.i.s in males or on the external or inner parts of the uterus of females. Pimples and sores soon multiply, and after a time little hard lumps appear in the groin, which soon develop into a blue tumor called _bubo_. Copper colored spots may appear in the face, hair fall out, etc. Canker and ulcerations in the mouth and various parts of the body soon develop.

3. TREATMENT.--Secure the very best physician your means will allow without delay.

4. LOCAL TREATMENT OF BUBOES.--To prevent suppuration, treatment must be inst.i.tuted as soon as they appear. Compresses, wet in a solution composed of half an ounce of muriate of ammonia, three drachms of the fluid extract of belladonna, and a pint of water, are beneficial, and should be continuously applied. The tumor may be scattered by painting it once a day with tincture of iodine.

5. FOR ERUPTIONS.--The treatment of these should be mainly const.i.tutional.

Perfect cleanliness should be observed, and the sulphur, spirit vapor, or alkaline bath freely used. Good diet and the persistent use of alteratives will generally prove successful in removing this complication.

RECIPE FOR SYPHILIS.--

Bin-iodide of mercury, 1 gr.

Extract of licorice, 32 gr.

Make into 16 pills. Take one morning and night.