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 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 constitution 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 shining through
every act of your lives, beware of the men who smile upon you. Study
human nature, and try and select a virtuous companion.
10. SYPHILITIC POISON INERADICABLE.--Many of our best and ablest
physicians assert 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 classes of defectives
hold to the opinion given above. The Massachusetts board in its report
has these strong words on the subject:
"The worst is that, though years may have passed since its active
stage, it permeates the very seed of life and 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-balls, 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 assured 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).