Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/49

* GONNEB. 29 GONSALVO DE CORDOVA. shortly before his death he held many judiciary offices at Munich, where he was appointed Coun- selor of State in 1820. His principal works in- (hule: llandbucli des deutsclirn ganeiyicii Pro- sesses (2d ed., 4 vols., 1804), and Deutsches ,S7aa(srcc7if (1804). GO NOCOC'CUS. See Gonoerhcea. GONOBRHCE'A (Lat.^ from Gk. yov6ppoia, gonorrhoia, from joi'of, goitos, semen + poid, rhoiii, a How, from p'«i', riiein, to flow). A name which was forniorly applied almost indiscrimi- nately to all discharges from the genital passages in both sexes. At present the name is applied to a specific catarrhal, inflammatory disease of the mucous membrane of the urethra, caused by a germ, Gonococcus gonorrhoea:, which was dis- covered by Neisser. The disease is never caused by 'taking cold,' or a 'strain,' by mere unclean- liness, or injury. The access to the urethra of mucus or pus containing the gonococcus occurs, in the vast majority of cases, during sexual inter- course. From two to ten days after the sexual intercourse, a slight water}' discharge appears at the mouth of the urethra, the lips of which become red and swollen. The discharge quick- ly becomes abundant and white, later yellowish, possibly greenish or bloody. Itching follows, with burning pain, especially on urination, which becomes frequent. In the male, painful erections of the penis occur, principally at night, during which the organ is curved. This condition is called chordee. Without treatment, gonorrhoea invariably becomes chronic and permanent, Dis- ea.se of deeper parts often follows, and the blad- der, prostate gland, seminal vesicles, and neigh- boring lymphatics become infected. General in- fection is frequently followed by 'gonorrhoeal rheumatism,' which is an arthritis, or joint dis- ease, with stifi'ness and pain, caused by the toxins which are formed by the disease germs. It is extremely difficult to treat the disease when it invades the prostate gland or the seminal vesicles. In a woman, the vagina, bladder, uterus. Fallo- pian tubes, and ovaries may be attacked. If the vagina be infected, there may be swelling, heat, pain, and great scalding from the urine. In many cases, hoxyever. the patient may not know she has the disease till uterus and tubes are attacked, noticing only an increase of fluid escaping from the vulva, and thinking she has a simple ca- tarrhal, instead of a specific discharge. From three to five days after contracting the disease, most patients suffer from fever, 'head- ache, slight nausea, possibly preceded by a chill. During this stage the patient should be in bed. on low diet, and should take a cathartic, and drink large quantities of plain water. All treatment should be directed by a physician. In- jections taken too early or in too concentrated a form may drive the infected mucus deeper, or weaken the resistive power of the urethra, or cause buboes. Injections of solutions of pro- targol, merenrol, nitrate of silver, permanganate of potash, sulphate of zinc, etc.. are used. Irri- gations with bichloride of mercury are sometimes u.sed. Internally, cubebs, copaiba, salol, oil of sandal, cystogen, sour palmetto, and many other drugs are used. All alcoholic beverages must be absolutely prohibited, and all sexual intercourse positively stopped, till two weeks after the pa- tient is cured. The disease is not at an end when the discharge stops, unless the urine is per- fectly clear, and the mucus from the prostate gland as well as the seminal fluid contain no gonococci discoverable by the microscope. Infec- tion of a wife may occur when there is discharge from the disease, if the genns lurk in the seminal vesicles. Extreme care should be taken by one suffering with gonorrhoea to catch the discharge in gauze, which should be burned. If the fingers be soiled with the discharge the eyes may become infected, and blindness may result. The testicles should be supported by a snug suspensory band- age. Patent medicines should be shunned. If gonorrhoea persist for a considerable time and the discharge become thin and scanty, the term 'gleet' is applied to it by some. The Gonococcus, or Micrococcus, gonorrhocw ia an extremely minute organism. It occurs usually in pairs, with flattened sides l.ving in apposition. For this reason it is often referred to as the Diplococciis gonorrhoccr. It is not easily grown on the more common culture media, but grows readily on human blood-scrum, with or witliout agar, at the temperature of the bod.y. The mu- cous membranes of the lower animals do not seem susceptible to gonorrhceal infection, but tlie human urethra reacts promptly to inoculation with pure cultures. In the mucous membrane it sets up an exudative inflammation, and may be found either free in the exudate or inclosed in the cast-off epithelial cells. Its presence within the cell bodies, taken in connection with its oc- currence in pairs, and its behavior when subjected to a special stain known as Gram's stain, make its identification usually possible. Quite fre- quently the pus-producing orgajiisms are associ- ated with the gonococcus. It is believed tJiat gonorrhoeal infection from the vagina of the motlier during parturition is responsible for ophlhahnia nevnatoruin, an intense form of con- junctivitis, which often results in blindness through the destruction of one or both eyes. GONORRHCEAL OPHTHAX'MIA. See Conjunctivitis. GONSALVO DE CORDOVA, gAn-thiil'BO dft k(jr'd6-Ba (Gonz.lo Hernandez Y Aguilar) . A celebrated Spanish commander. He was bom at Jlontilla, near Cordova, in 1453 (according to some in 1443). He distinguished himself in the war waged by Queen Isabella of Castile against Portugal and in the war against the Moors, and was charged in 1491 with the conduct of the negotiations for the surrender of Gran- ada. In 1495 he was sent by Ferdinand of Aragon to the assistance of Ferdinand, King of Naples, against the French. In less than a year, Gonsalvo, v/ith his limited resources, had delivered the greater part of the kingdom, and obtained the appellation of 'El Gran Capitan.' In 1498 he returned to Spain and was receive! with signal marks of distinction by the King. Having been placed in command of a fleet in the ilediterranean, he took Cephalonia from the Turks at the beginning of 1501 and restored it to Venice. When the partition of the Kingdom of Naples was determined upon by a compact between Louis XII. of France and Ferdinand the Catholic, entered into at Granada in 1500, Gon- salvo de Cordova led the invading Spanish army. The conquest of the kingdom was speedily achieved, but the conquerors soon quarreled over the partition of the booty, and war broke out between them in 1502, Gonsalvo de Cordova