Title
Gonococcal Urethritis in the Male: For Practitioners (1928)
Author
P. S. Pelouze, M.D.
Associate in Urology and Assistant Genito-Urinary Surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania; Fellow of the Philadelphia College of Physicians.
Image
Description
This 1928 urological reference, Gonococcal Urethritis in the Male, offers an early 20th-century clinical guide for physicians treating venereal disease. Written by Dr. P. S. Pelouze, a specialist in genitourinary surgery, the book details diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiological understanding of gonorrheal infections in men. It reflects the medical and social attitudes of its time toward sexual health, patient honesty, and the etiology of sexually transmitted diseases.
Condition
Red cloth cover with noticeable sun-fading and fabric wear at spine and edges. Spine titles remain legible in gilt. Internally clean and legible. Former library copy from IU School of Medicine, withdrawn July 29, 1993.
Gallery
Historical context
Published in the interwar period, this book reflects a time when venereal disease was rampant yet stigmatized, and sexual history was often underreported. Treatments predated the antibiotic revolution, relying on silver-based compounds and urethral irrigation. The author’s emphasis on physician discretion and tact speaks to the era’s moralistic undertones in medical practice.
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
The book was published just a year before the discovery of penicillin, which would revolutionize the treatment of gonorrhea.
Pelouze encourages physicians to fabricate a hypothetical “lapse in judgment” story to coax honest disclosures from embarrassed patients.
The withdrawal stamp shows the book remained in medical circulation for over 60 years.
Excerpt
“A married man who has indulged in illicit sexual intercourse, and practically all of these weird stories are told by married men or boys, is very loath to confess the real cause of his infection.”
Why it is in the Cabinet
This book offers a striking look at how sexually transmitted infections were viewed, treated, and stigmatized in the early 20th century. Its frank tone, emphasis on male behavior, and pre-antibiotic strategies highlight a bygone era of medical and moral judgment. It stands as both a clinical artifact and a social commentary on early urology.
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