On this Day, 28 March 1807: an indelicate cure for venereal disease

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In its early days, the Brighton Herald was dominated by advertisements for medicines. Many of these could also be bought at the newspaper’s offices.

This 1807 advertisement for Dr Henry’s Specific Pills identifies an ally of sexually transmitted diseases: delicacy.

‘Delicacy has been the utter destruction of many youths who have been infected with a certain disease. Natural modesty, and the desire of concealing the ailment, not suffering them to communicate to a practitioner in time, the disease rapidly gains ground…’

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