DEP/DUA/1/41/27 (Normalised version)

George Don

1787

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No30^th. February 10^th 1787

George Don at 35 by trade a shoemaker, of a spare habit, has for these seven years past discharged by the anus, single joints of the Taenia or tape worm to the extent of ten or twelve daily. Each joint is from half an inch to about an inch in length. He never passed any large portion of the worm excepting about five years ago, when labouring under a fever. At that time he discharged upwards of three yards, composed of joints each of which was about the same length with those he [passes] at present. For some time after that discharge he did not pass any single joints.

But at the end of some weeks they again began to appear & have gradually increased to the present number.

He is at times troubled with violent headaches attended with faintness & nausea. He complains much of an uneasy itchy sensation at the anus & at the point of his nose.

He is frequently affected with cold & hot fits succeeded by sweatings particularly during the night.

Pulse about 75, rather weak & at times intermittent. His appetite for solid food continues nearly in the ordinary state

But he complains of considerable thirst. Belly in general costive & he is much troubled with flatulence, but it is seldom attended with any obvious swelling of the abdomen. Urine discharges freely, but in general of a high colour.

All his other complaints have supervened at different times, since he first began to discharge portions of the worm.

He ascribes these to the presence of this animal in the alimentary canal, but he knows no cause to which its origin there can be attributed.

He has used a great variety of medicines for its expulsion chiefly of the purgative kind but without effect.

Cap. om. m. & vesp. Pulv. Radi. Filcis. Major. ʒp. ex aquae [illegible]

17. Had some slight sickness at stomach for the first three days after he began his powder. He has not discharged any large fragment of the Taenia. Single joints still come away, but he observes that some of them are discharged in a dead state which was not formerly the case.

Cap. cr. hor. sext. [matut.]

Pulv. Rad Filic. ʒi. nec non

Rx. Pulv. Crem Tart

Elect. Lenil. aa ℥i.

Pulv. Rad. Jalap. ʒi

Syr. Simp. g. s. f. Elect

Cap. coch parv. ii. hor. 10

ante merid. & repet. coch parv

om [hor.] donec superv. cathar.

24 Had some sickness but no vomiting from the Pulveris Filic

The purgative taken afterwards operated briskly. A few joints of the Taenia were discharged at the first stool. But no long fragment came away. And single joints have since continued to appear as formerly. Interm Pulv. Filicis & cap. om. m. & vesp. Stannic [ppt] ℥ ii nec non manc die Veneris. Repet. Elect Cathart. u. a.

March 3^d. The powders occasioned no uneasiness at stomach or any other obvious operation. But on Monday he discharged when at stool several large portions of the Taenia which taken all together might he thinks amount to five or six yards. Most of the portions were alive but some of them seemed to be in a dead & even in a putrid state. In a large portion brought to the Dispensary nothing can be seen resembling the filum of the worm. On Tuesday he discharged a few joints, but he has seen none since, though the powders have been regularly continued & though the purgative which was taken yesterday operated briskly.

Interm Med & cap. om m & vesp. Pulv. Cont. Peruv. Coch. parv.

March 10. Has seen no more of the Taenia & is in good health

Dismissed Cured