DEP/DUA/1/12/09 (Transcript version)

Betty McIntosh

(1776-1777)

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Betty McIntosh.

Disease not totally without diffic.

Yet almost every part of affect. obvious.

Can by no means howevr referr whole symp to one genus.

What may consider as princip part of compl. is dry scabby erupt. upon head.

In affixing name to this part of affect no hesitat.

From seat, from appear. & nature of erupt can have no doubt in pron. it Tin. Capit.

An affect not uncommon & freq very obstin

In so much that after certain standing some disp to rank it among incurable [affect]

But this although to be consid as most consid perhaps not only part of patients comp.

Perhaps even not what in pres. inst will be most obstin.

Patient affected also with consid dulness of hearing

This also consid as characteristic of a genus of disease among all nosologists.

Under terms [Dysecoea], Cophosis, Surditas &e

Each genus [comprehending] various species

Which however to be consid cheifly as inst. of the disease proceeding from diff. causes.

What partic accid in pres. inst giving rise to it a matter of great doubt.

Some presumpt howevr that may have been affect of disappearing of erupt.

Repuls of cutan diseases enum among causes of great variety of affect.

And from none more freq. affections said to proceed than from repuls. of Tinea.

Do not however observe that any practic author has mentiond deafness as one of them

Has been said howevr to induce blindness.

And if occas affect of one senses now mentiond gives at least presumpt of other.

Would I own then be inclind to attrib pres. deafness to former remov of the affect.

Which as far as we can learn not affect of any partic remed but a natural cure.

Still howevr may I apprhend have been productive of same affect, as if artif cure.

As evid indicating a diff state of circulation

Besides these two affect may be at least question whethr patient be not affectd with thd third

Is observd to have uncommon largeness of belly.

And to be affected with inclin to vomiting partic in morning.

In neither of these separately evid of any partic affect.

Nor indeed in both conjoind.

At same time little reason to think that connected with any othr of affect. alr. mentiond.

How formerly be incip state of more matter. affect. than any yet mentiond hard to say.

But as far as can at pres. judge should not look upon it in that light.

And am I own disposed to view it, as least consid part of patients compl.

And respecting event of it have least [apprehen]

Of two others somewhat doubtful in opin.

From Tinea having before yeilded, ground for favour. judgement.

Yet is an affection not unfreq. [admitn] of temporary cure.

And as was the case when formerly disappeard may again without any obv. cause return.

But still greatr reason to be affraid of obstin of deafness.

For since first commen. has suffered no obvious remiss.

And at same time no manif. disease in the ear can be discov.

Here evid that in cure diff. obj. to be had in view.

As already mentiond what reckond princip obj. of attent was disease of head or Tinea.

And at same time that part of compl. in treatment of which expected to be most success.

Although as already observd look upon it to be in every inst. an obstin affection.

While say this, am at same time [convincd] that if patients will submit to the remedy one which may in by much greatest number of inst. be cured

And such a cure freq. affected by an old woman in neighb of Ednr.

Princip on which her remedy, by no means an uncommon one in othr parts of country proceeds, is very obvious.

Little doubt that this one of those cutan affect to be consid as a disease of the roots of the hair.

May therefore look for radic cure on two grounds.

By removing diseasd [parts].

Or by destroying them.

Is on first of these princip that practice to which now allude proceeds.

Practice is applic of pitch plaster to head.

Allowed to remain so long as to be [firmly] impacted in hair.

And cannot be [removd] without entirely [pulling] these along with it.

In such removal cure from this practice solely consists.

Though an affect cure howevr must be allowed a very severe one.

And indeed so cruel that few regul practit will I believe be found to vent. on it.

Is on this acct therfore that in pres inst [illegible] rather to direct endeav. to destruct of [parts]

And with this view had recourse to corros. sublim.

A med affects of which as a pecul. stim on topic applic unquest. very great.

And in othr inst of Tinea have seen it attended with best affect.

With pres. patient however cannot say that affects such as expected.

At same time had evid good affect at least to certain extent.

And although did not entirly remove at least dimin the affection.

Prob also aided not a little the med which afterwards employd.

For found it here inconven. to cont. applic of corros. so long as [intended]

Was in some respects prod. of more affect than intended.

From being firmly impacted in hair was [likely] to operate in same mannr as pitch plaster.

This led me to substit to corros. the use of the Verdegrise.

An applic also not unfreq. in pres. complaint

From use of this obtaind I own greatr [affect] than expected.

For week following found head as free from scabby erupt as if had never taken place.

Would not howevr entirly ascribe this to Verdeg

Am persuaded that affect more remarkab. in conseq. of prev. applic of Corros.

But whether from one or other or both have obtaind, if not perman, at least tempor remov of this affect.

And while patient in pres. state next obj. of cure is the deafness.

Here must own somewhat at loss on what princip to proceed.

Princip as great doubt respecting partic cause of deafness.

In greater number of cases howevr may [consid] deafness as from one of two sources.

Either want of free commun of impress. to [nerves]

Or want of due sensib in nerves when impr commun to them

How far one or other any concern in pres. case at a loss to say.

Or if communication obst. from what partic cause greatly in dark.

Must own therfore that trials with view to cure in great meas random ones.

From having succeeded cure of formr erupt some presumpt. that may have been affect of change of circulat.

At least one chance of restorat. by anothr alterat of balance.

With this view therfore meant to try [affec] of supporting for some time running from [neck]

To this meas. the rather induced as appreh. from it some good affect as prev. return of erupt.

As not only drain from neighb of parts formerly affected, but also change of determ in [circul] on surface of head

This therefore consid at least as reasonable trial.

If howevr found ineffect. must have recourse to other trials

And with this view mean to pay first atten to state of commun for impress.

Few meas perhaps more affect for remov obstruct in passage than syring. with warm water

And has farther advant of being no improp means of augm. secret. where dimin.

And thus giving prop. cond. to parts for commun of sound.

If in this way insuff. other meas. may be tried

Ex stim of Camph oil within ear introd by cotton

Where stimul necess have been informd that often remark. good affect from Burg. Pitch introd into meat. auditor.

Formd into such a shape as to be readily put into it

And in order to prev. attachment covered with a bit of gauze.

This I am informd a great nost. with an empyric some time ago in this city who confined pract entirely to cure of deafnss.

And who is said to have succeeded even with this simple remed where [regular] pract had faild.

Must howevr observe that speak of this remed. only on report of others.

And cannot help thinking that is one which in some cases may be prod of [illegible]

For notwith covering with gauze should pitch melt in ear may give much [illegible]

And to be remarkd that Pix. Burgund one of those artic of mater. med very apt to be adult.

And indeed history as brought from [Saxon] not well ascertaind.

Some cont. that is merly common turpent boild up.

But whatever orig compos. or prepar. no doubt that some in habit of making it in this country from prop proper mixt of Turpen. with a prop of rosin.

From this circum probab. has very diff. degrees of consist.

Thus more or less apt to melt.

Unless therefore reason to presum that affect in anothr mannr than from stim should rathr be disp to try other pract.

And as stimul should expect more from camphor. oil.

Perhaps may consid as still more affect stimul. than either the introd of garlic into the ear.

And should pract already mentiond fail, mean rathr to try this than the Px. Burg.

As reason to expect from it some affect also as affect sensib of nerve.

For on want of due sensib as have already hinted, rather than on state of the passage affect may depend.

And is with this view that before dismiss patient have thoughts of trying with respect to deafness the use of Elect.

If all these [seem] abort. shall I own have but little expect.

And singul is an affect which in many inst. neither to be curd nor allev.

Of Treatment req. for swelling of belly & vomiting say nothing.

For appreh that will require little else than regul of diet.

In this manner then some view of treatmnt already prosec & hereafter intended with pres. patient.

Yet not impossib that from recurren of form sympt or from fresh appear shall be inclind to drop it