DEP/DUA/1/14/10 (Transcript version)

William Farquhar

(1777)

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Wm Farquhar.

From history of this case affection may be concluded that affect. under which this patient lab. a very simple one

Almost only sympt with of which afford complaind severe headach.

For can hardly consider vertigo or affect of vision with respect to colour to be in any degree diff. from this.

At least may I think be reckond symp symptomatum.

And may be considerd as merely [givin] indicat of severity with which headach occurs

Headach by some nosol. considered as an idiopath affection.

And enters diff. syst. under various titles of Cephalal. Caephal. Hemic. &e.

How far such divis prop. would not pretend to say.

Yet have no doubt that in many inst. with prop. to be consid as a prop. [generic] affection.

In inst. before us howevr hold is to be off diff. nature.

And that too although has now cont. alone for space of almost for year.

Well known that headach to greater or less degree is almost const sympt in all febrile affection.

And partic so in intermittents.

From such an affection howevr pres. compl. of patient first dated.

Are told that has not been free from it since subj. to a very obstin. interm.

And when consider affections in this way to which interm every day give rise can be no hesit in ascribing it in pres inst to this cause.

That these [realy] dep. on what may be calld latent interm. abund. appear from case.

For when cured always is by that treat [most] adapted to removal of intermitents.

Still more certainly evinced by accid. aggrav. and [renewing] them.

Partic from influence of easterly wind.

Influence of this as creating uneasiness to patients once subj to interm well known.

And while renews other compl. gives rise alone to headach

In so much that many of aguish constit. who never fail to be affectd with headach when wind from that point.

Partic during spring season when intermittents the most freq.

In pres. patient have concurrence of all these circum. indic nature of affect.

And can have no diffic in pronoun headach to be symptom of latent interm

Or rather to be form undr which such an affect. at pres appears.

To this affection as already observd two circum [superadded].

The vertigo & affect of vision.

First by no means a rare occurren.

And indeed wherever head greatly affected natural to think that muscles of eyes should not retain regul. powr of motion

Is I appreh. from inordin motions of eye that vertigo in general at least to be explaind.

When eye moved without consciousness or volition the effect of motion in organ is referrd to motion in the body.

Of this any one may be sensib. from exciting invol. motion of eye by finger.

Objects then viewd though perfectly at rest will evid seem to move.

And when one eye only moved will have double repres. of same object.

For is in conseq. of both eyes repres. an object to occupy precisely same place that do not always see double

And when one eye thus moved from natural situat, surrounding bodies seem to undergo motion & to occupy diff place from what did before.

On these princip then appreh. that vertigo & double vision may be [explain]

And to such would referr ordin & [tran] inst of this affection.

Do not however pretend to say that these only causes.

For while such affect. produced by organ at extrem of nerve, so may also arise from affection of nerve [class]

Well known that by condit of nerves impress. commun. are often greatly altered.

May depend therefore not merely on extrem but on affect both during [course] at at origin.

And that this the case in some insts where has occurrd as an obstin & perman. disease conf. by dissection.

To such a cause condit viz of nerve are I appreh to referr also other [affect]

Now well estab. among philosoph. that as vision is conseq. of rays of light imping on bodies & from thence reflected into eye, so colour of diff bodies depends on partic parts of rays which each body capab. of reflecting.

From reflect of one part of ray there arises red colour, from anoth yellow, third green &e

That these partic positions of rays howevr may excite such sensat certain condit of nerve requis.

And in diseased cases will sometimes happen that every [portion] of ray capab only of excit same idea sensat as which in healthful state is prod by partic portion only.

This then seems to have been case in inst before us.

During severity of headach optic nerves so far affected that all portions & combin of rays excite same sensat only with that which usually prod by part giving green alone.

Thus then appears on what prin. two phaenom. somewhat singul in pres. case to be explaind.

And may conclude as was already observd with remarking that serve only to indicate severity of headach.

But [concn] this I appreh no ground for giving much alarm in prognos.

Well known that severity of headach in intermitt though one of most [distress] by no means most alarm. sympt.

And few affect. in which can more effect depend on cure than intermitt.

From these consid then hoped here for favour. termin.

And that the rather as season of year for intermitt & time when easterly winds most preval. now about [close.]

Had patient cont. regul in attend. then might with confid have expected cure.

And that by common means when serves to remove interm.

Have howevr learnd from him that even during time of contin [receivd] very consid benef.

And [allev] of his compl. such that did not think necess to allow attend here to interfere with ordin work.

In treatment of this affect. had case remaind obstin. should have proceeded in same manner as in intermitt.

And should have trusted [radical] cure princip to Peruv Bark in subst.

Before begin. this howevr directed for patient the use of a vomit.

Princip with view of cleaning alim canal.

And in place of bark in subst. wishd to try what could here be [effectd] by it in form of tinct.

With this intent combind tinct with double quantity of Pepper mint Water.

From action of which on stomach expected also that headach might somwhat be relievd.

Effects of this med we are told was to create some sickness at stomach.

Yet not to such length as to excite vomiting.

And from use headach soon very consid. mitigated.

In so much that as have already said, reckond it unnecess. to cont attend any longer.