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

William Reid

(1777)

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Next patient in order of admiss. Wm Reid, prop. speaking can hardly be said to have been ever under care.

For although mother applied for advice yet seems to have expected, that disease to be cured by words alone.

Since case taken have never once seen her & have had no opport. of prescrib. for him

Her not having attended perhaps in some measure affect of resid. at some dist. in country.

But probab. still more proceeded from advice before receivd, before she came under our care.

A practit whom she had then [consultd] told her that disease of child incurable & would certainly prove fatal.

And that less her child was [tampered] with more chance of living for some time

Will not pretend to say that was not some truth in this advice

And at least more than equal chance that patient rather [hurt] by med than cured of affect.

Do not however consid this as sufficien argt. why in seemingly desper. cases med should be altogether neglected.

And consider case before us to be one in which some measure might have been taken without at least appear of hastening death.

Respecting affect to which patient subj. no room for doubt.

Could have no hesit in pronouncing it according to language which have already employd to be Hydroceph of Cran.

And this third inst of that affect which has been pres. to us within space of few months.

A certain evid that the disease not to be consid as a rare one.

That this affect here took place at once manif. from size of head.

Especially when attend to part which had suffered encrease & to state of bones.

That manif separ of these from cont. water appeared even on slightest exam.

Vacuity from bone at fontanell, which to some degr with all inf., here of uncommly [large] extent

And through whole course of sagittal & caron [illegible] bones at very consid dist. from each other.

Besides enlarging size of head, no doubt water from compress. brain, cause of other sympt. here occurring.

Partic of impaird sense of vision & of uncommon drowsiness.

For although inf. sleep much of time & although respecting extent of senses cannot judge with much certainty yet in both partic mentiond was opin of mother at least that morbid affect had occurd.

And indeed more astonishing that [sense] should remain entire than that should be affected.

In pres. case see no circum that could lead to partic favour prognos.

And affect known to be one if not univ at least very gener. mortal.

When consider early period of life at which appeard & that arose from no obv. cause may presume it congenit.

And from affect of senses had evid of influence on system.

Little ground then for expecting favour termin

But while no expect of natural cure should not I appreh. neglect even faint hopes which means of artif. may afford.

Do not indeed consider despr. nature of disease as warranting use of remedy under operat of which great probab. that patient will die.

Or where even strong presumpt. that will appar. die of effects of remedy.

For necess. that practit in every case some regard to own reputat as a man of prud & caution.

And although patient would certainly die of disease yet reput of practit will suffer where prev. cutt off by means employd for cure.

This I own now consider as stronger object than before to propos of [puncture]

For since last spoke of this subj. have heard of once inst in which perf. by a late surgeon of emmin in this city.

And there during very time of disch of water patient [illegible] with convuls fit which termin mortally.

Would not indeed posit affirm that this convuls. the conseq. of puncture.

May have occurrd accid although oper not performd.

And shall be happy to learn that has been tried in other cases where same conseq. did not follow.

But consider even solit fact as giving ground for suspicion that convuls. may proceed from this operat.

Without howevr attempting so bold a practice might here have done something.

Might have employd attempted without manif. danger at least evac of water by artif. outlet in way of blisters, & by natural in way of purging.

Do not indeed mean that from these should have entert. high expect.

But while some chance of doing good would not appar. have been cause of death.

And if even affect of shortning life in such a desperate affect chance of doing service more than suff. to counter ball. it