DEP/DUA/1/22/16 (Transcript version)

Betty McLean

(1779-1780)

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Betty McLean.

Subjected to sever diff sympt. which reason to presume little connected with each other

Princip compl. however of catarrh kind.

And among sympt not least distress. when came under care may mention cough & pain of breast.

With these in all probab. another also connected still more consid.

That is the hoarseness to which subj.

Latter indeed though freq occurring as sympt of catarrh & freq from same cause yet in some meas to be consid as a diff affect.

And accordingly in practic & nosol syst. has obt. diff names as those of Aphonia, Paraphonia, Raucedo Raucitas &e

Here existed to such degree & had been of such contin that thought of select it as subj of remark & treatm

In majority of inst indeed turns out but a triffling affect.

And often even yields without any [uneas].

But in other cases proves a most obstin & distressing disease.

And in my own pract. have met with more than one inst. where every effort empl. proved ineffect.

This however may now say has not been case with pres. patient.

For though cannot say affirm that compl. entirely removed, has at least got rid of this part of affect.

And to this, treatm here employd has been cheifly directed.

Besides sympt however already ment at time of admiss, subj also to some others.

And among these may mention as not least alarm, profuse sweats to which subj.

Do not indeed mean that from sweating of itself, any thing here to be appreh.

But an evacuat, which when taking place to any great degree, always [indic] want of health.

And often connected with states of syst in which foundat laid for most danger affect.

Here however connected with no circum which could lead us, at time when case came under our care, to entert any suspic as to partic affect.

Resolvd therefore to allow it, at least for some little time, to take course.

And by this means expected that should be able to judge how far might in reality deserve attent.

Now however appears, that meas with this view, were unecess.

For as had commen without any obvious cause, so in short time, spont ceased.

A circum giving reason to presum that unconnected with other affect

If [paid] little attent to sweating, have consid it as equally unnecss to pay regard to cutan erupt.

This although with prop mentiond [anoth] morbid appear yet never to any great degree.

Imagind that to all extent to which here did occurr, might proceed if not from sweating itself, at least from same cause.

That this the case some reason to presume at least, from having now also ceased.

And whether conject well founded or not, yet viewd it as unconnected with Paraphonia which here princip obj to treat.

In treatm of this affect meas must be in great meas accomod to cause.

May arise from many diff local affect, in organs [conceivd] in formul of voice.

Such for examp as ulceratur, [illegible ] schirros or like.

When however immed effect of cold & connected with catarrh as in pres inst, more freq effect of change, in state of secret, intend for lubric larynx & trachea than of any other circum.

And when this the case even from demulc lubric fauces, often good effects.

Benef in partic often derivd from those of oleagin nature

And was as such, that had here recourse to the common mist oleos in which oil diff in water, by means of small proport of Vol alkali.

Here however taken for some time without any advant

Or at least, although during use other sympt against which could not supp it to have any influ spont ceased, yet hoarsness nothing dimin.

In this situat, as still accomp with pain of breast, cough & other [catarh] sympt, susp that might be [illegible] [of] inflammat.

Was with view to counteracting this then, that had recourse to Blister.

And whether had effect of counteracting inflam or no was at least followed by good conseq.

For while prod of very consid disch. hoarseness also very much dimin.

And since that from contin on oily mixt alone now almost entirely gone.

And now also free from other sympt to which subj when came under our care as well as hoarseness.

While however has thus got rid of these affect, subj to another from which at pres at least consid distress.

That is Ophthalmia.

This affect which yet of very recent date ascribes prob with [just] to action of cold.

Does not appear with any such symp as to threaten much danger. or even obstin.

Consid it, as in state of local [activ] inflam, have orderd have orderd topic bleeding, & repeated refrig [cathar].

To these hope will soon yeild.

And that in short time may be able to dismiss patient free from all her complaints.