DEP/DUA/1/25/03 (Transcript version)

Alexander Arthur

(1780-1781)

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Alexr Arthur.

Disease as describd in register obvious.

Consists in evid cutan disease

And that too without gener affect of sy

To be lookd for therefore among [impetig]

Here however in investig great diffic.

For by no means easy matter exactly to describe appear.

And although exactly answ to descrip yet seld. long stat.

Hence what now app. to descript of one soon applic to anoth.

Incl. to think therefore that upon whole better to estab but few gener.

And accord. have markd out but four. Psora – Herpes – Lepra & Tinea.

Last an affect pecul to head

And so far singul in app that distinct markd.

Can be no doubt that does not here exist.

To look for it therefore only among former.

And here not entirely with out doubt.

Has not indeed appear of Psora.

Yet sever circum fav that suppos.

From scratching appear changed.

Hence not ground for pos. decis.

Here disease from infect.

Or at least susp. to proceed from that cause

And sever of family at same time subj to it

These however occurr. much more freq with Psora than other cut. dis.

But if these in fav, others against supp.

True indeed from scratch or break of pust. diff app. put on.

But in no case such progr as here describd.

On legs & arms first appear undr form of pretty large pustules

In these there occur [suppur] at top, followd by superf. ulcerat.

And this again succeed by dry scaly incrust.

In this very [exact] descript of app. commonly attend on herpet. erup.

Which indeed cheifly disting from lepr. as crusts more fixd in [later]

And as in every case but little disch

Besides this cure of Psora already tried with out effect.

Although not pos. yet pres. circum against being affect.

Upon whole then concl. some other that here ground for assert pres of herpet. erup.

At same time was but late occurr.

And an affect much resemb Psora had subs. for longer time.

Most prob then that here [complication]

And began treatm with idea that affect to be prin combat a Herpet eruption, which however conseq of Psora still in some degree remain.

Under treatm directed, disease has already termin.

Here therefore no diffic as to progn.

But must obs. that term sooner than exp.

Did not indeed look upon disease as danger.

For no affect of syst. giving any alarm.

And such compl. at least seld. danger.

Would not however be understood to assert that never so.

Sometimes from contin of disease constit so broken as to ind dang. [illegible]

Sometimes sympt no less alarm from sudden cure.

And that especally, where, as in pres case, attended with copious [disch]

In gener however to be avoided by [illegible] [manag].

Partic by substit other disch.

Of such therefore was not appreh.

Yet some parts of disease had also contin for consid time.

During that time had resist powerf remed.

Others from appear. at least, concl. would have been of obstin nature

Upon whole expected that case would have been tedious

And inclind to think that not only long contin but trial of diff mes [necss]

In this however now happily disap

For after short time patient dis cured.

This I think may with confid [illegible] to meas here empl.

And in this case pract at least very simple.

For had recourse to no other med but use of vitriol acid.

And to this much more directed, on empyric footing that any dogm plan

That is on exper. which have before had of effects in simil cases

Of this remedy already some obser in case of Cath Reid

Then remarked that Vitr. acid in all probab. basis on which activ of sulph depends.

And indeed well known to constit great part of it.

Hence ground for applic in cases for which sulph empl.

First introd for cutan erupt howev during late contin war in Germ.

And first empl. by Dr [Cothen], Phy to armies of King of Prussia.

From acct which had of his [pract] from [Gahn] of Stockholm first began use here.

And empl. it with in many inst with great success both extern & intern.

Besides empl. in Psora extended use & I think with manif advant to erupt both of Lep. & herpet kind.

In case of Reid an example of use in Psora & as appl. extern.

Here therefore selected pres. case with view to trial in Herpes, & or at least compl. affect.

And at same time as exhib inter

Formul. here used very simple.

At same time little diff. from that of Dr [Cothen] as commun by Dr G.

At least very nearly same strength.

His mixt. ʒi acid, ʒii Wat Syrup ʒv Syr of Water

That is ʒi of acid in ℥i mixt.

Have howevr thought that some advant from larger prop of Syr. to Wat

And here ℥p of each to which ʒi of acid added.

In this state however still very active

And cannot be taken without consid dilut.

Better howev extern than farther dilut at first.

Directed therfore to quant of ʒi in glass of water.

And to this extent, twice or oftener in course of day.

For most part no obv. operat.

Yet if disease will yeild to use, soon obv change for better.

If does operat, sensib is by encr of urine.

And this at first case with pres patient.

But after short contin change not so remark as to be much observ.

Still howevr disease contin to decline.

And while [first] pust. heald, fresh did not appear.

In so much that in space of few weeks dismisd free from affec.

Considr therefore as exhib [strikin] example of efficacy of internal use of Vitriol acid in Herpet erupn

And although not strong inst, or most invet case, yet [most] [illegible] cure, which have met with in my own pract.