DEP/DUA/1/25/16 (Transcript version)

Betty Currie

(1780-1781)

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Betty Currie

Disease in sever respects singul appear.

Yet in my opin an exampl of an affect not uncommon.

If comp acct of sympt with comm defin hyster cannot say that to these much resemb.

At least case with resp to defin of Dr Cullen.

And indeed hardly one of sympt which he ment can be said to occurr.

Is indeed during fits attackd with sense of wind in bowels.

Yet this can hardly be said to be under form of ventris murmura

For no partic ment of borbor. eithr during fit, or at other time.

But if thus reason to deny pres. of this sympt. still more remark. that want of globus hyster.

This some consid as pathogn of [hyster].

That is a sympt const occurring when hyster pres.

And never taking place in any other disease

Here however not only cannot be said to be pres, but are even expres. told that no such sensat does occurr.

Anoth charact in defin of Dr Cullen is convuls.

If term taken in most extens. sense these undoubt here pres.

Or at least in drawing togeth of sides have evid of inordin motion.

But term commonly underst. to apply to inord mot of musc. commonly under influ of will.

And in such defin, partic to those of legs & arms.

An occurr. very gener of in hyst. fits

But here as far as obs. goes in no degree occurring.

And indeed accord to acct of patient has at no time occurrd.

Same also may be obs respect cop. disch of urine.

For as far as can learn that excret in natural state

Besides these in defin of Dr Cull. still anoth charact.

viz. changeab & variab state of mind

With regard to dispos of pat in this respect no suff. opport of exam them to give any posit judgem

And therefore in pres inst either may or may not exist.

But [even] admit exist is a very ambig mark.

If common attend of hystr so freq occurrs where no such disease

And as much reason to believe that not here pres as the contrary.

Upon whole then if hyster could never be said to occurr unless when charact by those sympt [ment] in defin of Dr Cul could not here be said to be pres.

And if differs from defin of Dr C. no less so from that of some other nosol.

Here however may obs. that hyster a disease very variously defind.

And indeed there does not perhap occurr in pract, any affect where greater latitude for variety.

For app which in diff cases puts on, of very great diversity.

And accord to defin of some other nosol. pres affect corresp very exact.

This partic the case with defin of Linnaeus

And indeed somewhat remarkab. that in his defin neither convuls of limbs, nor glob. although among most freq sympt of disease are in any degree pres. mentioned as charact sympt

His defin. Praecordiorum preffio sub pectore cum flatulentia, suffocatione, anxietate, palpitatione & verticis pressione

In case before us have evid pres. most if not all of these sympt.

In pain which as she exper it [draw] sides togeth, have praecord press sub pectore.

In sense of wind imped respirat although without glob. hyster, have suffoc & flatul.

In vertigo, dimness of sight, & exten of pain along back part of neck to crown of head, have if not precis. same sympt. at least sympt of analog. nature to those which he has described as anxietas, palpitatio & pressio verticis.

Thus then app. that to descrip of hyster fits as given by some [writ] has very exact resemb.

And although there descript does not corresp to form under which disease most freq. occurs yet can leave no doubt as to name to be affixed to pres affect.

Upon whole then without hesit pron this an inst of hyster.

And that too as appear. under form of prop. hyster. fits rather than hyster. parox.

For here attack of fits not only distinct markd but for some time even period.

And occurring in gener. at interval of about 12 hours.

As to cause of affect here no [circum] from which cert judgem. can be formd.

Yet some presumpt that patients own conject, not altogether without foundation.

That disease viz conseq of obstr. of menst. disch.

Or rather of cessat. at early period of live.

For from hist of case would app that disch had ceased when patient little passed fortieth year.

And although by no means rare occurr, yet at med, ten years earlier than common.

And aggrav of affect at least for some time, regul at that period when menst. flux ought to have occured.

But even indep of this circum what gives presumpt. here what gives presumpt here is occur of pres affect at time when menses disapp.

>+ From this circum some ground for presumpt, even although had contin longr that connected as cause & affect.

And this strength by connex univers observd between affect of womb & hyster compl.

In so much indeed that at one time was supp cause of this disease wholy from uterus.

And accord. this viscus has given name to the affect.

But without adopt this theory must still be allowed that irritat of any kind at uterus very great influ.

And accord. no period at which Hyst oftener begins than at time when menses ought to appear.

Hence then upon whole disp to concl. that from want of menst. when ought to have flowed disease had here origin

With this view of name nature & cause of affect then, next opin as to termin.

And here must own hopes not very sanguine

In this disease indeed appear much more alarm than danger.

And am under no appreh for life of pres patient.

But many circum prev us from entert hopes of speedy recov.

Before she came under our care, affect had subsisted with obstin for long time.

Now no reason to susp. that menst. disch will ever again return.

And no reason to look for remark change in life, giving consid alter of constit.

Farther to be observd that hystr an affect if not always, yet very commonly obstin.

May be concl. therefore that shall find it so in pres case.

Must however add that opin as to termin now less unfav than when first came undr care.

For while some cases obstin, yet unquest others which will yeild very much if not altog to power of med.

And when consid, that compl. of patient very much allev. since came under care, reason to hope that may be case in inst before us.

In this affect in gener. means of cure commonly empl. refer to two heads

1 Such as intended for antisp or [mitig] fits used eithr imm before attack or during cont.

2. Such as intend to prev return.

With former view meas can only be prop empl. when pract. pres during fit.

And indeed unless where fits [partic] viol or with some partic occur not worst way to allow them to take natur course.

At first empl. common aloet pil.

But as found this even in consid dose not suff. powerful had recourse to aloe comb with strong purgat.

And have found intent of obv. [illegible] answerd by Pil. ex Colocyn cum Aloe.

From these howevr no reason to expect radic cure.

And accord in case before us meas entirely directed with latter intent.

Or at least in conj. with this have done nothing farther than empl. pills with view of obv. costiv.

>+

Here may obser. that have attem case cure in case before us by means of calx of Zinc.

Of this remedy after what have have already often said need not now make any obser.

Suff. to observe that look upon it as powerful artic both in Hystr & even in epilep cases.

And from use in pres patient who took it to extent of Ji in space of day have I think ex of influ if not in curing, at least in giving very consid allev of affect.

For during cure which has been regul contin, sympt have grad dimn.

And has of late been for consid time free from attacks describd in hist which so freq when came under care.

In so much that at last report thought it prop to omit Calc of Zinc.

To this indeed the rather led as from sever doses had been affected with vomiting.

And am now in hopes that may not be necess to repeat it.

But that may dismiss patient if not entirely cured of affect with at least very consid mitig.

If howevr during pres [interval] affect should again return will [first] give trial to [repet] of same med.

Perhaps howevr empl it undr diff form & as conj with some other powder than Valer.

And if this unsuccess. meas must then be accom, to circum at the time.