DEP/DUA/1/26/18 (Transcript version)

Elizabeth Waitman

(1780)

---

Isabel Ritchie

Elizr. Waitman

After obs. made at last lect on case of Robt Blair little need now be said of pres.

And especially after remarks then made on case of Thos Culbertson.

As well as these two, consid affect of this patient also as being of Paralyt. kind.

And if except circum of sense of burning heat, is without an uncom appear.

This indeed it must be allowed not a very freq appear.

Much more common to discov an actual dimin of heat.

And indeed but in rare inst when both sense & motion entirely lost, in which does not occurr

Partic if, which then gener the case, there takes place failure of circulat & wasting of limb.

But although dimin of heat more common, such an appear as here occurrs far from being rare.

In my own pract have oftener than once had occas to meet with it.

And occurring too at least from acct of patient to much greater degr than in pres. inst.

In one of most remark inst of this kind that ever met with Paral had affected both lower extrem.

And while depr of power of motion in both legs with very little [rem] feeling, this uneas sensat conf. [entir] to soles of feet.

There however so intoler. feeling of heat, an almost insuff uneas.

Here however to be remarkd that consisted in mere feeling only.

For from repeated trials with thermom was found that heat not in reality augm.

On contrary from these trials app. that thermom less raisd than when applied to other parts.

And in every other inst of same kind which have had opport of exam no actual encr of heat.

Hence then would appear that when does occur, is merely affect of morbid condit of Nerv Fluid, or med commun impress to the brain.

And in this view, may be esteemd less uncommon appear in dropsy Palsy than at first might be disp to concl.

Here in other respects paralyt affect, had gone to no great extent.

Had been of no long contin, & no attempts had been made to removal by prop. med

These circum therefore rather fav as otherwise.

This indeed could not be repres as case with every partic. in history

And nothing in favour of patien that near 60^th year of age.

Was also perhaps rather unfav as otherwise that had arisen from a Rheum affect.

For when this the case motion freq. lost from change even in state of motion moving solids themselves.

Often from stiff of [legam] & [illegible] & in some inst even from actual anchylosis at joint.

In pres inst however no appear of this kind

Nor can patient be consid as at period of life when recov rare.

And not a little in fav of such an event that since treatm begun compl. consid changed for the better.

After having so lately had occas to state gener prin of cure in Paraly cases need not now say any thing respect these.

Was here aim to restore due mobility to nervous power.

And with view of accomplishing this have had recourse to same pract as in former case

Use viz of Electric & of Camph

But here Camphor applied only externally.

Hence nothing here to be expected from it on prin which statd in remarks on case of Culbertson.

And indeed in as far as progr hitherto made in cure am disp to attrib it to electric.

By contin of which am in hopes that cure may here be compl.

If this not the case howevr, shall prob here also employ the Camph internally

And if after [failure] of pres pract proves success. will give me still higher opin of it than before.

If this also fails cause to which is attrib would lead me to trial of Mercury.

And if none of them successful should have little hopes of cure by other means.

Shall then be disp to view it as one of those inst of Paralysis which although slight in app yet incurab in nature.

Yet if attend contin meas adapt to circum may still be employd.