DEP/DUA/1/28/06 (Transcript version)

Alexander Taylor

(1781-1782)

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Alexr Taylor

From sympt enum in this patients case little room to doubt nature of affect.

When came under our care consistd of tumours, evid gland affect.

And one of these on former occas. suppurat. had disch in place of pus a blody ichor.

matter.

In these then what at least most common app of Scroph at any part.

But besides this, argum for that opin from situat here occup.

For of all parts of body scroph. most freq at least in glands about neck & under part of face.

This suppos. fav also by age of patient.

For at that period of life when scroph a most freq occurr.

Hence then little doubt in consid as incip state of that disease.

And this not less probab. as knew no partic cause to which coud be referrd.

If indeed simil affect had existed in parents or near relat. so that could have been traced to hered affect prob. still strength.

But although not heredit. does not follow that is not scroph.

For although undeniab one of those affect transm. from parents to child yet in more than one half of those subj to it, takes place in parents child whose child parent no taint of this kind.

Hence then from other circum here no diffic. with resp to the disease

While however pron affect to be of scroph nature must at same time obs. that very slight.

When came under care was in point of standing in incip state.

And under pract empl. during course of attend entirely ceased.

By this therfore observat on Progn in some degree superceded.

Here however though tempor [remov] of compl. obt. would not venture to say that radic cure.

What has already happened suff to shew tenden to Scroph in habit.

And although for pres counteracted may again be renewed by triffl. circum.

Or even without any other cause than mere season of year.

And in succeeding spring may agan be renewed with greatr viol.

For at that period of year in partic marks of this affect apt to appear.

And am inclind to think that was from season operating as excit. cause to that app at pres.

x And at least for pres. may be said to be cured of affect.

But whether compl. gone or not is a quest. in some degree foreign to pres busin, as pat. already dismissd.

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Of more import. to consid how far pres. removal was conseq of med empl.

And here I must own not altog without doubt.

For some of pract. directed more with view to obv. sympt. than cure of affect.

While before others empl. evid of itself on the decline.

At first visit directed for patient a blister betwixt should.

And ordered that after disch thus excited should be supp. by episp. ointm

In this had in view the dimin of determ of blood to head & other affec parts.

For besides mere gland tumours swelling of other parts & even flush of [face]

Such a state however could not fail to give tend to speedy aggr of affect.

And therefore by removal though did not prod resolut of tumours [migh] yet prev. termin in suppurat.

With intent of prod such deriv diff pract might have been empl.

And in partic may have had recourse to use of purgat.

For as app. from influ in lower compl, no doubt that in this way [an] powerful effect.

But same also the conseq of blisters

While these prod it, with at least a less degree of evac from syst. in gener.

In this way howev cannot suppos that had here much influence

For from blister little disch & running not afterwards supported.

To this therfore could hardly [attach] mitig of swelling which by next report had taken place.

And perhaps even, if no othr med had been employd, progr to resol. would have gone on.

At same time judged it inexped to lose pres opport. for employm of remed.

And especially as then, when only requis that should forward natur prog, have in gener. more effect.

At this time therefore had recour to two pract.

Friction viz of tumour with Camph Oil, & use of Cicuta internally.

Am very far from thinking that from either of these pract, resolut of scroph tumour to be ensured.

Nay must allow that in major. of cases are inadeq. to this affect.

At same time I own, have high opin of effects of both

And still more from conjoind [influen]

In what manner operat to be expl. in this or other compl. must own am at loss to say.

But am fully persuaded that in simil cases have soon good effects from them.

And that too where prev to use no tendency to resolut.

Here indeed such tend. had already manif taken place, & might have gone on, without use of any med.

But can at least say, that under use, tumours suffered more rapid decline than commonly obs to happen in such inst.

In so much that in little more than space of month, affect seemd to be totally removed.

And for my own part at least was disp to think that external frict with camph oil, together with intern use of Cicuta had at least some share in forwarding it.

And am upon whole disp to consid pres case as afford proof of benef. to be derivd from these pract.