DEP/DUA/1/28/16 (Transcript version)

Jean Lindsay

(1781-1782)

---

Jean Lindsay aged 30^th

Discharges constantly from the Vagina a thick white matter, which however is at sometimes, in larger quantity than at others. It causes a great degree of weakness & is attended with severe pain of the loins, stricking towards the pudenda. These are diminishd when the discharge from the Vagina abates. She complains also at times, of great swelling in the Abdomn particularly in the evening. But it totally disappears before the next morning. She discharges wind very frequently which gives her great relief. She is affected also with great pain in the fore part of her head, which generally occurs every second day, & continues during the whole of it. It is attended with tinnitus aurium & she says a great degree of coldness superveens in her head.

Pulse, Tongue & Belly natural.

Respiration free, excepting when she is affectd with the swelling of her belly

Menses regular but in very small quantity & the discharge from the Vagina is not observd to be encreased either immediately before or after the menstrual flux.

The discharge from the Vagina has continued for these 18 months & commenced after a miscarriage when she was 12 weeks gone with child since which time also her catamenia have never flowed in their usual quantity. The swelling of the adomen began also at that time. But for this complaint she was formerly a patient at the Dispensary when she was greatly relievd by the medicines which she got.

The pain of her head, is only of 4 weeks duration.

She has used no medicines.

___

If to judge of disease to which this patient subj from sympt alone, without regard to other partic, diagnos. would be very diffic.

And espec. if situat & circum of patient such, that could not put reliance on acct she gave us.

Her prin part of affect consists in disch of white matter from the Vagina.

This however equally a leading symp in two affect very diff in nature viz Leucorrh & Gonnorh.

Two affect which in many cases very diffic to disting from each other.

In state of disch, as here taking place, nothing to lead us to cert. concl. either with respect to one or other of the diseases.

But if from this alone had been to form any conj. would I own have been rather against suppos of Leucorrh.

And to this, in some degree led, even from app. of patient.

In Leucorrh. for most part very consid affect of extern app.

Gener. at least complex pale & sallow.

In case of our patient howevr [rudy] & florid.

But among other marks disting Gonnor from Leucorrh this gener. enum.

While in lattr disease app of count very much altered, in former not changed.

At least not from disease itself although must be allowed freq is from remed empl. to remove it.

As for exampl from mercurial course.

In doubtful cases, anoth circum giving ground of distinct, is connex of disch with menst. flux.

In Leucorrh for most part such a [conn] very obvious.

In some inst disch manif encr. immed before flux

In others & those much more freq. inst is augm after it.

Here however although at times quant varied, yet totally indep of menst

From these circum then if charact of patient a susp. one, should I own have been inclined to look upon effect as an inst of Gonnorh.

But in case before us, from many other partic, more to be dep. upon, was led to diff. opin.

The situat, circum & charact of this patient such, that no reason to doubt veracity.

Had not however even most dist suspic, that in any degree arose from Vener. cause.

On contrary traced compl. to anoth & that too very powerful cause

viz Accidental abort.

To this had been accid subj. about third month of pregn.

A period, at which perhaps, abort more freq. happens, than any othr.

When happ. however, very apt to induce consid changes in syst of Womb.

And partic to affect future menst in way eithr of encrease of or dimin

Of these occurr. later by much least common.

Seems however to have taken place in pres. inst.

Which here the less to be wondered at, when consid that abort. here followd by anoth const disch from uterus viz Leucorrhoea.

And this also markd by pract writers among other conseq. result. from abort.

In relation given us then, of commen of this affect. had acct of origin in every respect probab.

Besides this there here also occurd, concom. sympt of Leucorrh not commonly attend on Gonnor.

Pain of back & affect of alim canal

These at least served to afford some corrob. of her account.

But besides these anoth circum to be ment. afford still stronger evid.

Our patient a married woman.

And although subj to disease for upwards of a year, yet husband had receivd no infect.

From all these partic then taken togeth, had no hesit in pronoun. dis to be Leucorrh.

And from case before us would [draw] at least one conclus.

That viz though ground of diagn. afforded for determ pres of Leucorrh. by change of compl & [connect] of disch with menst. yet not cert foundat.

And where both wanting, as in case before us, that may still be disease to which patient subj.

With regard to Progn. observat now superseded.

For patient already dismissd from farther attend free from affect.

Here however must still obs. that although this be the case do not look upon patient as cert. & radic cured.

After change which uterus has undergone & disch to which habit during space of 18 months reason to fear that may again be renewed by slight causes.

But at same time in situat in which was, farther attend & more med, for pres at least, became unnecss

Of treatm also followed in this case is necess. to say very little.

Will here obs. that cure entirely trusted to one remed viz Lime Water.

This remedy have often of late employd in cases of Leucorrh.

+ This observ in actual pract have tended to confirm

Partic since have been informd of Pract of Prof. Van [Doverm] of Leyden of empl. absorb. powders in Leucorrh.

Have no doubt that from use of Lime water may derive same benef as from these

And in most cases with more advn.

>+

Accord Although would by no means repres. it as effect cure, in every inst. yet in many cases, in which have empl. it, have I think seen it attend with best effects.

Partic sits easily upon stom to consid extent, when given in conj with milk

Here therfore directed to be taken in that manner, to extent of ℥XII in day.

After contin for few weeks patient dismissd almost entirely free from affect.

And have little doubt in attrib recov, prin at least, to this Remedy