DEP/DUA/1/28/22 (Transcript version)

David Shark

(1781-1782)

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David [Shark].

Disease of this patient prin consist of involunt & inord musc contract of legs & arms.

And although not without singul. yet have litt. hesit in consid it as inst of Convuls or Chorea.

And that too in pure & uncompl. state.

This disease not a very freq. occur in pract.

Yet in Disp & private pract have of late years met with sever inst of it

And judging from event of [these] hoped I own that ere now pres affect would have had fav termin.

In this however have been disapp.

For from med hitherto empl. have hardly been able to obt even tempor remiss.

First artic to which had here recourse was Calx of Zinc.

A med of advant to be derivd from which, in cert. convuls. & spasm affect, have already oftener than once has occas to state opin

Here given under form of pills with bread, one of easiest modes of taking it.

At first seemd to give some relief.

And in this state, sat easily upon his stomach.

But after finding that made no consid progr in cure ordered dose to be encreased.

And at same time directd its being given in conjunct with Valer.

But in this alterat rather precip.

For whether from Valer. or merely from augm of Zinc did not now [set] on stom.

Obliged therfore either to desert aim or to alter form again

And as now already tried for space of sever weeks determ on former.

In place of Zinc therefore had next recourse to Cup. Ammon.

An artic of which also have I own good opin.

And have no hesit in assert. that during pres course have seen an Epilep cured by it, in case of Margt Gray.

Under use of Cup. Ammon has now cont for some weeks.

But without any matter. change for better.

But do not yet consid this med as having had full trial.

Mean therefore as patient still in [illegible] [illegible] for some time longer to persist in use encr. dose

If shall then fail next prop trial of Elect.

And if all abort will lead me rather to consid case as obstin than med as void of power.