DEP/DUA/1/29/10 (Transcript version)

Helen Donaldson

(1782)

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Helen Donaldson.

Can have no hesit in pron. this patient subj to compl of disease

Oldest date affect of Respir.

And for this often before patient.

Had no doubt in consid it then as at pres. to be chron. catarrh.

And was at least relievd by those remed most success. against that affect.

But with a patient past age of 60, in low uncomfort situat of our patient & with such cold season as pres. has been was not to be expected that would keep free from it.

Even in these circum however although still contin are informd that much less consid than formerly.

This partic the case since anoth disease superv.

Viz. Cutan erupt to which subj

Among affect of this kind if [illegible] extern app. very great diversity.

But nothing more common than to obs. transit from one to anoth.

Hence then of very little conseq to disting each by partic name.

Especially where there is not as in Psora, [illegible] or like something partic in nature.

All such erupt as those in pres case have not only among vulgar & but among many regul. pract. got name of scorbut.

Can however be no doubt that in nature essent diff from real Scorbutus or Sea scurvy.

In which indeed cutan affect but very inconsid part of disease.

This term therefore as strictly [app.] to anoth disease very improp.

All such affect. may I think with greater prop. be included under gener. title of lepr or herpet. affect.

And even between these much more diff in name & app. than in reality

This suffic evinced by freq. change from one to other.

But at same time app. so diff. that no disadv at least in having diff names for partic states.

And where dry white [scurfy] [app] have name of leprous.

To disease of patient in pres. state then, would give name of a Herpetic affect.

And may add that such compl. not more common than obstin.

At least though yield to use of remed yet very liab to return.

And after has once taken deep root, very diffic matter compl. to eradic them.

This it is true hardly can be said with regard to affect of pres. patient.

For accord to history given us is only of few months durat.

And may presume, that if existed prev to that time was till then but inconsid.

But if something favourable in short durat. many other partic in pres case against patient.

Besides obstin nature of affect. her situat & circum by no means such as can lead us to entert hopes of speedy cure.

Both from age & poverty cannot reasonably expect that cleanliness which so essent to cure.

While diet must necess be accomod not to disease but to circum in life.

From these partic then must own do not flatter myself with hopes of speedy recov.

And while must have tendency to support the disease, are also very unfav to every pract which could be empl. for removal.

[Notwith] this however hope that by proper means may at least be able to mitig affect.

Perhaps to obt. even complete tempor susp. of it.

Here however may occur as quest. how far such an event in reality to be wishd.

For to be obs. that this not only affect to which subj.

Lab. under anoth affect also which although less obvious neither less troublesome nor less dangerous.

And this will observe more distress. before cutan affect comm. than is at present.

Well known however that such diseases often altern with each other

And reason to presume that on total removal of cutan erupt may have return of pect. compl.

This many pathol. disp to attrib to repuls as they call it of cut. erup.

Expl. it from introd of morbid matter into syst.

But although can by no means adop this theory yet consider fact as unden.

And in my opin to be expl merely on change which takes place in determin of blood.

In such cases as pres. circulat much augm on affected part

And often no inconsid disch.

Hence then in some degree analog. to an artif disch by issue or like

If therefore speedy cure without some compensat for accust. disch may naturally expect aggrav of former affect.

This however hardly any obj to most effect remed for removal of cutan affect.

As can easily give simil determ to some othr part & more consid evac in a way much less dist. to patient.

At the same time a circum to be had in view in treatm.

And although cutan affect is naturally at pres. first obj of attent. yet remaining affect of breast not to be overlookd.

Hitherto however pract prin directed towards former.

And that prob. will be case till some change induced in state affection.

In such cutan affect as pres. a great variety of remed in com use.

And although none cert. or [invar] success. yet many of them at least which on some occas attended with good effect.

With regard however to almost all of them a very diff matter to say on what prin operat to be expl.

Many with regard to which cannot even offer probab. conject

And used merely on footing of former exper. or as suggested by analogy.

This very much the case with regard to first remedy here empl.

And hold also with regard to some other pract which shall suggest as intended trials if pres. should prove unsuccess.

Began treatm you will observe by use of Mist. Vitriol.

This mixt consists of ℥i of Vitriol acid, the Spt Vitriol fortis or oil of Vitriol as comm calld [unitd] with ℥p of water & as much Sim Syr.

This remedy introd into pract some years ago as a cure for Psora.

Prob. suggested from well known effic of Sulphur in that affect

And from its being equally cert that by much greatest part of Sulph consists of Vitriol acid.

From effic in Psora have of late been led to empl it in other cutan affect at least simil in app.

And in some cases after ordin pract had faild have found it attended with very consid benefite

Cannot indeed repres it as having always succeeded

Yet can with confid venture to say that success such as to encour to future trials.

As subj of one of these have selected pres. case.

And to this the rather led as look upon this med. to be favour also for pect. affect.

While at same time circum of case such, that if does prod cure, may safely venture to say, that has done a great deal.

But while engaged in this trial is by no means my intent to [neglec] other modes of cure either for remov. affect or allev sympt.

Accord will obs. that with this even from begining anoth pract also conj.

Use viz of Camphoratd Oil.

This also an applicat which in diff cutan affect have of late freq empl.

Have not indeed used it unless in conjunct with internal remed.

Partic with those calcul. to encr. disch by surf. in way of diaphor

But in conjunct with these have I think seen benef from it both in Lep. & Herpet. affect.

Partic in former where dry & parchd state.

And even in some slight inst of Tina Capit.

Was on these grounds, then, that began pres. course with this pat.

And unless something partic shall occurr to prev it, is intent to give it fair trial.

With this view shall not only order more freq repet of Camph oil but encrease also quant of mixt taken.

In this however must be entirely regulated by effects.

And upon whole better to lose a little time than by imprud [illegible] to be disapp of intended trial.

During this course may also be farther requist. to employ pract with view of obv. urgent sympt.

And accord for counteracting [costivenss] have already had occas to employ an elect of Cream of Tart. with Sulph.

If cure shall proceed as wish with view of [compn] disch & [counterac] affect of breast may perhaps have recourse to issue.

But if shall find that this mode of cure unsuccess. must have recourse to other pract.

And if circum of case not [illegible] have next thoughts of trial of Oenanthe Crocata.

If alterat takes place cure must be accomod to circum. which shall then occurr.