DEP/DUA/1/31/34 (Transcript version)

Betty Main

(1782-1783)

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Betty Main

Of disease of this patient reckon it unnecss to make man obs.

Neither import nor singul.

Although at first from descript. [inclind] to diff opin.

Evid lab. under complic of affect.

And these in no degree connected with each othr.

Erupt disease about ears neck & head, am inclind to consid as of the herpet. kind.

While sympt of alim canal & stom may with prop. be included under genus appellat of Dyspep.

Of these compl. latter of by much the longest date

And probab. will longest contin to distress patient

But at same time has never taken place as far as have any opport of discov. to any great degree.

At same time, must own, am inclind to suspect, that this patient compl lose nothing in descript.

For has on diff occas expressed much more [appreh] & uneas. about effect of head, & ear than warranted by extern app.

May draw therefore same conclus. with regard to othr compl.

And even accord to her own acct though distressd with uneas & sense of weight after eating, yet has nevr had sickness acid. vomiting or [illegible].

Hence then nothing at least to be appreh. from all stom ailm with which she is affected.

At the same time, from state of tempr, cannot expect that will soon consid herself as freed from the [affec]

And indeed, not to be expected, that can ever be altogeth free of tempor. inconven from flatul.

Affect of ear & hairy scalp app. under form of erupt. but of very recent date

And since came under our care has at one time been compl. removed

Although again some return of it yet this but to slight degree.

And as was formerly the [case] reason I think to hope that may soon be removd.

From what now said of nature of this patient case will not be surp. that since came under care have had recourse but to few [pract] in treatm.

With view to affect of alim canal employd pills of Assafoetid & [Aloes]

And with view to herpet erupt. had recourse to Ol. Camph.

From use of latter erupt soon dimin in parts first affectd.

But broke out in others.

This led to direct of shaving of head that might obt. more thorough appl.

And from this persist in use affec seemd to be compl. removd.

In this situat was intermittd

Pills also at first seemd prod of good effect.

But had even more influ than could have wishd in moving belly.

For in conseq of use had two sometimes even three stools in course of the day.

With this however, both becam free from coldness at stom, & [likew] much less distressd with flatul.

But after some contin lost affect of operat as purgat

And with return of costiv had also return of some [degree] at least of affect of alim canal.

This soon followed by slightest [retrn] of affect about the ear.

With a view to this latter have again had recourse to Camph. oil.

And with intent of counteract former as formerly so much advant from keeping belly gently open employd the Pil ex Colocyn cum Aloe.

Which when simple [aloet] purgat fail have often found, very success. to answer intent.

Under these med hope will soon be in condit to be dismissed.

And after what have already said of nature of this case & opin of disp. of pat. will not be surpr. if take first opport for that purpose.

During contin of attend howevr may [find] other pract. requist.

If new occur. take place these must be accomod to sympt.

If [mere] contin of pres. result med now empl. or encr. under use may have recourse to Ungt. Saturn or Ungt Vitriol with a view of combat erupt.

And with view to Stom ailm may [have] recourse to Tinct. Amor. Elix ex Aloe & Rheo, or some othr warm stom bitters or purgat.

But shall be better [pleasd] if can find fav opp. for dismiss. pat. without employing any of them.