DEP/DUA/1/32/33 (Transcript version)

David Shiels

(1783)

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David Shiels.

As hardly subj of treatm almost unnecess to say any thing.

His disease although not without some pecul. appeard to me to be a Rheum affect.

And as such you will obs. began treatm of it by Vol. Elix of Guaiac.

For introd of this med in Gouty & Rheum cases are I think indebted to Dr Thos Dawson of London.

At least was on his author. that for my own part first empl it in pract.

And exper. I have had has affordd me full evid that is a most effic & useful med.

In a vol. of med cases pub some years ago have inserted a Rheum affect cured by that med.

That case I intended as a testimony in fav of the med.

But I am sorry to obs. by the last edit of his Dr D work, to which he has made very consid addit, that he is of a diff opin.

And he has attackd me not without consid severity, for what I have said in obser. mentiond, in answ to a former remarks of his with respect to me.

But although his pres. public may might by some be consid as a chall. to a [illegible] controv yet I must here obs. that I do not intend to accept of it.

Although I flatter myself that I am zealous for the improv of med. yet I trust that I shall always demonst a disp to shun disp as much as possib.

And on this occas I would the rather wish to avoid it, because I am convin that Dr Dawson & myself diff not in reality but in words only.

We both agree in opin that the volat Tinct of Guaiac in large doses is a most useful remedy in cert Rheum cases.

To him I acknowledge myself indebted for the use I have made of it.

And I have now often empl. it in many diff cases among others in that of my own father with great success.

Resp. the pract then I may safely venture to say we are agreed.

And I think I can apeal to all who have heard my lect that I am as little the advoc for mere idle theory as he is.

He cannot desp. more than I do the absurd chimer. of those who [prented], that cure of all disease may be conduct on a few simple princip.

Med has been [pestered] with such nonsense ever since the humours of Galen.

And no gener. theory has been since prop. that is one while more rational or more just.

Yet it is wonderful to think with what obst. bigot such theor. have been & are supported.

Nay the keeness of the advoc for them seems to me to be encreas in proport to their absurd

While howevr I have unif. [treatd] all these theories with the contempt which I think they deserve, I must still hold that the [illegible] the grounds on which med operate from a careful obs. of facts is of utmost conseq. towards the improv. of the healing art.

And whohever takes the trouble of exam Dr Dawsons public will have no diffic in discov. that he is of the same opin.

And it is of no conseq whether give this the name of theory or empl any other term.

Upon the whole then have in reality no foundat for disp with Dr Dawson.

At same time, although he seems to have been offended at the expr. must again repeat wish, that he had treated me with more lenity.

And I am not without hopes that he may yet express himself in a fav mannr of my endeav to improv med as I have often done of his & never without sincerely believing what I said.

To these remarks on use of Gua. can add nothing from pres case

For although orderd for this patient & entert hopes of success, yet have not been able to learn whether he has empl it or not.