DEP/DUA/1/35/30 (Transcript version)

Christ Geddes

1784

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Christ Geddes July 9^th 1784.

If in case last consid sympt numer. & doubtful on other hand in pres affect disease very obv.

In that case however presumpt that sever of sympt were conseq of an intermitt.

Here no doubt that were concomit Diarrhoea.

Compl. we are told first comm. by pain in abdom.

And this soon succeeded by freq. loose stools.

To this encreasd disch patient had been subj about three weeks before came under our care.

Not therfore surpriz. that should then have been affected with [thirst] want of appet & loss of strength the prin other sympt ment in case

For these almost unavoid conseq. of long contin disch & affect of alim canal.

In pres. case therefore nothing singul or uncommon for Diarrho.

And that a disease which as occurring in this clim at least neither rare nor danger.

But of prognos. as patient already dismissd free from affect. unnecess to offer any observ.

May only remark that from beging was disposed to considr it as what would soon yeild to prop meas.

And now of opin that termin which has taken place very much to be attrib to pract here employd.

When patient first applied for our assist directed you will obs. the use of an Emet.

Emet in cases of Diarrhoea of advant on various grounds.

Often useful as giving determin to surface & thus dimin that to intest canal.

No less so as disch contents of stomach.

For thus prev. matters from making way downwards which if passd into intest canal, would support disch.

And here besides these circum. farther indic by affect of appetite.

For reason to suspect that dim of it might proceed from load on stomach.

In operat of Emet. here ordered were not disapp.

And to this in part at least disposed to referr recov of pat.

Though at same time inclind to attrib still more to other med.

For besides Emet. had here recourse also to two other med.

The pil. Theb. viz taken to exten of gr V every night at bed time & a mixt of Infus Japon with Muc G. Arab taken to quant of ℥i twice a day.

Of first of these effic entirely dep on opium.

For Jamaic peppr. merly a corrig while Soap & Liquor serve only to give form.

And in each gr V of mass. opium cont. to quant of gr s.

This which hold to be equal to gr XV of L. L. neither adeq. indeed to [remov] of severe pain nor to proc. [illegible] in obst. watchfulness.

But suff. for allaying inordin motion in alim canal when acts on parts affected.

While this used for allaying action

Infus. Japon empl. for restr. disch [illegible] [illegible]

Of all the vegetab. astring few in such cases more safe or powerful.

And no form under which more elegantly exhib than that of watery infus.

For while compl. dissolves mucous part & astring united with it, earthy matter before adher to muc. falls totally to bottom.

And from this very mucous impregn. often useful where othr astring partic those, like Kino, cont. resin matter would be inadvis.

Often even advant from adding still larger propor of mucil.

And on this acct, here directed, that to Infus Japon, a propor of mucil of G. Arab should be added.

Under use of these med in a short time patient freed from loosen

And soon after prob. as conseq of that, all othr sympt ceased.

In this situat patient, free from affect. dismissd from farthr attend.

And can I think be no doubt in attrib recov. to pract. empl.