DEP/DUA/1/37/08 (Transcript version)

Janet Blair

(1785)

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Janet Blair

Disease of this patient consists entirely in an obv. affect.

And from app. as well as seat which occup. can have no doubt in consid it as being a cutan disease

These, without pretending to be more partic with respect to name, may all be consid, as affect either of the lepr, or herpetic kind.

And here from dry scaly app. should consider it, as best entit to formr app.

Cutan affect of this kind now much less freq. & less alarm than once the case in this country.

For from ancient records app. that hospit formerly existed in neighb. of this city, express. intended for treatm of lepr. patients.

That these patients strictly conf. to precints of such hospitals.

And that so great was the terror of commun the disease to others, by infect, that was capit crime for these patients to be found beyond bound of the hospit.

From what causes freq & sever then proceed, an inquiry foreign to pres. business.

Am inclined to think that both one & other very much effect of want of due cleanliness.

But whatever cause, can be no doubt that now very remark allev of the affect in both partic, has occurd.

Still however both a very freq & often very obstin disease.

For after app overcome, by no means uncommon to obs. recurr.

And that too without any manif cause.

An event, which notwith app. cure which has taken place, may [perh] occurr with pres pat.

But whether this the case or not might here be consid as app undr most simple & uncompl. form.

Unless perhaps were to consider as such, its having app. since [com] prin if not entirely during winter season.

This, as far at least as my obs. goes, have not freq. remarkd to be case.

Have indeed had occas to treat [succ] erupt occurr at every season period, & cont through all seasons of year.

But as far as more prev, at one time, than anoth, has been during spring season.

This has commonly been attrib to circul from change of tempr. being then more determ to surf.

While at same time, from [condit] of extreme vessels, free disch has not taken place.

If this explan just, may perhaps on same prin, acct. for app. here during winter.

May be the affect of check then given by cold to cutic disch.

While at same time, from state of extreme vessels, with her, circulat may contin to as great extent on surface, as with others during spring

In this manner then, would acct for only circum which consider as singul in this case.

And perhaps this explan, may be extended also to anoth partic.

Connex viz, between pres compl., & those stom ailm, to which formerly subj.

Before cutan erupt app was we are told very much distressd with const. vomiting.

But when became subj to this affect that sympt entirely disapp.

Such sympath, as has been cald, between stom & surface, long known & univ admitted.

And for my own part, am I own inclind to consider it, as better expl. from connex between extreme vessels, than in any other way.

Can be no doubt, that by state of circul through these of stomach, its irritab. very much affected.

And thus induct. or remov. of vomiting, in some cases at least by abs or pres of cutan affect.

But in inst before us, since commen of cutan disease, stom ailm have entirely ceased.

And that too, although disease only app during winter.

While then consider remov of stom compl. as affect of determ to surface, would look upon, cutan disease, as affect of want of [due] cutic disch.

And thus disapp. during sum when perspirat more free.

In painful & itchy sensat from heat of fire, nothing pecul.

At least no more than obs. to occurr in almost every inst of this kind.

And in general consid as effect of sudden & tempor encr. of [mom] at surface.

An effect manif app. in augm redness which parts then acquire

With From this view of patients affect, nothing in it, which could be consid as uncomm. or alarming.

And indeed affect of lepr. kind, even when occurring to highest degree, rather to be consid as loaths. than dang.

While in case before us, could not consider affect, as having arrived at any great height.

Nor had it here been a disease of long contin.

Had therefore reason to hope, that in no long time, should be able to comb. it.

And accord, such an event, under treatm directed for this patient, has already taken place.

Have already however remarkd, tend to recurr.

And should not be surp. if such an event here took place.

But for pres. at least, affect removed.

And this I think may in part if not altog, attrib to pract. here employd.

In treatm, on idea stated of disease, became here a prin obj. to prom a free cutic disch.

Was for this purpose, that had recourse to antim in crude state

An artic, from which, in my opin, may obt. more perman encr. of disch by stom surface with at same time less affect of stom, than from any other antim, with which am acquainted.

Not indeed to be consid as having no influ in that way.

But seld to such height, as to excite vomiting.

And even where very slight nausea, yet influ on disease consider.

And from exper. which have often had of its affects, look upon it as one of most effic & least distress of antim to which can here have recourse.

With this remed, however internall, thought also an extern applic necess

And as such had here recourse to Ungt Citrin in which merc. rend [activ] by nitrous acid.

A preparat. which hold to be one of most active of the mercur, which does not exert influ as corros.

Espec when reduced in strength by the addit of axunge, which also [neces] for more conven. applic.

This also an artic, from which in such inst as pres, have often before seen best affects.

And from conj with former, hoped that might soon be able to accompl. if not perman, at least tempor. cure.

When first begun use, the antim had some affect, in excit sickness at stom.

This however not so consid as to excite vomiting.

And in few days, even taken [withou] inconven.

Under use, with regul friction, found that at succeeding report, affect was very much dimin.

This then suffic reason, for [persist] in use

And in course of anoth week, found that progr to recov contin regul.

Found however, that by contin of employm, habit had not affect of dimin that sickness, which Antim occasiond.

But that on contrary, came even to be more distress, & to be conseq of every dose.

Was however unwilling on this acct to relinquish a med, which seemd to do so much [illegible]

Thought it therefore better to try to counteract this effect.

And considering sickness as affect of superabund acid in stom, by which rend suddenly active, imagind that might in some degree, by counteracted by destroying acid.

While at same time, might yet contin to be sufficiently active.

Was with this intent, that added to the Antim, a proport of Magn. Alb.

An artic, the power of which in [neutraliz] acid, well known.

While at same time, in former inst, have found it prod of the effect of counteract sickness, from crude Antim

Here however directed addit only to small extent.

For by entire destruct of acid had reason to believe, that med would be rendered inert.

[Here] then seemd prefer. that sickness should in some degree cont. to med being rather than that med should be rend rend ineffic.

Accord, either from small propor of Magnes added, or from some other cause, sickness still contin.

Now however less distress to it.

And in short time affect so compl. removed, that farther contin of med seemd unnecess.

And was dismissd for pres at least free from affect

Dare not venture to say, that cure thus accompl. will be perman.

As however has hitherto app during winter only, & as reason to believe, that cold weather will soon be termin, may at least hope that will contin free from it till succeeding [w]

But at same time should be by no means surpr. at more speedy [return]