DEP/DUA/1/39/18 (Transcript version)

John Farquharson

(1785-1786)

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John Farquharson. March 4^th

In case of this patient distinct markd inst of Diarrhoea.

And that app. without compl. of any other affect.

For flatus borborygm. gripes & tenesm, other sympt ment in case besides severe looseness, well known to be if not const at least common attend of Diarrhoea.

Before came under our care affect had been of three months stand.

And during that time had subs. with consid degree of sever.

Would not therefore been wonderful if although at first simple diarrh. had now given rise to some local affect of intest.

And in this way from ulcerat. & other local affect induced sometimes even fatal.

In this case however as obs. when formerly spoke of it, no sympt that any such affect has taken place.

Though affected with gripes, yet these pains of flying & trans. nature

And here no sympt of any hectic fever

For pulse while full & regular rather slow than otherwise.

If however local affect of intest canal had taken place might exp. both fixd pain & some hect. sympt.

Hence then formerly expressd hope that disease might soon be brought to fav. termin

And in this expect have not been disapp.

For some time since have been able to dismiss him free from affect.

An event which am I own inclind to attrib to pract here employd.

This however will more fully app. from partic view of remed empl. here & effects result. from them.

Began pract. by directing use of purgat.

In cases of Diarrh this may seem an unnecess pract.

As may be supposed every inten it could serve fully answ. by [spon] looseness.

But to be remarkd, that in many inst. notwith this, there does not take place full & free evac of intest canal.

Accord when a purgat empl. hard indur. [illegible] often disch.

Hence before use of med restr. loosnss thorough evac in most inst prop.

As such had here recourse to Glaub salt.

An artic, which, as free evac of alim canal, without occas. disch from syst. has very gener. best affect.

To this however immed subj use of Pil. Theb.

This directed solely with view to opium it cont.

Which unquest one of most powerf remed with which yet acq. both as allaying inord action in mov. fibres, & restr. those disch dep. on encreasd action of vessels.

But in an [especl] manner when these occur in intest canal.

Thus no remed more certainly effect in giving immed check to loosness.

And in pres inst were not disapp. in effect expected from it

For while salts operated well soon after began use of pills loosness very consid dimin.

In place however of prod obstip a conseq. not unfreq on cure of Diarrh, belly still cont. more loose than natural.

From this then led to contin of pills.

While at same time with view to strength tone of intest. directed use of Peruv. bark comb. with small proport of Cassia with view to Carmin effect.

By this imag that should secure benef. derivd from pills.

And more effect prevent tenden to return of affect.

While this powder empl. however by accid pills omitted.

And on this occas, whether from want of these or from some other circum aggrav of looseness took place.

Not improb. that might even in part be affect of powder.

For though Bark, most freq. binds belly yet in some inst from partic state of alim canal has contrary effect.

But whether this the case in pres inst or not seemd in other resp to be serv. to him

For obs. that app. consid mended

Hence then while ordered repet of pills directed also contin of powder.

But notwith opiate in begining of ensuing week severe return of loosnss

And this he himself disp. to ascribe to powder.

A circum which led him to intermitt use.

And at least somewhat in fav of his conject that under cont with pills alone soon much mitig

In this situat seemd inadvis to do any thing farther than directn him to persist in empl.

And at succeeding report so far free from affect, that farther contin of med seemd unnecess.

Was accord dismissd from attend with request to return if subj to any recurr of compl.

But as have since heard nothing of him disp. to concl. that contin well