DEP/DUA/1/39/27 (Transcript version)

Mary McFarlane

1786

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N^o31. Janr 29. 1786.

Mary McFarlane at 33 married is frequently affected with severe griping pains in her bowels. Has now & then the sensation of something moving within her as she says, & she almost every day passess by stool small portions of the Taenia worm. Each portion is one distinct joint of the worm, about two lengths of an inch in breadth, & from a quarter of an inch to half an inch in length. And they are nearly of uniform breadth through their whole length.

She is also subject to distension of stomach after food, acid eructions & flatulency, & at times she is distressd with severe headach.

She also complains of pain, & of a sense of great weakness, in the loins, & small of the back.

Pulse about 70 of tolerable strength, Tongue, Thirst, & Appetite natural, Belly natural, menses pretty regular. But she has had several abortions which she says, have induced great debility. These complaints of the bowels, commenced about three years ago when some joint of the Taenia first appeared. Some time after that, she got medicines from the Dispensary, which produced a discharge of a portion about seven yards long

She was entirely free from her symptoms, & saw nothing of Taenia for a year after, but for these nine months past she has been in her present state, discharging several joints every day.

Cap. gr. summo mane. Pulv. Rad Filic. maj. ℥ip, & Rx. Pulv. Jallap. comp. ℥i. Calomel Gamb. aa griii. M cap hor [Wh] ante mer. post. pulv. Filic

Repet. Med. Die Jovis.

Febr 4^th Had considerable sickness at stomach from the Pulv. Filic taken on Monday. But the cathartic afterwards produced severe vomiting, no joints of the Taenia were observed to be discharged though it afterwards operated as a brisk cathartic nor did she see any till she took the second dose of the medicine on Friday, which was again followed with severe sickness & vomiting, & during the catharsis which followd she discharged seven joints of the worm; two others have been observed to day.

Interm. Med &

Rx. Tinct. Cort. Peruv.

Ag. Cassae

Ag. Font. aa ℥ii

Tinct. Theb ℥ii M

cap. ℥p. bis indies.

11 Has taken the mixture as directed & has had no sickness or vomiting, but has been much affected with excruciating pain in her sides, & has dischargd about a dozen joints of the Taenia since last report.

Interm Mixt & Rx. Camph.

Japon Hispan aa ℥i. Opii Ji.

Syr. Simp. g. s. f. mas. divid in pil gr V Cap. Pil. I. ter de die.

25. Her menstrual discharged which has always been very regular, ought to have appeared about the 12^th of the month.

But as it did not then appear she suspected that she was pregnant & omitted the use of the of the pills. It came on however on the 18^th & after continuing in the usual manner, it again ceased. She still continues to discharge many joints of the Tenia & is still affected with severe pains in her sides.

Cont. Pil. u. a.

March 4^th Had considerable sickness from the first pill, but since that, they have given her no uneasiness. She is now free from the pain of her side, & the swelling of her stomach has given her less uneasiness but she still discharges many joints of the Taenia.

Cont. Pil. u. a.

11 Still discharges many joints of the Taenia. But in other respects he is at present in good health.

Interm Pil. & cap. om. m & vesp. Pulv. Stann. [ppt]. ℥ii.

18. After the third dose of the powder she discharged on Monday morning one fragment of the Taenia about four yards & a half in length & about ten smallr fragments some of which are not a tenth of an inch in breadath, but none of them seems to terminate in a proper filum. She has however seen no more fragments of the worm. Cap. Pulv. Stan. ℥ii. om n. ad tertian vicum & cap. m die Merc. Pulv. Jallap. comp. ℥i

March 24 The menstrual discharge appeard on Saturday last & she thinks it was rather to a greater extent than natural. After the discharge ceased she took the Pulv. Stanni as directed & the purgative afterwards which occasioned both very severe vomiting & looseness. During the operation of the cathartic she discharged a very large quantity of viscid matter which had the appearance of bags or membranes.

She has seen no more joints of the Taenia & is at present free from every complaint excepting weakness of her bowels. Interm. Med & cap Pulv. Cort Peruv coch parv ter de die.