DEP/DUA/1/40/42 (Transcript version)

Margaret Mitchell

(1786-1787)

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Margt Mitchell.

Case subj of but few obs in lect.

But pert. not unimp in pract

No doubt as to disease.

Is subj. to distinct markd [symp].

And if acct to be cred an obj. of [comp]

With this disease now affected for two mon

And besides prim ulcers has those also of second kind.

For of this kind both affect at anus & throat

Hence syphil here as const. dis.

But has not affect parts where most obs.

Thus no depos on bones.

Besides this progr. not rapid

Thus upon whole fav. inst.

And such as in no long time might expect to remove by Merc.

Of success in Ven. cases need say nothn

Long since abund conf. by incontest obs.

And unless in pecul. cases & [const] without hazard.

But imprud man. worst affects.

And with some const can hardly be emp.

Hence often ob. to comb. remed rather than disease.

On this acct. discov of other remed always desid.

And if equall. effect of utmost conseq.

At diff periods various artic prop. Guac. Camph. Sarsap. Mezer. Lobel. &e.

But after trials insuff.

Though in cert. circ are useful yet incap of erad disease.

And in effic greatly infer to Merc.

Of late however as answ. every purp. opium recomm

Not on footing of theory but exper.

First introd in America.

Empl. in case esteemd desp. with [main] view of allev pain.

Found however to do much more.

For under use after Merc tried in vain compl. recov.

From this soon empl in other cases.

And allegd with greatest success.

That too in inst where no Merc. emp.

Of late subj. of many public.

Partic diff pass. in Lond. Med Com.

But most cop collect of fact. Dis In [Theo] De Opii usu in Syphytide Obser. prob.

Pretty full analysis Med. Com.

There author. both for and again.

For by some held merely doubt & [fall]

And must own not without doubts.

For in syphil. effic of Merc. gen know

And pat. anx to erad affect recourse to it of themselv.

This consid rather prob. as opium in syphil said to prod saliv.

An effect never aris from it in other cases

And prob. only conseq of merc. [illegible] introd.

The rather susp. as prin ex of success [Sold].

Well known to use great [freed] in [use] of Merc.

In my own pract have not empl. it in many cases.

And in these, has not succeed to wish.

With some have describd use from rapid of disease.

For when this case, no time to be lost.

And highly unwarr to delay merc for other trials.

With others has had effect of ind obstin obstip

And this incap of obv. prop till med omitted.

But in third set, app. attend with good conseq.

Hence desirous of [father] inform from exper.

Resolvd therfore, as circum here fav, to have recourse to it [illegible]

Was however aware that here liab to [desp]

And that pat, if believed herself sub. of expr, would not follow direct.

Or at least while using med from us might empl. Merc obt elsewhere.

On this acct. was I acknowl. guilty of slight decept.

From [directe] [report] cold &e gave reason to believe that took merc.

And for any thing I know [illegible] goes on in same suppos.

Her being [illegible] might precl trial

For overcom syphil small quant of Op. not suff.

Req. both large doses & reg. contin.

But from activ caut necess in adm

In gen. begun with gr i at bed times

Grad encr. by g i a day, till [somtim] even half a dram.

But augm stopt as soon as sympt yield

And often conseq of gr VI or VIII

To this pat. directed under Pil ex Opiu.

Where united merely with [illegible]

A subst readily solub in stom.

And in no degree affect activ.

While at same time give divis of [illegible]

From this diff advant.

Prob upon whole encr. activ

And at same time prev. so consid action on partic part.

In gr V of mass I of Opium.

Began with single gr.

Now encr till 9 in day.

[Hitherto] [here] without evid fav alter of sympt.

For though some better other worse

Hence prob. still farther augm.

During course of Op. some other [med]

These however prin for obv. sympt.

And not such as could act in erad disease.

Thus for affect of throat gargle with Infus Rosar.

And for ulcers Ungt Saturn.

With this to allev pain have comb. opium

And if capab. of erad disease may do sometime from extern applic.

But still cure by Opium

Besides these, since opium begun anoth sympt has superv.

viz Obstin bound state of belly.

An affect almost never failing to result from it.

Dimin indeed somewhat from [illegible].

But I own never able to see dimin of augm dose.

And on some occas has even oblig to desert use.

To obv. it, here one of most powerf of purgat pills

Pil ex Colocynth cum Aloe.

If these effect, & other circum fav, shall persist in use, till fair trial

For if effect, certainly valuab acq.

And shall I own by [happy], to witness success in own pract.

At same time, if no allev, but encr of sympt, shall reckon it imp to [illegible] time & have rec. to Mercur