DEP/DUA/1/40/66 (Transcript version)

Jean Frazer

1786

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Jean Frazer. Febr 3^d 1787.

Form [pronon.] distinct inst of Epilep

And no reason to alter opin.

Have not indeed seen any fits.

But from descript no doubt

Epilep indeed app in diff. forms.

Varies both in preced sympt.

In sympt during fit

And in conseq. sympt.

And still more [varies] as idiopath or [simp]

But besides this some other affect in app. app. to it

Partic hyster. affect & so called [illegible ] [illegible ]

For in these also inordin motions cheif extern mark of this dis occur.

But from both discov. by abolit of senses.

In every prop Epilep. fit some [degr] of total abolit of sense

Not case either in Hyster or Convul.

By these pres. affect disting.

For this patient insensib even for consid length of time

And even consid affect of ment. facul.

For no doubt that power of mind imp

Hence no quest as to affect being [illegible ]

And in app. nothing uncommon.

Not indeed as sometimes case frothing at mouth.

But accomp. with consid disch of Saliv

Also a very freq. sympt.

And probab. app. under form of froth merely conseq. of mode of respir.

By no means as opin of some to be viewed as charact of disease.

Here then no doubt as to disease

But cannot with same certainty deter whether Epil. of symptom or idiopat kind

A circum often of consid import both in prognos & pract.

Here distinct cheifly from two [circ]

Knowledge of pres of concom disease

Or preceding sympt.

When pat. at same time affected with other compl. presumpt of dep. on these

Ex. Small Pox. Worms &e.

For well known that by these often [ind].

But of no such slightest susp. in case before us.

In preced sympt often evid of symp epilep from feeling aris at [partic] [par]

Partic sense of tickling in Hand Foot &e

And from thence grad ascent to brain

The aura epileptic.

Nothing however of this kind either

Fits indeed preceded by some symp

And that too for consid length of time

Partic sickness of stomach.

But from this cannot suppose that cause of fits more partic [sets] [there]

For well known stomach readily aff. by action on other organs.

And espec on brain.

Thus almost const mark of comm. brain vomiting.

And here affect of stom does not occur alone.

Attend with sympt more partic refered to brain.

And evid effect of nerv. influ.

Such for ex. as weakness [exhaust.]

Still more dazling of eyes & app. enlarg of obj.

But above all confus of head.

In these strong evid that brain again [princip] & imm affect.

And that epilep of idiopath kind.

At least more prob than sympt.

But, from this little knowl of natur

For with reg. to that much in dark.

Some ground indeed for pres. that all mot in muscl. effect of mot in nerv. fluid

And that state of intellect powers very much dep on state of connect between [sent] & [corpor] parts of syst.

Hence by morb. action of brain both convuls agit & abolit of senses.

But such morbid action either conseq of immed impres or of dist one comm by interv of nerves.

In one case idiopath in other sympt. Epilep.

This short view of opin as to natur

Must however acknowl. that give it merely as conject

And by no means adm of satisf. [proof]

But whatever nature no doubt as to obstin.

Indeed in major of inst incurab.

Hence from evid of disease alone unfav

But here partic circum still more so.

Pat already subj. to it for sev year

During that time grad encr in viol

And that too notwith use of power [rem]

For told resist attempts to cure by sever emmin. pract.

To all these to be added effect on mental facul.

Here manif dimin of intell. power.

A conseq. very often result from epilep.

And always marking obstin if not incurab. disease.

From these consid then when pat. came under care hopes faint.

Nothing encr. by what has since occurd

For hitherto no benef from pract here emp.

And I own now hardly expect any.

Yet still consid as meriting trial.

For certain that in epilep remd will succeed at one time fail at [firs]

And that less active will succeed when what esteemd more powerful fruitless.

Hence encouragm to trial at diff. times & with variety of med.

Of operat of any remed however must be allowed much in dark.

Necess conseq of ignor. of nature of affect.

Have conj. however that conseq of morb. state of action of brain

And that this effect of pecul impress

Hence counteracted by what excites diff or oppos impress.

But besides, that action of brain may induce convuls affect. certain dispos to action requis.

Hence by dimin of irrit these less easily induced.

And have thus been disp. to conj. that benef derived from some [remd] in epilep as giving pecul impress to nerves of stom from others as encr. tone power of muscl. fibres.

While prob. that in third set conj influ of both.

But must at same time acknowl. that in treatm of this disease have proceeded more on empyr than [defin] plan.

Or at least on [knowl] of [juv] & [Ledent].

And on what have found from former exper. prod of good effect.

Or alledged to have these effects in pract of others

Was on this ground that here recourse to Cupr. Ammon.

Copper in pure metal state little or no action.

But when brought to form of metal salt high activ.

And in these states in use even from earliest periods of med. Hyp.

But prin for extern use.

For while tonic effects consid also [acid].

And this thus latter influ such that from small quant extern intern. disag. conseq.

Of all saline states mildest in that of volat. Alk. Cup. Amm.

For introd of this med as well as for discov of use in med, chiefly indeb to Mr Boyle.

And for best acct Dr Russels inaug dissert De Cupro 1759

Since that time a good deal empl. at this place by diff pract.

And though by no means gener. yet in some inst of conv & epilep kind with manif advant.

Of this sever cases have occurd in my own pract.

In some app. compl. cure.

But in others after freedom for years, from fits before return every day or two, recur has again take place.

Still however shew influ of Cupr.

And as formerly said encourage to trial even at diff. times.

Shall only obs. that although comp speaking, seldom succeeds, yet of all med I know consid it most powerf in Epilep.

Here empl. under form of Pil. e Cup.

Mass formd with bread & to prev. [illegible ] moistened with volat. alk.

Each pill gr § of Cuprum.

In gener at beginning suff. dose.

For obj to obt. tonic without stim affec.

Or at least not to empl. to such heigh as to occas uneas. from action on alim can

For with some even in small dose both vomit & loosness.

Hence in every case caut necess at commen.

But in order to obt full effects to be grad encr.

Accord. this plan here followd till pat. in space of about month took Cupr. to extent of gr iii ter de die.

And that too without either excit any sickness at stom, or prod any allev of disease.

May here obs. that this great quantit of cuprum every recollect having given to any pat.

If both fail expect of recov so faint that determ by circum whether try any other remed or not.

And have often seen very distress vomit from much smaller doses.

Here therefore was I own unwill to trust it farther.

Partic as during a month no app. of benef. from it.

And as from want of obv. operat less disp to expect it.

Accord have at least so far [desistd] use as to substit Zinc

Another metal of late highly celebr.

And of which from repeated expr good opin.

Though at same time much more freq. fails than succeeds.

Mean first trial for some time by itself.

And then in conj. with Zinc.

For have [heard] of cases in which success in this mannr.

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