DEP/DUA/1/42/24 (Transcript version)

James Galloway

(1787-1788)

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N24. Jas. Galloway at

In disease compl to which this pat subj an ex of what may be cons as a rare disease.

At same time cannot be consid as a solitary case.

For in my own pract. have now met with eight or ten inst of this affect.

Has not however in my opin entered the syst. of any nosol.

Or at least defin of descript such as by no means serves to charact it from other affect.

Charact of this disease two in number. Spots upon skin, app. sometimes in form of petech [sometm] of vibices.

And haemorrh either occurr upon on slightest scratch – or spontan from tender parts as lips eyes or like

First case of this kind that occurd to me was in year 1776.

And not long afterw. in a Vol of medic cases selected from records of Disp. I publ. hist of it with some observ. on nature of affect.

And to that work may referr you more partic for sentim resp. it.

Only treatise on subj with which then acq. was an inaug dissert pub at Goetting by Dr Graaf.

De Petechiis sine fibre.

There a minute & accur descript given of a case in every resp. simil to what then pub.

And since that sever others precis simil in nature & app. have since occurred to me.

In most of cases which I have seen as well as in that of Dr Graaf. [most] [strick] app. Petech. erupt.

And Petechia it must be allowed adopted as name of a disease, by sever. of nosol.

But definit which they have given both of Petech & Purpur. apply only to cases where Petech occur in fever.

And where indeed to be consid only as symptom of primar. fever.

Accord Dr Cullen has I think with great just. excluded that genus of other nosol.

But besides typh. fever or petech fever, anoth affect defind by nosol. & describd by pract to which it must be allowed pres some resemb.

This is Scorbutus or sea scury as comm calld.

This disease though prim at sea yet well known may occur also on shore.

And during late warm [strech] inst of it in garris of Boston & Minorca where although great abun of food yet entirely secluded from fresh veget.

Of late also from simil cause has prev in remark degree in Russ.

And not imposs. that in this country may take place in simil mann

In scorb. must be allowed that both vibices & haem. no infreq occur.

But these by no means precis in same situat as with our pat. or in other cases to which allude.

Besides in scorb. many othr sympt.

One of the very first an affect of gums, which became swelld spungy & sore to touch.

Besides this ulcerat, oedem swellings & like.

With our patient however not least app of this kind.

Hence cannot consider it as an exampl. of Scorbut.

And necess led to view it as being a genus by itself.

Taking name from leading app. thought it might be disting by app. of morbus petechial or Petechanous.

But now satisf. that this name not univ applic. hence not strictly proper.

For have met with inst of this affect where Petechiae entirely wanting

And where yet no doubt of exist of same disease as charact by vibices & by tend to haemorr. either on slightest accid or even spont.

But at same time am at loss to find any better appellat

Unless perhaps employ term aimarrhoea, from aima sangn & rheo fluo, as disch of blood either spon or from slight accid a sympt still more gener than petechiae.

At least has occurd in every inst of the disease which have either since or read of.

Here however may perhaps be thought, that investig of prop name not very matter.

Is unquest much less so than investig of nature of affect.

Of conject however on this subj shall say nothing till again spek of case in order of list.

May only obs. that from late experim of Abbe Fontana concer. [influence] of cert poisons on mass of blood some light thrown on nature

With regard to prognos. once lookd upon this as a disease not much to be dreaded.

And indeed greater part of cases I have seen or heard of, have had favour termin, either by aid of med or spont.

But in course of pract have met with two inst, in which proved suddenly fatal.

In these fever though not a primary disease superveend as conseq of affect.

And evid to be consid as symp only of condit of syst. since did not come on till disease had subs for consid time.

Not impossib that this may also be fate of pres patient.

But to be obs. that formerly in more danger situat than at pres.

And although disease still rem to such a degree as to shew all charact sympt. yet evid has declind very consid.

And if that decline conseq of remed here empl. may hope that by contin of these will be overcome.

In pract obj at which have chiefly aimed is to counteract [putr] tend of fluids.

With this intent have empl. two of most powerful antisp with which am acq. Peruv. Bark & Vitriol Acid.

For this patient consid time under my care.

Though now only selected for Col. Cas as before unable to attend

Now vitriol acid alone

And with this mean to [persist] till some reason for alter