DEP/DUA/1/45/01 (Transcript version)

John Duncan

(1788-1789)

---

N^o20^th John Duncan at 20.

This patient evid subj to an affect of the cutan kind.

And that too, to very consid degree

Such affect. prob. from mode of life at that time, formerly much more common in this country than at pres.

And supp. so highly infect that were subj of very strict penal laws.

This partic the case with respect to Lepra for which hospit erected in neighb. of most large towns.

And to precincts of which undr pain of death, those subj. to the disease were confined.

But if such precaut ever necess. may at least venture to assert that malign of the disease now very much dimin.

Still however an occur both freq. & troublesome.

And in modern practic & nosol. syst chiefly describd under two names.

Those viz of Herpes & Lepra.

The one chiefly empl. where consid [reduc] inflam & disch.

The latter again where dry scaly & white appear.

But although thus easily disting on paper, yet not so easy in nature.

And often diff. to say to which genus a partic case to be referrd.

For very freq. trans. from one to other.

What at one time, every charact of Herpes, will at anoth assume every appear of Lepra, & in short time after regain former app.

Nay even at same time will at any one part of body, be in state termed herpetic, at another leprous.

And this very much case with pres patient.

For while most parts covered with white scaly crusts, yet these evid app. to be merely formd, from exud of watery fluid from red & inflamed surface.

And while large incrust on one part, consid disch at same time from another.

[Hence] therefore either name may I think with prop. to applied to it.

But of these two appellat, to empl. what the least formid. would give it name of Herpetic erupt.

Not however from thence consid it as less obstin, or as essent diff in nature from cases denom lepra.

With this view of affect reason to concl. that shall find it obstin.

For restor of cutan vessels to sound state by no means easily affected.

And in many inst, where this disease app. disapp. will again return

By no means however to be consid as incurab.

And hope that in pres inst, if cannot effect compl. recov. may yet obt. mitig of affect.

This howevr to be expectd only by stead persist in course of med for due length of time.

And [these] too of active nature such as antimon mercul. or like.

Have you will obs. begun treatm of this case with formr of these.

But of this as well as other pract. reserve obs. till future opport.