DEP/DUA/1/46/06 (Transcript version)

Jean Holbert

(1789)

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N^o6. Jean Holbert. at 10.

The case of this girl in some respects an amb. one.

If to judge from app. alone, little hesit in pron. syphyl.

And that too notwith early age of patient.

At least have before met with inst of it, at as early per of life.

An opin in its conseq dreadful prev among vulg that may get rid of the disease by comm to others.

And in conseq of this, have before met with very young girls infected by [abased] wretches, attempt that mode of cure.

From first sight of case was I own disp. to consid it as of that kind.

But upon farther inquir great doubts

Partic posit assert of mother that could not conc. any expos. to infect.

And if had known or even susp. any thing of that kind would have been ready to tell us.

From this then natur. led to susp of Scrophul.

And this I own have before freq. seen affect inguin glands.

Must howver obs. that more comm in infer than super.

And in latter vener bub. more comm.

Have never also for my own part met with scroph attend with ulcerat of lab. pudend.

But at same time not to be denied that scroph tum & ulcers, may occur on any part of body.

And here besides want of vener. infect. suppos of Scroph not only corrob by age of pat but also by hered taint.

Cannot indeed say that disease of parents.

At least contr. asserted by mother.

But at same time two of other child accord to her own acct. subj. to distinctly markd scroph.

Hence strong presumpt that all acted upon by some comm cause.

And more probab. that this hered. than acquired.

At same time not impossib. that with all the affect of poor living or of mode in which child. reared.

But at any rate still evid indic in the family strong dispos to Scroph.

Hence when consid it as inst of Scrop. look upon it as bad case.

And when consid obst of disease even in slightest form, can hardly have sang. expect of recov

At same time patient yet at period of life from which even many natur [causes].

And at which if artif cure can be accompl. is at least to be attempt.

Imag. therefore, that no improp inst for trial of a remd. lately introd against this affect, by a very ingen. & able Phys & Philosoph. Dr Crawford of London.

Remed to which I allude Barytes dissolvd in [Murial] acid or Terra powder inuriata.

Having lately heard that Dr Craw. had empl. this remed I wrote to him on the subj.

He very freely & readily comm to me by letter result of his exper.

And that letter I have inserted in a vol of Med Comm. which will be pub. on 1^st of Janr. next.

But a still more full acct of it, soon pub in vol of Lond Med. Comm, at pres in the press.

In this paper Dr C. gives acct of all cases he has treated at St Thoma hospit. with this med.

For us suff. here to obs. that Dr C. has empl it in many scroph cases

And from these concl. that is capab. of remov. scroph., when has arrived at last stage & assumed most malign form

He has found it also oper as palliat in many inst of Cancer.

And in two remove the disease.

Is used under form of satur solut of the salt in water.

To this however a little excess of acid added.

Dose from four to eight or ten drops in conv. ventric twice a day.

Requires however pure water, as from hard water precipit.

But of this & other partic shall offer more remarks when again speak of this case.

Shall only obs. that is my wish & intent to give it here a fair trial.

But for reasons too obv to require ment. reckon it prud. to begin with small doses.