DEP/DUA/1/47/19 (Transcript version)

Betty Smith

(1789)

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N^o 31 Betty Smith at 9.

In case of this patient, have an evid ex of Cheorea or [Cauv] [strickness] so calld.

A disease gener known by name of St Vitus’s dance.

A disease not indeed so freq an occurr as some others.

But by no means, in this country at least & at this period a rare occurr.

May occur at any period of life.

And accord sometimes obs. both at earliest & also at latest stages.

But by much most common at that period at which patien has arrivd, from 7 to 15.

While disease has here occurd at most common age so also app. under most comm form.

Has all more common sympt with which the disease usually attend.

And no app. here takes place which is not a freq attend of the diseas

While at same time can neither be said to occurr to very slight or very severe degree.

Is so far extended as at times to affect not only limbs, but even [trunk] & head.

And at one period even evid aff. of tongue as app from inartic speech.

In these a much greater exten than freq obs to occurr.

For in not a few inst almost entirely conf to partic leg or arm

But even in these cases sometim with such sever. as altog to incap from walking.

And tend to inord motions so great that occur even during sleep in the night.

With our patient however never to such degree as to incap from walk

And as far at least as her moth has paid attent to it, seems to remain at rest during night.

From this then may inferr that tend to inord action not so great as in some cases.

That however tend very consid. evid app from const action not only indep of volit, but without any manif stim cause.

And indeed, can I think be little doubt, that disease prin depends, on pecul irritab, or uncommon [disp] to action in mov. fibres.

Sometimes as in pres case gener extended, sometimes more espc conf. to partic muscles.

Whether gener or partial causes inducing it in many inst very obs.

And must own that here entirely at loss with regard to them.

Her mother indeed susp pres [affec] to be conseq of fever to which subj some time before.

And would not altog deny that this may have had some infl.

Partic as are told that from time of fever had never recov. strength

Can hardly howevr suppose this to be only or even prin cause.

For otherwise should be much more freq occurr after fever, than really the case.

Must therefore suppose, that depends more on some other circum tend to augm irrit ability which which are unacq.

And indeed this not wonderf when so much at loss resp cause of irritab. itself.

For while some suppose it a prim inter qual of musc fibre, others consid it as depend on secret from the blood.

While again third set ascrib it to nerv influ in the musc fibre

And of all the opin must own that to me this seems most prob.

But any conj which can offer on this subj will I app. but little serve to guide us either with resp to [Prog] [or] [Pract].

As to first of these, must own that judging from former exper. am incl. to entert fav opin.

For though some more obstin than others, yet have met with no case that did not admit either of artif or natur cure.

And in pres inst, affect even prior to empl of any med, seems to have been somewhat dimin.

Have rather reason to hope [illegible ] [illegible ], that by prop remed, natur tend to termin may be aided

Is with this intent that have had recourse to Zinc Praecip.

But of this reserve obs. till afterwards