Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Victor Ferguson to Hans Sloane – July 23, 1700
Item info
Date: July 23, 1700
Author: Victor Ferguson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 38-39
Original Page
Transcription
Victor Ferguson (d. 1729) was a physician of Newtown, near Belfast (Toby C. Bernard, A New Anatomy of Ireland: The Irish Protestants, 1649-1770 (Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2003), ch. 5; “Fergusons of Belfast” URL: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colin/FergusonsOfIreland/Belfast.htm).
Patient Details
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Patient info
Name: N/A William Nivin
Gender:
Age:60 years old.
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Description
If the patient went longer than four hours without eating or drinking, he became 'insensibly positive and willful'; he spit constantly (clear spittle), and became senseless, recognizing no one. He staggered around like a drunk for a considerable time, and then sank down, foaming, and 'would choke if left alone'. When on horseback, he reeled side to side and bent backwards until he fell off; the patient slept soundly, but foamed while doing so, and could not be left unsupervised. If one attempted to feed the patient mid-episode, he thrashed and resisted.
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Diagnosis
'A species of epilepsy' which Ferguson has not encountered before.
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Treatment
Previous Treatment:
Ongoing Treatment: Ferguson obtained the patient's consent to trigger an episode so he could observe; the patient remembered nothing afterward. By regulating the patient's diet (eating every four hours), Ferguson was attempting to manage the episodes.
Response:
-
More information
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Medical problem reference
Age, Eyes, Dizziness, Epilepsy, Balance
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Victor Ferguson to Hans Sloane – July 23, 1700
Item info
Date: July 23, 1700
Author: Victor Ferguson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 38-39
Original Page
Transcription
Victor Ferguson (d. 1729) was a physician of Newtown, near Belfast (Toby C. Bernard, A New Anatomy of Ireland: The Irish Protestants, 1649-1770 (Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2003), ch. 5; “Fergusons of Belfast” URL: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colin/FergusonsOfIreland/Belfast.htm).
Patient Details
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Patient info
Name: N/A Unnamed Gentleman
Gender:
Age:60 years old.
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Description
If the patient went longer than four hours without eating or drinking, he became 'insensibly positive and willful'; he spit constantly (clear spittle), and became senseless, recognizing no one. He staggered around like a drunk for a considerable time, and then sank down, foaming, and 'would choke if left alone'. When on horseback, he reeled side to side and bent backwards until he fell off; the patient slept soundly, but foamed while doing so, and could not be left unsupervised. If one attempted to feed the patient mid-episode, he thrashed and resisted.
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Diagnosis
'A species of epilepsy' which Ferguson has not encountered before.
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Treatment
Previous Treatment:
Ongoing Treatment: Ferguson obtained the patient's consent to trigger an episode so he could observe; the patient remembered nothing afterward. By regulating the patient's diet (eating every four hours), Ferguson was attempting to manage the episodes.
Response:
-
More information
-
Medical problem reference
Age, Eyes, Dizziness, Epilepsy, Balance
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Elizabeth Howland to Hans Sloane – July 22, 1700
Item info
Date: July 22, 1700
Author: Elizabeth Howland
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: f. 37
Original Page
Transcription
Howland informs Sloane her passage was uneventful. She thinks Holland is beautiful in the summer, with very clean streets and houses. She reports that the Dutch love the King, whose health is greatly improved, and comments that the Swedish Ambassador’s lady is making the greatest appearance in The Hague. She is going to Amsterdam soon.
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Charles Hatton to Hans Sloane – January 22, 1701
Item info
Date: January 22, 1701
Author: Charles Hatton
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: f. 125
Original Page
Transcription
Hatton thanks Sloane for the book and asks how he is to pay for it. He discusses his Lady and her governess.
Charles Hatton was the son of Christopher Hatton, 1st Baron Hatton and brother of Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton [Sir Bernard Burke, C.B. LL.D., A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire, new edition (1883; reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1978), page 269].
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Charles Holte, 3rd Baronet to Hans Sloane – September 10, 1701
Item info
Date: September 10, 1701
Author: Charles Holte, 3rd Baronet
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: f. 232
Original Page
Transcription
Holte thanks Sloane for introducing him to the Royal Society. He tried to call on Sloane to thank him when he was in London, but missed him. Holte sends Sloane the case he promised.
Sir Charles Holte (c. 1649-1722), 3rd Baronet Holte, of Aston, was the son of Sir Robert Holte, 2nd Baronet and Jane Brereton (George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume I, page 105).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Arthur Rawdon to Hans Sloane – March 30, 1692
Item info
Date: March 30, 1692
Author: Arthur Rawdon
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: ff. 115-116
Original Page
Transcription
Rawdon received Sloane’s last letter. He wants to know how ‘we can be most serviceable’ to Mrs Bayly. Captain Maxwell is apparently courting Sloane’s sister (Alice). Rawdon wonders ‘w’t is become of James. I fear he has a designe to cheat me for I can not hear the least thing from him… Mr Sherard has this year found many new funguses’.
Sir Arthur Rawdon (1662-1695), 2nd Baronet was the son of Sir George Rawdon, 1st Baronet and Hon. Dorothy Conway. Arthur married Helena Garham circa February 1681/2 (George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume III, page 318).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Arthur Rawdon to Hans Sloane – April 30, 1690
Item info
Date: April 30, 1690
Author: Arthur Rawdon
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: ff. 76-77
Original Page
Transcription
Rawdon asks Sloane to urge his brother to respond to Rawdon’s letters. He hopes Sloane has sent the seeds he promised by George Dunbar. Rawdon and his wife send their best wishes.
Sir Arthur Rawdon (1662-1695), 2nd Baronet was the son of Sir George Rawdon, 1st Baronet and Hon. Dorothy Conway. Arthur married Helena Garham circa February 1681/2 (George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume III, page 318).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Plummer to Hans Sloane – April 18, 1702
Item info
Date: April 18, 1702
Author: John Plummer
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 326-327
Original Page
Transcription
Patient Details
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Patient info
Name: N/A John Plummer
Gender:
Age:
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Description
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Diagnosis
Constipation, with stools that are 'slimy and hard like sheeps' dung'; constant pushing on his bladder and coloured urine; pain.
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Treatment
Previous Treatment: Took syrup of poppies.
Ongoing Treatment: The patient is bled regularly and 'diligently' taking the unspecified syrup recommended by Sloane.
Response: The syrup of poppies gave the patient a 'comfortable' stool.
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More information
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Medical problem reference
Urinary, Constipation, Stomach, Pain
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
J. Hetherington to Hans Sloane – July 19, 1724
Item info
Date: July 19, 1724
Author: J. Hetherington
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4075
Folio: f. 211
Original Page
Transcription
Patient Details
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Patient info
Name: N/A Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford
Gender:
Age:Wriothesley Russell, b. 1708, d. 1732 [Cokayned, The Complete Peerage, vol. 2, p. 82]
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Description
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Diagnosis
Losing sight in one eye. Sloane's note: lac. asinen. vesicator. elect. lenintus.
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Treatment
Previous Treatment:
Ongoing Treatment: Mr. Amyand stopped by unexpectedly, and seeing the condition of the Duke's eyes bled him. He said he would stop by and repeat the procedure when he returned from Northhampton. But Amyand also wanted Sloane to have an update on the Duke's condition.
Response: The Duke does not think the eye is any better and continued to loose flesh despite his otherwise good health.
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More information
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Medical problem reference
Eyes
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henry Downing to Hans Sloane – July 19, 1726
Item info
Date: July 19, 1726
Author: Henry Downing
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4075
Folio: f. 73
Original Page
Transcription
Patient Details
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Patient info
Name: N/A Henry Downing
Gender:
Age:over the age of 27
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Description
aversion to exercise, sedentary, frequet catarrhs and defluxions of rheum, soft flesh, slend limbs, small boned. Had blotches as a teenager (palm and elbow). Had VD in late 20s.
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Diagnosis
He currently has pain in his left breast, shoulder and arm, vertigo, heart palpitations, defluxion, fear of suffocation, pain and heat in the anus (he cannot sit for long), difficulty urinating, weariness, difficulty swallowing due to a sore throat and "startings" in bed. He thinks the anus pain must be piles. He also notes that the heat in his anus seems to have spread to his scrotum and urethra. His face has also broken out in scales and he has "wandering" pains in his limbs.
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Treatment
Previous Treatment: He had been, from childhood, ricketty and frail. This was made worse by his sedentary lifestyle. He lists several ailments. For scaly and rough patches on arms and hands he took anti-scorbutic juices and chaylbeat and Bath waters internally and externally. They did not work. Then he underwent a salivation after which he felt much better. Then at age 27 he contracted gonorrhea and underwent a three month cure.
Ongoing Treatment: On the back of the letter there are prescription notes for bleeding, emetic and electuary.
Response:
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More information
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Medical problem reference
Urinary, Regimen, Insomnia, Venereal complaints, Throat, Skin ailments, Pain, Lungs, Headache, Haemorrhoids, Genitals, Emotions, Dizziness, Heart, Scurvy