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Your advice on the following Case is earnestly
desired and it is hoped you'll make allowances for the many defects.
You must find from its being stated by a woman the patient was
in Octr last siezed with a Venereal Complaint which appeared in
two days : by a small swelling on the left side of the outward lips of the
birth: a good deal of Inflammation sharp stanging Pains and
heat of urine. She was made anoint the part effected with Mercu¬
rial Ointment, and apply a Poultice . which method was conti¬
nued for near three months; without effect. The swelling would
at times turn rather less and Softer, and at other times come
to its usual size & hardness which would have been the bulk of a
small walnute, She then got a Blew Solution of which
she took a table spoonfull, it made her sweat plentifully.
but raized such a violent fever that it was thought proper to
change it as she is so very weak that she can scarse walk the
length of a street having had a very poor state of health this
Several Years. Most of her complaints till now has been
nervous; She [next?] a White Solution, what quantity of
mercury might have been in that or the former she knows not,
but of the white Solution seventy Drops would have been
givin to a ordinary man and she was only allowed 12 --
which near threw her into a delirium. so it behoved to be
given up. She next got strong Mercurial ointment

Equal Parts of Lard & mercury which she rubbed the inside
of the thighs the one night, the outside the next. Every third
night leaving it off and in this she went on tho much reduced
by severe fits of fever till about six weeks ago that she left
off doing anything. The external swelling now is almost quite
gone, there is a fullness in each side of the birth. and [paned?] on
being pressed, the smart stinging pains still remaian tho less
frequent, and more up in the lisk now & then pains of the same
kind in the left side of the Back birth, but what is still more
allarming is that the patient has had for this two months past
pains in the middle of the shins, the feeling it has to her at
all times is as if she had got a stroke on her legs & when in
bed she has often severe pains in them not unlike Rheumatism
they are no way discoloured in one place more than another
but her skin not altogether the same it had. Now from the first
there never was any runn running nor out breaking of any sort.
the patient for several years before had been destressed with white
which stopped altogether apon her using the Mercury. She
has been quite regular but never the usual quantity till now
that she has given over her medicins since which she has
had a severe flooding her age is 30 Years.

The writers ignorance in matters of this sort is a great loss to her
but she is apt to imagine that Disguising in any way may be
doing injustice to both you & the patient

for which reason I must freely tell you that the Infection was
not got quite in the Natural way, as it was from an attempt
being made on the patient by a man who afterwards acknowledg'd
his being in that way, but the patient felt the effects as described
in the first part of this letter two days & three nights after whi
which was before she knew of his [being?]ill so that it could not
be the effect of imagination, Sir you may be sure that its
some very particular circumstances that obliges the patient
to inform you of her state be means of a woman and not one
of the faculty . She knows you extremely well by
character and has great faith in what you may advise her.
She begs this letter may be returned to the person who
Delivers it inclosed in your answer which she hopes will
not be delayed what makes the patient more wretched
is that she has been told by one of the faculty that whom
whom she can have no farther advice from that there
may be no farther Appearances than there has been, yet years
after it may break out. Oh! Sir your opinion is earnestly
beged with respect to that, not only as Physician but for
heavens sake as a freind to the wretched let me conjure
you to give it freely .