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Case of Lady D. –––– 13 April 1784

Lady D. in the course of ten years from July
1769 has born ten children and
Lady D. is at present about (↑near↑) 46 years of
age but hitherto has been pret regular
in her courses unless within these
two months or so –– on one occasion
she passed her time about 3 weeks,
and since that the next time was within
3 weeks –– They came about a week
ago & they are not gone yet, but were
not Excessive –– For Lady D. has for
These five years past ↑frequently↑ complained of
a pretty Constant pain in her sto¬
mach and was (↑since that period has been↑) Generally very Costive
in so much that without some kind
of medecine she would have scarce
had a stool in 5 or 6 days –– She was
↑not so before that time↑ The first time she Ever had what
could be called a Cramp in her sto¬
mach was after the Birth of Her young¬
est Child but one, vizt about 5 years ago
–– She had them about 3 days after
her delivery –– She fell with Child
in about six months after and during
the beginning of Harvest 1779 Had
some very severe Cramps in her
stomach attended with vomiting
and on that occasion she turned pretty
yellow after one severe fit, but it
soon went of, & the Child was healthy
& the delivery fortunate –– Since then
Lady D. has never bore a Child, but about
2 years and a half ago, she had a
miscarriage at the End of 10 weeks or so

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Since that period she never has
had any Conception whatever, not¬
withstanding as before observed she
continued pretty regular ––

Upon the 23d of December last Lady D
had considerable pain in her stomach
which in a day or two thereafter turned
into severe Cramps –– Her pain was
cheifly in the Horse shoe part of the
stomach, and through towards the back.
Laudanum to the doze of 35, or 40 drops
was given, but that medicine does
not agree well with Lady D as she
thinks it hurts Her stomach and does
not give her sleep or much quiet
–– after taking it she Generally
Had to throw up, and Her the Contents
were ↑always↑ sourish generally –– She Conti¬
nued under this Complaint for
near 8 or 10 days pretty violently ––
upon this occasion Her pulse was
full and quick –– and she was bled
& had a warm bath –– some days
after –– It perhaps did some ser¬
vice but the disease remained and
does at this day tho' ↑attended↑ somewhat
with different symptoms ––

–– She was advised to take some
bitter powders in order to strengthen
& brace Her stomach and altho the
violence of the Cramps abated about
the End of January last yet she was not
well of Her stomach and upon the
least Cold liable to a Relapse.

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Lady D. came went to the Country 27th
of March last and still found her
self stomach out of order and
pains in it –– was very Correct in
Her diet yet all would not do
On Saturday the 10th April she had
a very severe Cramp between her
stomach and Back which with very
little Intermission has lasted till
this day (13th April) – She got Lauda¬
num 50 drops at a time, with some
Lavender drops and peppermint &
once some volatile Spirit of Valerian
very little reliefs was obtained
as she Generally threw up Every
thing she took which was principally
bread berry & a spoonfull of white¬
wine or a bit of plain bread and
meat –– Yesterday the 12th & this day
she was excessive sick and squeam¬
ish, and could only almost ↑only↑ lye a
bed the most of the day as she turnd
sick and threw up when she rose
up –– A great deal of tough viscid
ropy phlegm came up and generally
did so, which induced me (↑suggested to↑) to ↑me to↑ give her
16 grains Ipecacuanha & work'd it off
with Camomile so far back as
the 30th March last and some times
since when squeamish and vomiting
she drunk a little Camomile to
cleanse the stomach the better –– but
nothing has been given to provock

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vomiting yesterday or this day (13th)
as she regularly threw up Every thing
perhaps 5 or 6 hours after it had been
In her stomach and always came up
with a great deal of very ropy tough
phlegm –– Yesterday afternoon and
towards night Her sickness was
Excessive and the Reachings very
severe –– She in order to prevent the
sourness was in use for these some
days past to take some magnesia
and a little Hartshorn or Sal. Volatile
drops & sometimes a little Rhubarb
to prevent her Costive habit –- But
last night after very severe Sick¬
ness the pain in the stomach and
back was relieved and she had
several very thin stools about 5 or
6 since bed time till 12 oClock (13)
this day –– She was in hopes that
this would have releived her Cramps
but tho' she had a better nights
rest than the former yet the pains
arose about ↑12 or↑ one oClock –– ↑about 2 Clock↑ She
got an Injection of warm water
and 70 drops Laudanum, which in a
short time releived the pains of the
stomach & which have kept not yet returned
but it had no Effect whatever in pre¬

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venting the sickness & throwing
up both her Breakfast of
Breadberry, and dinner of a
broiled bit of mutton ––

During all the Course of this recent
Complaint and indeed ever since
the time she was blooded in End
of December last her pulse has been
very moderate and rather low
& languid than otherwise ––
–– The Reaching has probably occa¬
sioned her Courses still to remain
since this day week being longer
than ordinary –– but they are very
moderate –– She has some Hysterick
symptoms, as the ball in the throat
and a disposition once to cry a
little –– But has nothing like to
Hysterick fits

Such being the state of the Case
It is requested to know what are
the Best Remedies to apply for the
Removal and prevention of these
[Start of margin text]Complaints[End of margin text] and what Regimen &ca should
be followed –– Lady D drinks no
wine it Has never agreed with her
since she had the beginning of this
stomatic Complaint about 5 years
ago –– She Generally drinks half a
wine Glass of Geneva filled up
with water twice a day. –– If these
Complaints are influenced by her time of
Life Consideration will be had to that
Circumstance and suitable directions given

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✍
Lady Dumfries
April 1784
V. XVI. p. 18.