CASES.

MR. THOMAS WHITE, Merchant. This gentleman was about forty years old when he became my patient; about eight years before, he was attacked, for the firſt time, with the Gout; he had ſeveral fits in the following years; for two or three years paſt the fits were very violent, and uſually continued from ſix weeks to two months, ſometimes three months, before he was able to walk abroad. Eight months before I ſaw him he was taken with an intermitting fever: in that diſorder he complained of a pain in the right ſide, which grew more troubleſome at times afterwards. The next fit of the gout came on with its uſual vio⯑lence, and the pain in his right ſide returned with it. In the nights his pains became ſo violent, as not only to deprive him of ſleep, but almoſt of his ſenſes. The diſorder had continued about three days before the medi⯑cines were given, and in ten days after the firſt doſe he walked to the coffee houſe; no⯑thing but a ſlight tenderneſs in the ſoles of his feet remaining, which alſo ſoon went off: and what is remarkable, he never felt any thing of the pain in his ſide ſince. He con⯑tinued perfectly ſtrong, hearty, and active for four years, without refraining from thoſe in⯑dulgencies which a hoſpitable, ſocial, and [13]friendly diſpoſition led him into. He then underwent ſuch another fit as the above, and from that time he has alſo enjoyed the ſame firm ſtate of health as before.

Mr. LEASHELEAR, being attacked with pains in the feet, reſembling the firſt fits of the Gout, ſent for a doctor, who gave him the volatile tincture of Guaicum, and appli⯑ed pultices to his feet, which repelled the diſorder into his breaſt, neck, and head, with ſuch violence, that he was thought to be ex⯑piring. The medicines I adminiſtred relieved him in two days; but in croſſing a wide ferry before he had recovered his ſtrength, he caught cold and had a relapſe, which, how⯑ever, was carried off in two or three days by the ſame medicines, and he has from that time continued perfectly well, active, and ſtrong.

JAMES LOWEY, aged about 70 years, had been bedridden, at times, for ſeveral months with the Hip Gout. He had tried many practitioners, and taken various medicines, but could get no relief. His thigh and leg were diminiſhed. Notwithſtanding theſe diſcouraging circumſtances, I adminiſtred things to him, and in proceſs of time the thigh and leg recovered their ſize and ſtrength, and he came to walk as well as ever.

Capt. SAMUEL BAYARD, aged 60, about 23 years ago was attacked with the Gout, and from that time, till he applied to me, commonly had a fit once a year, or there⯑abouts. During the fit he not only had vio⯑lent pains in all his limbs, but in his ſtomach and bowels. The fits ſeldom went off in leſs than ſix weeks, but in general they con⯑tinued much longer, as two or three months. He always lived high and free. From the very firſt fit his feet and hands never recovered their natural feeling, but were dry, hard, and ſcaly, with great heat in them; and this, as well in the intervals between the fits, as in the fit itſelf. His knees and ancles at laſt were enlarged, his feet and toes always ſwelled, and all thoſe joints were ſo weak and ſtiff that he could ſcarce move them; walking, as he ex⯑preſſed it, as if he had no joints, or as if his legs and feet were made of wood. His wriſts, hands, and fingers, were not quite ſo bad, though in a ſimilar condition, his fingers particularly being ſo ſtiff that he could not by any means extend them out ſtrait, nor bend them without difficulty: all this while he was much troubled with the gravel, and paſſed ſeveral ſmall ſtones. When he appli⯑ed to me in January, 1760, he was in the height of a fit: the firſt night I did nothing, the ſecond I gave him ſome medicines, the day following he was free of pain, and in a few days more began to walk about the [15]room. By continuing the medicines a fort⯑night, his feet and hands began to regain their natural feeling, the hardneſs, heat, and dryneſs going off; and in about ſix weeks or two months his limbs and joints became ſo pliant, that he walked with as much eaſe as before he had the Gout. He went on, however, taking the medicines for ſeveral weeks longer. Since that time he has felt ſo little of the Gravel, that, as he ſays, it was not worth notice. Two years after this courſe for the Gout he had a ſlight touch of the Gravel, and being coſtive, took an opening medicine when he went to bed, and drank ſome warm whey after it: but con⯑trary to my directions, to take it upon an empty ſtomach, he made a very hearty ſup⯑per, which, with the medicine and the whey diſagreeing with his ſtomach and bow⯑els, occaſioned it to work ſooner than was intended: he fell into a ſweat, and the me⯑dicine beginning to operate downwards, he very imprudently got up, with the ſweat upon him, and went to a neceſſary in the yard. The night was very cold and wet; he was ſuddenly ſtruck with a Palſy of all the left ſide of his body; for five of ſix days he had violent pains in that ſide, but none in the other: the whole ſide gradually wither⯑ed, and became emaciated. He was con⯑fined to his bed for ſome weeks; the wither⯑ed parts at laſt began to recover their plump⯑neſs [16]and ſtrength, and, with my beſt endeavours, it was about three months before he regained his ſtrength, and walked with his uſual firm⯑neſs. From that time to the preſent he has enjoyed perfect health and the free uſe of his limbs. He is now as well as any man of his years. His hands have their natural feeling, his feet perſpire freely, his joints are of their natural ſize, he has had no pain in his ſto⯑mach or bowels, his appetite is good, and he ſleeps well. He has had nothing of the Gou [...] ſince I firſt took him in hand till within theſe ſix months, that he once or twice felt ſlight twichings in his feet, but they went off di⯑rectly with a copious perſpiration on the parts.

I SAMUEL BAYARD, now in London, hav⯑ing read the above account, declare it to be true in every particular, and am ready, if re⯑quired, to atteſt the ſame; and that ſeveral other Gouty perſons, whom I am well ac⯑quainted with, have received great benefi [...] from Mr. Flower.

Mr. GOMEZ, Merchant, near 60 years of age, but much more in conſtitution, ha [...] been ſubject to the Gout for 30 years: fo [...] many of the laſt years he neither had a com⯑pleat fit, nor was ever entirely free of pain his legs feet and ancles were greatly enlarg⯑ed, and ſo weak that he could ſcarce wal [...] or ſtand. He was very deſirous of trying theſe remedies; and though it was repreſent⯑ed [17]to him that his diſorder was too much riveted to admit of a cure, or of much relief, he inſiſted upon taking them. He did ſo for about four weeks: in that time his legs were ſomewhat reduced, and the motion of his joints became eaſier and freer, but theſe al⯑terations were of ſhort continuance; for in two or three months his joints and legs re⯑lapſed nearly into their old ſtate. It is to be obſerved, that the medicines brought his irre⯑gular pains to a regular though ſlight fit, which was ſoon relieved: after this he had much leſs pain, and enjoyed much better health.

Mrs. K. aged 49. This lady for ſome years had been afflicted with a Rheumatiſm in her limbs and back, attended with hyſteri⯑cal complaints, as they were called. In three weeks ſhe was freed of all her com⯑plaints, and ſince that time has grown fat, hearty and ſtrong.

WILLIAM POST, though but 26 years of age, has had ſeveral very ſevere fits of the Gout, and between them was much troubled with what were called Rheumatic pains. He was perfectly cured of a Fit of the Gout in eight or ten days, and is now in a better ſtate of health than he has been in from the firſt attack, hav⯑ing [18]felt nothing of the Gout or Rheumatiſm ever ſince.

Mrs. ROSEVELT, aged 54, had been trou⯑bled many years with violent Rheumatic and Hyſteric complaints: her hands and fingers were greatly deprived of their motion, and the joints of the fingers were conſiderably en⯑larged and contracted; ſeveral of the faculty had attempted to relieve her. She had alſo tried a variety of things recommended by her acquaintances; from ſome of which ſhe re⯑ceived a little temporary relief. After a courſe of theſe medicines her pains became eaſier, and ſhe acquired the uſe of her hands and fingers, the ſwellings that were upon them being ſoftened and diminiſhed.

Captain HICKEY, aged about 38. This gentleman for ſeveral years had been afflict⯑ed, at leaſt once a year, with a violent fit of the Gout. Latterly it ſeized his arms, hands and knees as well as feet. Theſe fits not on⯑ly confined him to his bed or room for two months or more, but even after the fit was gone off he was liable to have ſhort but pain⯑ful returns of the diſorder upon catching the leaſt cold. He was cured of the fit in leſs than half of the time it uſually took to go off, and has not felt any thing like the returns of it, [19]which formerly happened upon being expo⯑ſed to the cold.

Captain PAVEY, aged about 50, had been ſubject to the Gout about 18 years. While he was in a frontier garriſon, in 1759, he was ſeized with a violent return of the diſorder in his hands, knees and feet, and from the badneſs of the accommodations at that place ſuffered greatly. The diſorder, in⯑ſtead of going off in about ſix or eight weeks, as uſual, confined him almoſt entirely for four months to his bed; and though his pains by that time became leſs violent and conſtant, they ſtill continued to afflict him. His an⯑cles, feet and toes became thicker, and grew ſo weak and ſtiff that he could not walk with⯑out great uneaſineſs and difficulty. In this condition he was brought to town in 1761. He took the medicines, and lived very regu⯑larly for about four weeks, and received ſo much benefit from them, that, being able to walk or go abroad with greater eaſe and fa⯑cility, he met with too many temptations not to be guilty of ſome intemperance: but not⯑withſtanding theſe irregularities, and repeat⯑ed neglects in taking his medicines, in about two months, from the time he began to take them, he got almoſt rid of the frequent pains he had been troubled with ſince the laſt fit; his ancles, &c. became leſs, the joints grew [20]ſtronger and more ſupple, and he might now have walked with firmneſs and eaſe on any ground, but for a pointed hardneſs or corn⯑like ſubſtance on the ball of the great toe, that gave him pain whenever, in walking the ſtreets, he happened to tread on a round ſtone. In May following he went to ſea, and was 28 days on his paſſage to Briſtol; during the voyage he was very well, hearty and lived free. A few weeks after his arrival in England he had a ſlight fit of the Gout, the pains were but trifling, and in three days, his feet hav⯑ing ſweat plentifully, the diſorder went en⯑tirely off. He continued after that perfectly well, and felt no inconveniency or pain but what the induration occaſioned when he hap⯑pened to tread directly upon it: he found him⯑ſelf indeed ſo well and hearty, that he thought of procuring a commiſſion again in the army, which he had quitted on account of being rendered unfit for ſervice by this diſorder.

I am far from thinking this gentleman is cured of the Gout, but I am perſuaded, that if he had behaved with more regularity the time he was taking the medicines, he would have re⯑ceived relief ſooner, and continued a longer time free from a return of the diſorder.

Captain VALENTINE, aged about 50. This gentleman had always indulged too much in ſocial pleaſures to eſcape the Gout: [21]for ſeveral years he had been very much ſub⯑ject to it: the attacks of it were ſometimes regular and of a longer or ſhorter duration: the laſt fit happened when he commanded a Privateer, and was on a cruiſe at ſea: his arms, wriſts, fingers, knees, ancles, feet and toes were cruelly afflicted: he was confined on ſhip board to his bed about three or four months, and was afterwards grievouſly trou⯑bled with pains in all the above mentioned parts. Thoſe joints were all ſwelled, and ſo ſtiff and weak, that he could not write, and he fed himſelf and walked with great diffi⯑culty. In this condition he had been ſeveral months when he ſent to me. He took the medicines with ſome interruption about four months, and by that time regained, in a great meaſure, the uſe of his limbs, and got quit of his pains; the thickneſs of ſome of his joints went off, in others it was much re⯑duced: he got a good appetite, a good heal⯑thy complexion, ſlept well, and walked with eaſe and firmneſs. This happened in 1761: ſince that time he has had a fit or two, which went off in two or three days, without any aſſiſtance from medicine.

Mr. WILLIAM DARLINGTON, Wine Merchant, aged 45 years, had been ſeverely afflicted with the Gout, once or twice a year, for 15 years. For two or three years paſt [22]his legs were frequently ſwelled, and his an⯑cles and upper part of the feet, for the moſt part of that time, were much enlarged and weaker than formerly. One leg was much more ſwelled than the other, and had ſeveral Scorbutic Ulcers upon it. The former fits of the Gout uſually laſted eight or ten weeks. He had laboured under the preſent attack about four days when I was called to him, and from the violence of the ſymptoms ima⯑gined it would continue the uſual time: he took the medicines regularly; the pains were carried off in 24 hours; the thickneſs and ſwellings of his leg, ancles and feet, which had laſted ſo long, diminiſhed gradually; his appetite, ſtrength and ſpirits returned; and he was able to walk about the houſe in 10 days: his feet continued tender, though free of pain, for a few days longer: but at the end of the fortnight he put on a pair of ſmal⯑ler ſhoes than he had wore for ſome years, and went abroad about his buſineſs. He has con⯑tinued active, ſtrong and hearty, without any illneſs whatever, or the leaſt return either of his Gouty or Scorbutic complaints, though it is now above five years ſince he applied to me. He is much accuſtomed to ſtamp his feet with all his force, to ſhew how ſtrong and free of diſorders they are.

JOHN DUNSCOMB, Wine Merchant, 52 years of age, almoſt every ſpring and fall for [23]near 20 years had been tormented with the Gout: he ſeldom got the better of a fit in leſs than two months, and they frequently continu⯑ed longer. In the winter, 1760, he was taken with a return of the diſorder in his hands, knees, and feet, attended with violent pains in his ſtomach, bowels, hips, &c. The fourth day from the beginning of the fit his breath was much oppreſſed, his knees, legs, and feet vaſtly ſwelled, and ſo much diſco⯑loured, that it was apprehended, by a gentle⯑man of the faculty who ſaw him in the afternoon, that a mortification would come on before the next morning. In the evening he became delirious at times; in one of the intervals of ſenſe he ſent for me; I did for him what I thought proper; in a few hours afterwards his pains became eaſier; he paſſed a good night; the next morning the ſwel⯑ling of the knees, legs, and feet, was great⯑ly abated, and they had regained their natural colour; he felt no pain, except a very little in an old ſcar on one knee, was lively and full of ſpirits, without thirſt, and had a good appetite: in 10 days more he was perfectly well, a tenderneſs only remaining in his feet for ſome days longer. He has had lately a ſlight attack, that was too inconſiderable to deſerve notice, going off in a day or two of itſelf; and when I left him in New York laſt January he was hearty and ſtrong.

Mrs. ZURACHER, aged 32, having taken cold in lying-in, was ſeized with pains in all her joints, that fixed at laſt in her left knee, which ſwelled greatly, and became exceſſive hard and painful. It had been in this ſitu⯑ation between two and three months when I was called, and was daily growing worſe in ſpite of the internal and external medi⯑cines ſhe uſed: but in a week after ſhe was able to walk about, and at the end of the fortnight was quite well.

Mr. TROOP, Merchant. This gentleman, between 40 and 50 years of age, had been confined to his chamber in the winter for above ſix weeks, with a violent Rheumatiſm affecting moſt of his limbs. In the ſum⯑mer following he came to town and caught cold, which brought on a return of his diſ⯑order: the pain affected every limb, and al⯑moſt every joint: his ſervants were obliged to put him to bed and take him up, being unable to help himſelf. Notwithſtanding the advantage of the ſeaſon, he apprehended, from the violence of the diſeaſe, that it would continue ſome weeks. When I ſaw him he had been ill but two or three days. I gave him ſome medicines in the evening, the next morning his pains were gone, the limbs were ſupple and eaſy, he got up with⯑out aſſiſtance, and in the afternoon went, in [25]a carriage, a dozen miles to his country ſeat, and I never heard that he had the leaſt re⯑turn of it, though it is now above four years ago.

I inſert the following caſe becauſe I think it ſingular; and as I have mentioned the Indian Antiſpaſmodic root, I ſhall add an inſtance or two of its effects.

JOHN ABEL, about 40 years of age. This man had been ſubject to the Epilepſy or Falling-Sickneſs for many years: the fits had latterly become more frequent than before: inſtead of attacking him once in ten days or a fortnight, they came on almoſt every day, and ſometimes he had two or three fits in a day. The moſt remarkable thing in this caſe, and for which I relate it, was a ſenſa⯑tion of intenſe coldneſs he complained of in his ſtomach: he deſcribed it to be like a piece in his ſtomach of the ſize of a dollar or greater, that was like ſo much ice. He took many things to warm his ſtomach, but the ſtrongeſt ſpirits and the warmeſt medi⯑cines he could ſwallow gave him no relief. He had taken bark, Valerian, Steel, and other things, without benefit. Within a week from the time I began with him he got rid of the coldneſs in his ſtomach, and his fits ſtopt. I went on giving him medicines, and the fits did not return for three months; and [26]in all probability he would have been com⯑pletely cured, if he had not thought himſelf well, and upon the ſtrength of that laid a⯑ſide all reſtraint, and made too free with his conſtitution. The diſorder then returned and gradually became worſe; but before it had got to the former height he applied to a foreign practitioner, and died, as I was in⯑formed, of an apoplexy.

Mrs. B. a gentlewoman about 40 years old, had a numbneſs in one leg; had been long troubled with Dropſical ſwellings of the legs, and afflicted with various nervous complaints to a terrible degree. I gave her an infuſion of the root I mentioned before; it promoted the diſcharge by urine, expelled vaſt quantities of wind, procured a good ap⯑petite, ſweet refreſhing ſleep, and reſtored her to perfect health as a perſon now in Lon⯑don can teſtify.

Mrs. PELHAM, about forty years old, for a dozen years, and more, was afflicted with many nervous complaints, and many diſ⯑orders in conſequence of them: wind and ſwellings of the ſtomach and bowels, indi⯑geſtion, coſtiveneſs, lowneſs of ſpirits, pains in the head, giddineſs, univerſal languor and debility, pains in the breaſt, obſtructions in the monthly evacuations, little urine, riſing in the throat, cough, ſwelled legs, &c. In [27]this long courſe of years ſhe tried many doc⯑tors, and many medicines, that were recom⯑mended to her; but nothing gave her any more than momentary relief, except the In⯑dian root; which, in a few weeks, removed all her complaints, and reſtored her to perfect health and ſtrength.

I could relate many inſtances of perſons who were reſcued from deſtruction by theſe medicines, when the Gout, after deſtroying the joints, and going through the tragical ſcene deſcribed by Sydenham, had, at laſt, brought on moſt dangerous ſymptoms, by invading the noble parts, as the head, ſto⯑mach, bowels, lungs, &c. The foregoing hiſtories, however, ſufficiently prove their great efficacy in the moſt ſtubborn caſes; and therefore, inſtead of ſwelling this little tract with ſuperfluous inſtances of the like nature, I ſhall throw together a few looſe obſervations that may be of real uſe.

The Gout, it is well known, oftentimes puts on the appearance of other diſeaſes: many ſuch caſes I have cured. In ſome in⯑ſtances I tried theſe medicines without any ſuſpicion of the Gout being the cauſe of the diſorder, or for any other reaſon than be⯑cauſe the medicines were ſafe, and every thing elſe had been tried in vain; and I was agreeably ſurpriſed to ſee my patients get rid of their old complaints upon falling into a fit of the Gout. I have known this happen [28]to ſeveral people who had been long afflicted with nervous and ſcorbutic diſeaſes, as they were ſuppoſed to be; ſuch as giddineſs, dim⯑neſs of ſight, noiſe in the ears, pains and ſtiffneſs in the head and in the eyes, aſthmas, pains in the breaſt, conſumptions, palſies, pains in the loins miſtaken for gravel or ſtone, oppreſſion and lowneſs of ſpirits, fluxes, obſtructions in the liver, certain female com⯑plaints, &c. all which aroſe from a Gouty cauſe, as the effects of the medicines, and the recovery of the patients, proved.

In the treatment of Gouty perſons I do not confine myſelf to my own remedies: I take all the aſſiſtance I can from the me⯑dicines in common uſe; and, for that reaſon, I generally mix other medicines with my own, to aſſiſt or determine their operation and effects, as I think beſt, according to the conſtitution of the perſon, and the nature and ſeat of the diſorder in different patients: I alſo vary the method of proceeding as to bleeding, vomiting, ſweating, purging, &c. in different caſes, in the management and re⯑gular application of which particulars I re⯑ceived conſiderable aſſiſtance and inform⯑ation, while I was in America, from Sir James Jay, to whom I communicated my diſcoveries and improvements, in return for his candid behaviour to me. And ſince I have mentioned that gentleman's name, I muſt take the liberty to add, that he ſaw ſe⯑veral [29]of the patients whoſe caſes are related in this tract, and attended ſome of them, at the requeſt of the perſons, to aſſiſt me in the treatment of them.

I do not aſſert it as a fact, but I am in⯑clined to think that theſe medicines, after carrying off the Gouty matter that occaſions the preſent fit, prevent the return of the diſorder by rectifying thoſe particular ſe⯑cretions and excretions which are naturally deſtined to diſcharge thoſe morbid particles that, when they are retained in the body, and collected in ſufficient quantity, bring on the fit: and what particularly makes me think ſo is, that many people who are liable to the Gout feel ſlight pains whenever the perſpi⯑ration in the feet is obſtructed; that many people who have been troubled for years to⯑gether with conſtant heat, drineſs, and fre⯑quent ſharp pains in the feet, were perfectly cured when their feet were brought to per⯑ſpire freely and naturally by the uſe of theſe medicines: and further, as far as I have been able to obſerve, thoſe perſons are moſt ſeverely afflicted with the Gout who have the leaſt perſpiration in the feet.

The affinity between the nature of the Gout and Stone is well known; but I don't know that any one has taken notice that there is an affinity alſo in their cure. It has indeed, I think, been thought that ſome things which were ſuppoſed to have given [30]relief in the Gout, increaſed the calculous complaints the patients were troubled with. If this be true, it amounts to no more than what I have ſaid before, that thoſe Gout medicines did not cure, but ſuppreſſed the diſorder, and inſtead of expelling the Gouty matter, only diverted the natural courſe of it. But I have had the pleaſure to obſerve, that ſome patients of mine, who were af⯑flicted with both theſe cruel diſeaſes, have met with relief for the Stone while I was treating them for the Gout alone. I ſhall ſay no more of the Stone at preſent, but de⯑fer the account of the experiments I made with various ſolvents, and of their effects on the body, till another opportunity.

I ſelected the preceding caſes for publi⯑lication becauſe they are all of long ſtanding, and therefore the fitteſt to determine the merit of my diſcoveries and improvements; moſt of them happened above five years, none leſs than four years ago. Inſtances of a later date would be inconcluſive; we could not depend on the continuance of the good ef⯑fects of the medicines, nor could we be cer⯑tain that bad conſequences would not enſue: but in theſe caſes both thoſe points are ſuffi⯑ciently determined. Theſe caſes are ſome of the moſt favourable, as well as unfavour⯑able, that occurred. I could relate ſome others of a more ſtriking nature, which I ſuppreſs, that I might not give uneaſineſs, or [31]ſeem to reflect on any perſon. I hope the public will excuſe the inaccuracies of ſtile, &c. in this little performance, for I have beſtowed more time and pains in ſearching into the works of nature, the powers of na⯑tural bodies, the productions of chemiſtry, and their effects on the human frame in va⯑rious diſeaſes, than in ſtudying the beauties of language.

N. B. Captain BAYARD, whoſe caſe has been related, may be ſeen at the NEW YORK Coffee-Houſe in Sweetings-Alley, Cornhill, every day, about Change hours.