_Charlotte Blondel_ (the only Daughter of a Merchant in _Paris_,) a girl
of about Eleven Years of Age, and of a delicate Constitution, being
troubled with Worms, Mercurial Cakes were prescribed to her; and
although she had been purged, now and then, during the Course of this
Remedy, a Salivation came on. Soon after her Head swelled, and her Sight
was altered in such a Manner that she could hardly distinguish any
Object.
In order to conquer Salivation, purging was repeated every Day. It
indeed soon diminished; so likewise did the Swelling of the Head: The
Sight also was somewhat better. By following the Use of the same
Laxative, every Symptom at last disappeared, except the Alteration of
Vision; for she could only see Objects at a Distance.
The Parents, uneasy on their Daughter’s Account, applied to a famous
Oculist, who declined undertaking the Cure.
Afterwards Application was made to a Fryar, of some Repute for curing
Diseases of the Eyes. He gave it as his Advice, that the Patient was
afflicted with a _Gutta Serena_, and attended her for Seven Months
together, prescribing at first sudorific Drinkings, and at last ammoniac
Suffumigations, which produced no other Effect but to inflame the Eyes.
The Patient was already given over, when I undertook her Cure. As I was
not unversed in Optics, and had seen several People affected in the same
Manner, I soon was made sensible her Case had not been understood.
Considering the Swelling of the ocular Muscles as the true Cause of this
Disease, I was convinced that the only Remedies to be employed at first
were Laxatives and Emollients. Accordingly, having fixed upon a cooling
Diet, I prescribed two Drachms of Cassia to be taken fasting every
Morning, for three Weeks together, and Infusion of Marsh-mallows for her
Diet-drink. Seeing that the Patient had a Disgust to this Infusion, Whey
was substituted to it.
My Patient received no Change in her Vision for Fourteen Nights, but
afterwards found a little Benefit. In order to ascertain it in Future,
I framed a Scale, whereon I marked the nearest Distance she could tell
the Hour by a Watch. The Distance was Eight-and-Twenty Inches.
Judging the Use of Cassia had been continued long enough, I advised
Marsh-mallows Suffumigations to be taken twice a Day, and a soft Pultis
of the _Quatre Farines_ to be applied to her Temples. These were used
for a whole Month, at the latter End of which the Scale was reduced to
Twenty-two Inches; that is, the Patient could tell the Hour by the same
Watch at Twenty-two Inches Distance.
As her Humours appeared well diluted, in order to remove the Obstruction
of the ocular Muscles, and promote the reducing of their Bulk, I desired
to have some Sparks drawn from the Canthi of her Eyes, but was opposed
by her Mother, who having imbibed a strong Prejudice against such
Remedy, never would consent to it. Here I took Leave of my Patient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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