History of a case of paraplegia from injury of the spinal chord, causing inertia of the kidneys, and other anomalous symptoms / by John Home Peebles.

Date:
[1834?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of a case of paraplegia from injury of the spinal chord, causing inertia of the kidneys, and other anomalous symptoms / by John Home Peebles. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    that this man, who has been already so many years confined to bed without the power of moving, should, by superior orders, be transported to the Civil Hospital, of which I hold the place of director, and where the observations undertaken by me would be rendered more easy and more conducive to scientific purposes. This request, urged solely for the benefit of the art which I profess, is founded entirely on a knowledge of the facts which I have stated, and by your having it grant- ed, you would do an act worthy a magistrate so respectable, and so enlightened as your Excellency. Although the condition of the prisoner was not changed by this letter, nor was there greater convenience afforded thereby for observing the patient in the manner a medical inquirer would deem fit, yet it had the effect of putting a stop to the oft-repeated threat of subjecting him to the punishment of the pillory, to which he had been condemned, and from which some ill informed persons pretended to say he wished to escape under the pretext of exaggerated maladies. Having written to Sir William Money, British Consul-Gene- ral for the states of Lombardy, to procure farther information about the actual state of the patient, I received his reply, dated Venice, 24th January last. The following is an extract. When I was at Padua last month, in my way from Milan, I had an interview with Dr Montesanto, and commuuicated to him all you wished, and all the interest excited by the mar- vellous case of the poor and wretched paralytic in the infirmary of the prison at Padua. He is still alive, but has been attack- ed with fever, which it was then expected would soon end his miserable days ; but he still lives. I have since I was at Pa- dua received your letter of the 5th ult. which inclosed your's to Dr Montesanto, which I immediately forwarded to him. I spoke to him about the removal of the patient to the public hospital; but he said it could not be permitted, and that he was satisfied he was as well off in the hospital of the prison as he could be elsewhere. For myself I am thoroughly convinced that there is no deception whatever, and that deception under the circumstances in which the patient is placed is impossible. I therefore firmly believe in Dr Montesanto's statement of this wonderful case. I have received a letter from him with two copies of his pub- lication, which I embrace the first opportunity of forwarding to you. Dr Montesanto's letter alluded to is dated Padua the 12th of last January, and brings the latest intelligence of the pa- tient.