A full examination ... of ... Mrs. Stephens's cures, and medicine for the stone and gravel : In two parts I. Containing nine of the principal cases, first published by D. Hartley, now here stated in a very different manner ... The second part contains Mrs. Stephens's receipt, with ... observations ... thereon / [By Denis de Coetlogon].

Date:
1740
    felf greatly better: he, neverthelefs, in November laft, 1737, again fell very ill; but then it was al- ledged, that he had not io duly, or had home time neglrdted the taking her Medicines. Upon this Pretence, I then, or on his Recovery, afked him. Whether he had not, during fuch time, alter¬ ed his Method of Living, or to have been a lit¬ tle more free in that ? Which he frankly owned me he had ; and thus it plainly proved to me, that his Indifpofition, in a great meafure, depended on the Irregularity of his Living, as has been ob- ferved, N, B. This Patient is (till troubled with the fame Malady, proport ionably to the Irregularities of his manner of Living. II. I fhal! here alfo obferve, that I fpoke on the like Occafion with the Honourable Mr. Carter et^ whole Gale may be as publifhed by D. Hartley. Yet this I think may not be improper alfo to be added, according to that he related to me, viz. of his Abftinence (fince taking the faid Remedy) from all fait Meats as above; and tho’ always moderate in Wine, yet fince the taking Mrs. Stephens’s Medi¬ cines, 0 rinks not above half his ufual Quantity of Cla¬ ret at dinner, and full as little if any at/upper \ where¬ as he uied formerly to drink his Pint or fo at each Meal: he now alio allow’d himfelf more frequent Draughts of fmall Beer, which he uled not before. This, with the Ufe of a Pint and a half of Water her Medicine is mix’d in, for a daily Addition, muft lurely make a great Alteration in the alimentary T¥ay, and muft accordingly, of itfelf, prove to be a much more diluent Method than formerly; and confequently he might find himfelf better had he even taken no fuch Medicines, tho’ allowed alfo to be ufeful, as other proper Medicines likewife might have
    have been, efpecially if continued fo long as thefe were, to wit, off and on, now. at lead two Years ; and for ought I know (till was in Continuance thereof to the lad. But in fine, dying about a Month ago, on opening him there were dill two Stones found in his Bladder, bigas final 1 Chefnuts, though probably about three Years he had ufed this Medicine. But then the Anfwer fird was, that he did not continue it regularly, or had not perhaps taken it for a Year. Yet on fecond Confideration, the AJpft ants to this good Woman, or her Confe¬ derates, next obfirv’d, they faw’d the Stones in two, and thereby demondrated to the Learned in Poli¬ ticks, that her Medicine had had mod extraordi¬ nary Efiedls towards wading them, not perceptible before, and might confequently have diffolved the whole, had not the Patient thus unluckily made his final Exit before this great Cure was duly per¬ formed. Ilf. Thus then it may not be improper to obferve on what has been already faid, that Mr. Snaps the Turner in Panton-ftreet, (a Cafe alfo publifh’d) drank large Quantities of Decoblions of Herbs, as Mallows, &c. at his fird letting out, before the Lie of her Medicine, as well as the ufing of confi- derable Quantities of Oyl and Rum, which did ac¬ cordingly bring away very large Quantities of Gra- vel and Stones, of the latter, at lead, thirty f,mall ones: at the fame time often ufing likewife the Le¬ nitive Eledtuary ; which Lenitive he every now and then continues to ufe even fince the taking of her Medicines, propofing dill to go on with it at pro¬ per times. And tho* he is now ealy and free from voiding of Stones, yet ftill continues to void a glai¬ ry Size with his Urine, the common Humour at¬ tending or producing Stone and Gravel. *Tis true he takes notice, that for all the Stones he voided B 2 before
    before the taking of her Medicines, to wit, the Bolus’s and Powders% ye: he found himfelf no way relieved of his Pain ; but then it is alfo as obfer- vahle, that tor the (pace of at lead fix Months time, during the taking of her Paid Bolus’s and Powders, he found himfelf no better neither; until the drinking of her Boti e of IVater each day, with the Soap diflolvcd therein : after the Continuance of which for fome fiiort time, he then begun to find himfelf better, and fo mended daily. Now from whet has been laid, it feems pretty evident, that Stones and Gravel were brought away from him moft plentifully before the taking of any of her Medicines, that is, as has been laid, by the foie Ufe of the Mallow Drink, Oil and Rum. So that had this been continued as long as her Medicines were, it feems, beyond all Conrroverfy, he would have found himfelf as well, if not fooner. Nor need it feem ft range, that he did not find himfelf as yet re¬ lieved on his voiding the faid firft Stones, fince there were many ft ill behind, which occafioned inch remaining Pain and Uneafinefs; yet when the whole was brought away, fuch Diforder muff con- fequently ceafe, whether fo brought away by one, or t’other. He alfo freely owned to me, that the life of her Medicines much cloy’d or pal'dd bis Sto¬ mach (as 1 obferv’d,) and the lame was alfo con¬ firm’d to me by fever al others who took it, (though It may not do fo with all, or to have the like Ef¬ fect;) yet this was abfolutely denied by D. Hartley when I mention’d it to him, its ever doing fo. Mr. Snape was laftly taken ill (on a Sunday) of a violent Pain towards the Neck of his Bladder, (fup- pofed to be from a Stone there,) upon which the Apothecary being called, he adminiftered a Gly- fter or two, which had a good Effect, fince the Pa¬ tient thereupon found himfelf much eafier. How¬ ever he made no Urine, and ftill continuing indif- pofed,
    pofed, D. Hartley attended him, together with Dr. Shaw *? they thought fit, it feems, to advife and order him to take Mrs. Stephens's Medicines, and fhe being accordingly call’d upon for her Afliftance, did make him up her Medicines, ’tis raid, more ftrong than ufual ; of which they gave him fo much, that he could take no more *, and fo refufed the farther Ufe thereof the former proving no wayufefui; con¬ tinuing dill to grow worfe, and voiding no Urine. Upon which Mr. Hawkins was called in, to found or relieve him, tho* that alfo was to no Purpofe or Advantage. It was next, ’tis laid, propofed to hurry him up and down in a Coach (as to Kenfing- ton,) but the Patient refus’d to comply, faying, that fuch-like violent Motion would kill him ; and to me indeed it feems to have been an odd and defpe- rate Propofal on that Occafion *, in fine, on Friday he died. In the mean time, our Practitioner goes on in like Manner. * ' IV. Dr. Hartley, after having ufed her Medicines (without at the dime time, as he fays, fo much as knowing what they are) now for about the fpace of * twelve Months, freely owns he finds himfclf no better. I cannot but fay then, that 1 very much qoefiion, that it would have been poffible to have perfuaded him to the Continuance for a twelve Month of any one Medicine or Method that could be communicated to him, even by the ableftHand of the Profeflion : What can we fay then for fuch an enthufiaftick Credulity and infatuation ? A Man of Learning! and one bred to the Profeffion ! thus to confide and abfolutely and only to depend on the hidden Nojlrum (at leaft to him) of an innocent JVoman. Alas! for Learning, and alas! for De¬ grees ; for if this be the Cafe, then this good Fe¬ male * Now near three Years, and we hear of Amendment.
    male furely deferves ’em alfo. But it would feern probable that this honeft Gentleman has not feen or known a Sufficiency oi Pralike. He drinks only a i?ery little white Wihey and daily takes her Bottle of Soap-Water with her Powders he alledges in¬ deed,, that by the Ufe thereof he brings away Gra¬ vel, and fo he would with a continued Ufe of all Diluents. But he obferves to us, that the U- line he voids, as well as that of others who take her Medicines, is greatly impregnated with certain alkaline Particles, &c. Yes truly, I allow it, and that it is the finefl or more lubtiie Parts of her alka¬ line Powder or Shells, which mixes with the Blood and is feparated with the Urine: turning to a green when mix’d with Syrup of Violets (he lo much wonders at) and from this fame Reafon alfo it fer¬ ments with Acids. Nay, it is plain, this very fub- tile Powder, fo feparated with the Urine which falls to the bottom of the Pot, together with the com¬ mon glary S;ze attending thofe Maladies, is thus pfaifter’d together, (which fhe and her Adhe¬ rents call all Sand, or the Stoned.iffiolved:) And this I do pofitively infift upon. Not but that I allow, if there is yet Sand, or Gravel, it may alfo be brought away, or mix’d therewith. Nay, I will e- ven alfo admit, that Pieces of Stones be brought away by the Ufe of proper Medicines, or that fame Stones, by accident, and indeed likewile even by the proper Means of Art and Medicines, may be crumbled, or feparated, and brought a- way in pieces •, of the Truth of which, I am well fatisfy*d. Yet I do not from thence infer, that it is therefore practicable on all manner of Stones: How¬ ever, I am neverthelefs alfo of Opinion, that there are few Patients, or none, but may be render’d to¬ lerably eafy during Life, by proper Method or Means taken (without cutting) if they b z governable. TheGentleman, indeed, upon talking with him on the