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The honourable mention you have
been pleased to make of me in your advice to M.r Buchanan
affects me in the most delicate manner. I do not know
whether I ought to be silent upon the occasion, or not.
I feel my pride exalted; nor do I feel the confession I am
forced in justice to make, can, take from it in the least:
= on the contrary it must surely add to it.

I therefore beg leave to declare
that every approved Idea, in my opinions and advices
to M.r Buchanan, were all your own: -- I had read
you Sir, long before I saw you - and it was to hear
you Sir - that induced me to take a voyage, even
from the South; for, if perusing your Lectures (though
with all the inaccuracies that unavoidably must attend
the nicest observer who takes notes, and which were sent
to me abroad) coud charm me, what satisfaction might
I not expect by attending the Professor in person?

I wished

Not a few of your opinions have
also gone through my hands, from time to time, in differ¬
ent parts of the world; many of them, on Consumptive
cases, I might indeed have said most of them.

As I cou'd not behold the amazing
number if my Countrymen flying abroad for health
without some reflection; I found upon enquiring that their
number encreased every year, keeping pace indeed
with our Register of diseases at home, from whence it
seems to me that disorders of the Breast have really
become Endemial with the inhabitants of Great Britain
and Ireland. To trace the primary cause is reser¬
ved for such a pen as yours - and as consequences
are deduced from premises, the proximate causes come
in course to be considerd.

That complaints of this kind are
allowed to be Hereditary - is not I believe denied by
any - but that they are always so, none I imagine will
be hardy enough to affirm: - daily may we see young
people dying consumptive - whilst the Parents live

Having paid more than ordinary
attention to Consumptive patients - I found very many
of them dating their complaints, from slight cold caught
by wetting their feet, - drinking cold liquor when the
body was heated, - cough not attended to; - but I found
a still greater number - where I suspected the cause to
arise from too early and excessive venery, and a too free
use of Wine & Strong Liquors; - which may in some mea¬
sure account why Men are more obnoxious to these
complaints than Women.

There is only one other observation
I have now to make - which is - that 9 out of 14 who came
under my notice within there 2 years past, I found
they had been Inoculated for the Small pox

As it is facts alone that I have now
humbly submitted, I shall not here presume to draw
any conclusions; I will nevertheless continue my enqui¬
ries at every opportunity: and, it is on your known
candour and goodness that I now throw myself, in
hopes of pardon for this present intrusion.

Be assured, that I shall ever