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About five weeks ago Doctor
Sutherland of Innerkeithing who attended me went
to Edinburgh - said his stay there would be
ten or twelve days, and as he would have
occasion to see you, he promised to inform you
of some considerable alterations in the state of
my health which had happened immediately on
the back of my being with you, and to write
me what you said on the Subject --- I have
never yet heard from him however and within
these few days am informed he had gone to
England on some plan of his own --- I must
therefore give you the trouble of this, in which
I shall state my case as well as I can in my
own way.

I think I had overextended myself in Walking
at Edinburgh -- or had got some cold in the Boat
when I came over, it being a moist kind of
day, and I was obliged to keep on Deck the

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Cabin being very ill smelled -- However this be,
I was just two days at home, when I was
seized with a very violent fever. --- When I was
rising out of my bed in the morning I found
myself [have?] a very great inclination to vomit
which caused me make several violent efforts
for that purpose but I brought up nothing only
I felt these efforts hurt and strain my breast
much -- I ran back to bed and lay down,
and as my Goatwhey was at hand, I drank
it off as usual, but without hopes that it
might perhaps cause me vomit, but it had
not that effect -- all that and next day I had
no stomach for food, I drank milk & water
and sometimes whey, I sweated exceedingly and
became very weak -- I felt my Lungs hurt &
was obliged to breath very quickly - my pulse
was high and intermitted frequently while I
felt a sort of palpitation in the left side of my
breast and a sort of difficulty in the beating of
my Heart which occasioned the pulse
to intermitt --- Dr Sutherland was with me, but
prescribed nothing --- The Third day the fever
being abated I sat up and took some food

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and by the fifth day I got on Horseback for half
an hour or so -- Every day since, when the weather
permitted, I have been on Horse back, for a while,
only once a day, and soon after, twice every day
and I am convinced I should have been a stout man
by this time if I had not had the violent effects of
this last illness to combat with -- The most troublesome
symptoms about me at present, which by the bye took
place instantly on the back of the fever, are some small
degree of swelling at the Ankles, my thighs swell every
day from a little above the knee more than half way up
my back from where the band of my Breeches goes
round upwards till opposite to ↑the↑ breast also swells
considerably -- these fall every night before morning
and on the whole do not swell to that large degree
through the day time as they did at first -- My
Belly seems constantly hoved up with wind
and increases in [bulk?] after dinner - it makes
me very uneasy and I think occasions me to breath
much quicker than I did before this fever, in
which respect however I am getting better and
begin to breath more deliberately --- My Cough
increased much after the fever, & was more bound
but upon my sticking close to the Regimen you
prescribed it is growing better by much -- In short I
flatter allow myself I shall soon have little Coughing
at all --- my Pulse is much the same as when you saw
me -- my Belly regular having a stool once in 24 hours
I have no thirst -- Any Water is in small quantities
and it is ↑{illeg}↑ high colour'd, sometimes (frequently) droping a

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white thick Sediment --- I found when the Pills
were taken two at night & two in the Morning they had
not the effect wanted, I therefore take three at
Night only, which makes me pass much wind &
my Belly is always considerably eased by Morning.

I thought the Strengthening drops when taken
at seven at night have not the operation of the Pills
and I therefore only take them twice before noon.

I gave up the Goats whey some weeks ago
and in its stead I drink about a Mulchkine
of Mares Milk every morning after which
I am hungry for a Bowl of Porrige & milk
as can be. The Whey I imagin'd was rather
making me lose stomach --- The Tumors are
still going back.

Now is there any thing I should take for
these swellings of the back, thighs & Ankles ↑and particularly for the Belly↑ or must
I just go on with my exercise on Horseback and
the Regimen, and wait till a little more Strength
drive them away --- When the weather allows I
never weary riding I am not fatigued with it, But
I cannot walk a hundred yards for the quickness
of breathing which is always occasioned by motion of the body.

Is Gooseberry Tarts good for me as we have none
ripe yet - I am respectfully