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Dr D. Leslie Concerning
For Mr. M.

The Account of this case came to hand only on Satur¬
day night last and the singularity of it made me
think it proper to deliberate upon it at leisure and
this with the many interruptions I am liable to has
delayed my Writing for a day or two.

The early appearance of the Ailment might
give suspicion of its depending upon a Scrophulous
taint but its after continuance & the circumstance
of the affection do not allow me to enter into that
opinion & I am much disposed to consider it as a
local affection & which I am Sorry to say from its
long Continuance must now be of difficult Cure. Its
having also resisted so many powerful remedies
must also give the same notion but still I would
[not] despair of its being relieved. That it may be
a local affection I think it may be very hazardous
to tamper with topical applications & I would

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chuse to try first a general remedy. There {illeg}
which I have now frequently found effectual in a
Variety of Cutaneous affections & that is the decoction
of Mezereon made with two drams of the Bark
of the root to a bottle of Decoction and this to be
drank every day in the course of the 24 hours
I need not tell you that it is the Bark of the root
only that is to be employed as the woody part is quite
insipid & even care must be taken that the Bark
has not been so long kept as to have lost its Acrimo¬
ny. To make a proper trial of this medicine it
must be taken daily for a Month together & there
is I think a choice of the time of year when this
month is to be employed. If the exulcerations have
commonly appeared early in Winter Mr. M.
may enter immediately upon our Medicine but
as I apprehend that the Ailment is ready to be
most troublesome in the months of January &
February I would in that case Advise the decoc¬

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tion to be delayed till the beginning of January.
It has been common to join some Sarsaparilla with
the Mezereon & I have sometimes joined half an Ounce
of the Rasping of common fir wood of the red, that is
of the most Resinous kind but I dare not say
that either are of much consequence. During the
use of the Mezereon I think it is necessary to keep
the Belly open at least to avoid costiveness. A mo¬
derate dose of Soluble Tartar in a large draft of
new drawn Cow milk Whey is the medicine I prefer.
I think it very necessary that with the use of the
Mezereon Mr. Ms. living should not be very full
he should abstain entirely from all kinds of fish,
that he should eat Meat but once a day & even
then moderately filling up his Meal with Broth
Pudding & Vegetables. In Drinking Small beer
is [more] proper than water. Any approach to
excess in strong drink would certainly be very
hurtful but a few glasses of wine are very Allow¬

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able. Porter or Strong Beer are hardly admissible.
For the nocturnal Complaint he mentions I am not
ready to advise at present as the Medicines I
commonly employ are not very compatible with the
Mezereon but when I shall have had a report of
the effects of this I shall say what I can with
respect to the other Ailment. In the mean time
I see no ground for his apprehending a Tabes dor¬
salis but let him take light Suppers & little
strong drink at night, Use few bed Cloaths and
be moderate in Conjugal duty.