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One who has so often in health experienced your friendship,
will I am fully perswaded when in distress be favoured with
your ↑sympathy &↑ assistance. At present indeed the Nature of my
Complaints unfit me for writing, and almost for dictating,
a Minute Accuracy therefore cannot be expected.

For many years I have been dis[tressed?] with
dyspeptic symptoms, but never to any great [degree?]
but these have been more distressing since I came
to Morpeth than formerly,-- Not ho{illeg}
from Overindulgence I can assure you {illeg}
rode a good deal on Horseback, when {illeg}
have been thought useful, altho' I {illeg} {illeg}me¬
times obliged to ride too soon after meals.
About five weeks ago, I was seized with pain
& inflamation of the left Eye Lids, and this as I
thought after riding some Miles in a frosty night,
the inflamation continued to increase and affected
the Eye Ball, and at length the other Eye became
similarly affected, for Ten days past I have been
in great distress, the greater part of my face,
particularly the Brow has been affected with
some little swelling & inflamation; a degree of pain¬
ful Eruption and an exudation of matter parti¬
cularly from, and about the Eye Brows; within
these three days I have had occasionally a
severe Headach.

The Inflamation of the Eyes seems rather
on the decline, My Pulse is regular, about 60,
and feeble, I am languid and low spirited &
have lost flesh. After my Eye became affect¬
ed, I thought my my dispeptic symptoms al¬
most totally removed, and my Appetite better

than it had been for a long time, but this per¬
haps might be owing to an Open belly, spare
living, the use of Bark, & the Elixir of Vitriol.

I began the Treatment with a variety
of Collyria, such as Solutions of Allum, of
White Vitriol, and sugar of lead, and the occasi¬
onal use of Ointments, chiefly to keep the Eye¬
lids from adhering during the Night: I did
not long continue the use of these and some
{illeg} washes from not finding relief, and
indeed only expecting at best a palliation
of symptoms from them, as I was perswaded
they could not alter the Cause which seemed
to be a vitiated & acrimonious state of the
lachrymal fluid. I had recourse to Brandy
and Water for a Lotion, which I found always
gave me immediate Relief, I used it often, and
sometimes warm in somuch that although the
Acrimony of the discharge from my Eyes
seemed to produce inflamation & Eruption
in the face, I am not certain but this wash
might have contributed its share. Near
three weeks ago, I applied Leeches to the Temple
which seemed not to relieve but to produce a
degree of swelling around, which made
my Eye ball feel considerably painful:
I have occasionly used cooling Laxatives,
chiefly Crim of Tartar, sometimes preceded by
a small doze of Calomel.

I applied a Blister to the Nap of my Neck, from which I
perceived no Benefit, And about a week ago, another
behind the left Ear, which hath discharged copiously
ever since. What alarms me chiefly is the Headach; my
Mother's father tho' a thin Abstemious Man was much
afflicted with the Gout for many years, and died of it in
his stomach at the Age of 86. My Mother who was exceeding¬
ly thin and equally Temperate, had occasionally a {illeg}
before her [death?] which happened at the Age of 72, {illeg}
with some swelling & inflamation in her feet. About a
week before her death, when in usual health, {illeg}
with the most violent pains over all her {illeg}
at last became confined to her Breast & {illeg}
continued to the last.

Three or four different times within these [10?]
days, I have felt momentary but slight pains in
the Joints of my great Toes, but these indeed were
so trifling, that if I had not been a Medical
Man, perhaps I might not have attended to
them. For this week past I have been using
bark, Elixir of Vitriol, and Sarsaparella, and
have also been obliged to have recourse to opi¬
ates.

Spermaceti Ointment mixed with the solution of
opium, I have found the best application to my Eyes
& face, these 8th days. Wishing to be particular, I fear
I have been tedious & prolix, but I must trust to your
goodness to excuse these things.

Your old Patient Mr. Cook of Gallowhill is
still plagued with Phlegm, I can give you no parti¬
cular History of his situation, for I never saw him
above two or three Minutes in my life, but I see
by some Letters of yours to him, that you seem
almost to have exhausted invention & ingenuity
in prescribing for him; but he Appears to have
no steadiness in Using any Medicine. I prescribed
some time ago small dozes of Ippecacuana, and from

the first of these he received manifest benefit, but he
says, any thing of the Nature of Vomit, he says is
entirely out of the question. When going to Scotland
lately, I begged him to call on you, but {illeg}
[Airis?] prevented him. I now inclose you 2 Guinea
Notes, which I recd. from him t'other day to transmit
you. You see I have given you a world of trouble
about myself, without even offering you a fee.
Mr. Cook begs his Complts.. Be so kind to write as soon
as convenient. With best complimts to the family I am

Doctor William Cullen
Professor of Medicine
Edinbr

Dr. Keith
C himself & Mr.
Cook
Decr. 1785
V. XVII. P. 348