[Page 1]

[Page 2]

[Page 3]

Soon after receiving your last favours in re¬
gard to our Patient Mrs. Falconer her breast broke & since
then has been going fast, she cannot I think hold it out long,
what follows concerns one I'm much more interested in, the
mother of my Children, shall therefore take the libertie to
begin her history without troubling you with an Apologie.

Ag'd about 48, of a midling size, pale complexion, bone full,
& much pitted with the small pox, of which she had a great
load at three years old, & left a vast number of deep pitts in
face hands & Arms, but what was more remarkable, she was
again Seiz'd with ↑them↑ four years after, & had full as many as before,
which fill'd up in a good measure the first pitts, & left her face
much more tolerable than formerlie, she was attended both
times by the same Surgeon, whom I knew well, from that
time she Enjoy'd good health till harvest fortie three ¹ , when
she catch'd a little cold which hung about her some time, but
at last ended in a severe cough & sweatings, both continued
all Winter & Spring, but got perfectlie well Summer following
by the country Air & a rich diet, she had slept for two
months before that begun with a Girle far gone in a con¬
sumption, & in the same Situation as to cough & sweatings.
In the year 47 she was again taken ill with a severe
cough after sitting long in Wett cloaths, which was likewise
remov'd by change of Airs & milk Dyet, & ever since has been
lyable to coughs after catching any cold. Has been married
about seventeen years, bore several children, two of which
she nurs'd, since years ago after nursing the second sometimes
was seiz'd with severe & frequent Asthmatick Fitts, which
came on suddenlie, & would have continu'd from a quarter to
a couple of hours, hartshorn in water gave a little relief,
& they comonlie went of with strong loud belchings of wind,
a little before she was attack'd with the fitt found her
Stomach & Bowels much distended & swell'd, which subsided
when the belchings came on, she had returns of those fitts
more or less for two years, when she was attack'd with a
most violent stuborn cough, which reduc'd her quite low,
but recover'd by Exercise & Ass' milk, & kept tolerablie
free of the Asthma for a twelve month after & not many
fitts ever since. She bore her last child several months
before the last cough came on, & had a pretty good recovery.
For three or four years back her menses dissapear'd altogether,
& for above two years before, onlie once in three or perhaps
four months, & then in small quantitys, tho during that time
had few complaints till last winter, that she felt a pain
in her f left hanch ² & down along that thigh & leg, which
continu'd fix'd there till about three months gone, when
it pritty much abated, but seven weeks ago she was suddenlie
attack'd with a sort of pain in the left breast, for the first
fortnight it was not severe, but resembl'd or she calls
it a full heavie kind of uneasiness, & soon after that became
a sharp prickling acute pain, flying about in different
parts of the breast, & frequentlie shifts to that side, & some
times down to the hand, extending towards the small of
the back, & often to that Arm & shoulder, & at times feels
as if in the breast bones, when the pain first came on
complain'd of a coldness in the breast, which continu'd
more or less for a week or two, & then was succeded
with a violent burning heat, of which she still has
frequent returns, particularlie after the least motion
of any kind, when at her worst she could hardlie ly
on that side, nor move that arm without Encreasing
the heat & pain in breast & side, the pain in the
breast itself sometimes feels as she imagines like
one's stomach pen'd up with wind, is always easiest in
bed,

For several days back she has been rather easier upon
the whole. I'm afraid this long detail may
have wearied your patience but as I know you
approve of circumstantial Informations, hope you'll
forgive it,