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About the month of September 1776 I was --
Seized with a Vertigo or sweeming in the head, which continued
without any additional distress (and of itself not very troublsome)
but about the midle of January 1777 when about that time I found
myself seized with an intromitting head Ach which affected --
princepally the back part of the head (indeed about the 1t January there
↑were↑ Several nights that the bottom of my eyes were affected in the most
severe manner but this was removed I believe by the effect of a
vomit) and even there affected but (↑only↑) when bowing myself, straining
my neck by looking about, turning in my Bed rashly, or Cowg↑h↑ing
smairtly, or such like strainings, these postures would often
bring on in the back part of my head from the neck to the Crown
in the inside very severe stounding pains, proceeding upwards
four, five, or six stounds repeating regularly with the pulse, and
then going off again, also when lying in Bed if I turned on my back
a kind of blindness and stupefaction would be apt to seize, if --
lying flat on my Back with my face right up, at this time my
eyes would often be in ↑a↑ keeling unsteady way, insomuch that
it often required some moments to bring them back to their
uswall steadiness; some times when lying on my back I --

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would as it were think some kind of stuff tumbled from the
innermost part of my head to the back part thereof - About
the end of January last my stomach appeared fowl insomuch that
my surgeon prescribed for me a vomit which wrought very
well, and convinced that my stomach was realy fowl; for
two days after this Vomit I was clear of the stounding pain
in the head, but on the second day after the vomit it again
affected me in the time of Stool, it being somewhat uneasie --
made made the pain in the head affect very severely; about ↑a month↑ after
that, I again had a vomit, and in about another month another
Vomit, but none of these last two declared anything wrong -
about the Stomach, ever since taking the first vomit my
stomach by the assistance of bitters and exercise has keept
pretty well in order. About the middle of march I --
consulted Doctor John Willison of Dundee who gave the
consultation herewith produced & referred to, and which has
been pretty regularly followed, by taking the Physick therein
directed, by letting blood twise in the left Arm 10 or 20 ounces each
time but which produced no salutary effect, the third blooding
prescribed by means of Cuping glasses has therefor by
desire been omitted: about Six weeks last past I have taken

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each night the bulk of a nuttmeg or rather better of the
Laxative electuary prescribed by Dr Willison; about eight
or Ten weeks I have had my head keep't open with an
Issue (near the heght or the back part) about one & one half
inch broad & as long or rather better - In my present
Situation my spirits are rather flate, my pulse rather
flate also owing chiefly to the nature of my complaint
and partly to living abstemiously, more so than Mr Willison
thinks necesary, every part of my ↑Body↑ (my nerves complaint
only excepted) I have thought in good order for these Ten
weeks past, except my head which has been often viseted
by these stounding pains, tho' of late these pains {illeg}
have been rather less severe and less frequent than ---
formerly, they have I think been more spread in the inner
part of the head, and still more within these two days
streaching ↑at times↑ to the extreme part of the forehead, my head
of late is also more invested with a dull pain than
formerly, attended with a great heat from the exptreme part
of it at the backside to the forehead, my ears also invested
constantly with a ringing ↑& singing↑ noice, first when the head Ach --
Seized me this noice was much less than now, I have

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sometimes noticed my Water a little red, but that but
seldom and not so much so as that I could absolutely --
say it was the effect of the destress: my eye (↑Sight↑) I observe
some times affected, but this may be owing to the plaister
on the head drawing to much; Towards morning is the
time my complaints are rather worst, especially first
after getting out of Bed, before getting up, if I turn rashly
in Bed I am apt to be seized with sick qualms upon turning
rashly in Bed or such like, after getting up am often a
good deal feeble and a good deal weack, after brakfast my
strength and my spirits turn generally better -------

At first I think Dor. Willison thought my distress a ---
Vertigo or sweeming in the head alone, now I am enclined to
thenk he thenks it acompyned with a Nerves disorder
whech Mr Stevenson also thinks, and I belive
they are right, Both these Gentlemen propose that I ---
should Bath in the Sea Water as soon as the season ---
will permitt -- A Certain numbness has gradually affected
my left side ever since the sweeming in ↑the↑ head began, but at
first I was not sensible of that, tho' now I am, my Left
Leg is often so much affected with this numbness that
it is with some difficulty I can walk - For a good many

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Years past I have been much plaguid with a specious --
of small White Worms called ascarides, they are small
headed & run also small to the Tail, and are about a
quarter of an inch long, they come most generally with the
Excrements in pretty large quantity, I have some¬
times found them coming off alone by the way of the fundament
they cause a heat & itching when they are numberous.

I observe at certain times my face ↑a↑ little flushed, but that
very seldom, and to a very small degree, scarce dis¬
cernible ------ After this heat in the face a shivering cold
I have sometimes observed to succeed, but this very seldom
& slight ------ Since writing the above and before
rising out of Bed this morning by turning rashly in
Bed a qualm came over my heart which made me throw
up some stuff the throwing up of which affected my head
greatly. You will observe I by no means write physickly
but simply the narrative of facts as they occur, however
I hope youll understand the most of them in a few days I
propose being with you to explain whats necessary and
to receive your opinion. Mr Alexander Hart a Friend

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of mine will probably call on you and inform you what
I am