[Page 1]

Mr. F.'s habit for many years has been rather relaxed and
delicate, which he dates from his going once in to a new house, too
early & sleeping in it before the walls were dry, since that he sometimes
was subject to a Scorbutic humour which once seized his leg, and after
that one of his hands; in the last of which Peterhead water was of
great service to him, in so much that for 3 years past he has not
had the least appearance of it in any part of his body, still
however the delicacy of Constitution continued, easily hurt by cold,
fatigue, or the least thing that put him out of his ordinary way.
Subject often to profuse sweatings, which (tho weakening) he
often found useful for throwing off a load and preserving his
moderate state of health. About the beginning of May
last year he was seized with something of a paralitic disorder
in the side of his head, accompanyed with a little degree of
swelling, & the muscles so relaxed, as that the lids of that eye
would not shut sometimes; his speech was difficult owing
to the stiffness in one side of the mouth, which continued for
about 2 months & then wore off gradually so much that
he was able to preach again & go about the other dutys of
his office, but still I think that disorder was not thoroughly
removed when his present complaints began to steal in as
far back as the latter end of January last, the first symptom
of which was a difficulty of breathing, a gradual decay of
strength, and a sensation of heat in the breast & Lungs
when he had walked up the least degree of rising ground.

–– About the beginning of March his difficult breathing
greatly increased, he turn'd exceedingly restless in the night,
lost his appetite & very often threw up the small morsel

---

[Page 2]

he swallowed –– About 10th. March Our Dr. advised going to
the Country which we did & spent a month there but even there
the symptoms grew dayly stronger, accompany'd with such a
disorder on the nerves that he durst not lye in bed half an
hour at the (↑a↑) time throughout the night; - on our return the
Dr. ordered some composing drops, which procured him a
little rest, but made no material change in his other Com¬
plaints, & ↑at↑ that time another symptom began to make its
appearance, & which still bears very hard upon him viz. a
great degree of swelling in the legs & thighs, which prevents
his taking a great degree of exercise, except in a Chaise which
has been granted him, the getting into which is very difficult,
what alarms me most is, that within these few days the
swelling has affected the lower part of his belly & stomach,
& more so in the night when the legs are easier, the other
is more deeply affected & encreases that catch in the breath
which all along has been very distressing to him –– all
the applications that have been made by the Dr. are some
pectoral pills, a mixture of squills intended to help the
breathing & promote Expectoration, a blister kept open on
the back & some diuretick Powders, Reinish wine with horse
radish &c. infused in it for promoting a flow of urine (which
is sometimes difficult) & wax cloths applyed to the legs for
drawing a little moister from them –– the only remaining
Symptoms I have to mention is that within these few days
there is an appearance of a deep redish scorbutic humour
below the thick of that leg that had been formerly affected by
it & which we hope may break out & prove a natural drain
to the body; –– In the midst of all his other complaints
it is a great mercy he has never had sickness or headach &

---

[Page 3]

& when out of acute distress has never lost his spirits which
are naturally chearfull and even. ––––

---

[Page 4]
✍
Mr F
May
1778