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By the advice of Dr. Warren of
Taunton, I take the Liberty of desiring
your Advice – and myself being an old
Pupil of yours, in the years – 69 & 70
will sufficiently I hope apologize for
the Intrusion. Tho' not thirty three years
of Age, I have been afflicted with the
Gout these six years – it has generally
attack'd me three times a year, till
within this Twelvemonth I have been
seiz'd ↑with↑ it sometimes every two, three, or
four months at farthest – each Fit con¬
tinuing as before, for three, four, or five
Weeks. The last Fit I was taken with
↑was↑ about five Weeks since /tho' I had the usu¬
al autumnal one in September last/
and from which I am not yet recover'd
– I have for near a year almost entirely
lost the Use of my Legs and have not
been able to walk a hundred yards

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without much Pain – and altho' I have
liv'd rather freely before I was attack'd with
this most excruciating Disease, yet I
am now very temperate, go to Bed early
and have chang'd the Air at different Times
of the year – some Months in one Place
and some in another – in hopes of finding
some Relief – but all to no Effect – and
notwithstanding I am exceeding↑ly↑ weak &
feeble, my appetite is in general both
in & out of the Fit very good. I have
also found no Benefit from Exercise, ei¬
ther in a Carriage or on Horseback
The Pain during the Fit has oblig'd me to
have recourse to Opiates with the Regard
to the taking of which I beg to have your
Opinion, and Advice – as well as your
sentiments in general – for at present /& a
long while since it has been so/ my Life's
a Burthen – I have never attempted to take
any Medicine, but the above from which I

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am the ↑more↑ encourag'd to hope for some Ease
& Relief, from any Course you may think
proper, to recommend me to pursue & am
with great Respect

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Dr. Cullen
Professor of Medicine
In all
Edenburgh

✍
Thomas Wells
January 1780.
X. p. 149