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Doctor Cullen

I am sorry to
inform you that Mrs: Hamilton continues
to be still in a very poor Way. ––––

I altered the form of her Pectoral Pills as you
directed, encreasing the Opiate & decreasing the
other heating Ingredients, which she took parti¬
cularly at bed Time, & altho thay did not give
her much more Rest, yet after useing them some
Days she insisted, that thay sickned her, encreased
the Streatness across her Breast & even made the
Cough more hard & dry, there was therefore a necessity
of laying them entirely aside & I put her on the use of a
Decoction of the Tussilago dried, as you recommend,
it seemed to agree with her, & She rather gained ground
for about a Week, but soon grew worse again from a

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a Return of the Catamenia (which for these 3 last
periods have always returned every 21 Days, but are
rather Scarse & continue only about 36 hours) She
being always worse for some days of the Cough,
Sickness, & other Complaints, before these recurr. ––

For more than ten Days past has been evidently
growing worse, owing perhaps as much to the
severe Weather we have had as to any particular
turn of her Complaints. It has entirely precluded
her getting into the Fresh Air, & even if the Weather
shall soon become better, there will be a great
difficulty in getting her up & down Stairs
from her great Weakness; She being at present
more so than when I wrote last, the Cough still
very teasing & even severe, especially whilst in
bed so as often ↑to↑ prevent ing her from getting any
Rest, I therefor thought that it might be proper
to add a few of the Capt: Papaver: Albi to her

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Decoction of the Tussilage with a little Liquo¬
rice & Fennel Seed, her Cough seem'd at first
to be a little moderated by it, but then she
complained so much of Sickness of Stomach
& a total disrelish of all kinds of food, that I was
obliged to put her on the Simple Decoction Tussilago
again. –––– She has used the Oleum Ricini twice or
thrice with benefit since my last. –– Her Com¬
plaints are all much as formerly. - Has not
sweat any of late. Her Belly rather more open
of late (↑than formerly↑). Her Pulse varying from 78, to 94 &
seems rather to be comming down of late bu[t]
then it is more feeble in the Stroke. Still continues
the use of the Cow's Milk, both women's Milk & asses have
been spoke of too her, but she has a prejudice against
both. ––––– Your Farther Advice on this very
important Case will be particularly acceptable
to

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To
Doctor William Cullen
Edinburgh

✍
Mr Copland
concerning
Mrs Hamilton Alderish.
April 1780.
XI, p.