[Page 1]

I write this to desire
your advice about an old School
fellow of mine A Mr. Stewart of
Ward. To own the truth I fear
He is beyond the power of medicine
but I shall always willingly embrace
every opportunity of throwing emo¬
lument in the way of my friend.
Mr. Stewart is about 54 years of
age, served during the last war
in America & the West Indies, & during
the former in Flanders, So that he
must have undergone great fatigue.
He was strong made, of a full habit,
took his bottle freely & was often

---

[Page 2]

subject to Inflammatory sore throath
from accidental cold, seldom without
a cough & difficult breathing, such as
people of full habits commonly have.
After his return from [Martinieo?], He
He has had till within these three
years frequent & regular fits of the
gout. While We since at Taymouth
He had a bad inflammatory Fever,
& since then He has had no regular
fit of the gout, has sensibly declined
& has had several very alarming
fainting fits. I never saw him in
one, but from what I woud learn
They seem to have been Epilepstick
About a year ago his left leg began
to swell, the cough & difficulty of
breathing increased, his urine strongly
& high colouredm & the inclinations

---

[Page 3]

frequent. In September last He was ewiden¬
tally here for some weeks, was very
short indeed, loose in his cloaths,
gammy legged, & had evry appearance
of a man in decline, tho unwilling
to complain. In March he came
here again on business, & then his
legs were much swelled, & even the
skin of the belly Œdematous. Now
He turned [pliant?], & took on his
return home some doses of the [Syrup?]
I used for some time a Solution
of the Sal Diuretic; & squill
pills. By these & the help of mild
weather the swelling went off, but
there was nothing like recovery
of the skin of the legs seemed then
as if glued to the bone. Soon
after his return from Perth, a pro¬

---

[Page 4]

digious discharge of Saliva, attended
with a redness, & tenderness of the
mouth & tongue but without any
{illeg} appearance came on,
& continues more or less. The bark
was prepared for the soreness of
the mouth, but he seldom took
above one dose a day. His cough
& the difficulty of breathing increas¬
ing from his swelling out in a
very cold day, the bark was
given up, & a blister applied
to the left side, as he complained
of a Stitch. The spitting has in¬
creased of late, tho since ↑the↑ breathing
& cough were easier, he has taken
two doses of bark a day. Neither
the bark nor squills seem to affect
the spitting.

Dr. Farqharson who attends with

---

[Page 5]

me observes, that when Mr Stewart
expectorates freely the discharge if
saliva diminishes, & that a profuse
discharge of saliva lessens the quan¬
titiy of urine. Indeed no wonder
as He spits sometimes a Chopin
of a forenoon - He observes too
a watry discharge from the right
nostril during a fit of coughing,
& that there is a less flow of Saliva
in the night, when he takes bark.
It is remarkable that He in
general sleeps well, lys with
his head low, & on either side
so that it is probable there is
no water in the chest. The late
hot weather overcame him much.
He lost his appetite, & his breathing

---

[Page 6]

was more difficult He returned to
his pills & solution, & had a
blister to the back, without much
benefit as yet. Even when taking
no measure but a spoonfull
of {illeg} ammoniac: at bed ↑time↑ He
has a stool at least once a day
and often three or four a day.
It is almost unnecessary to mention
that he takes regular airings
in a Chaise, & as to his diet He
is indulged in any place light
food; -- His common drinking
at meals his two or three spoons
of whisky to a mutchkin of [wine?]
or whik wine and water.

With your advice apart from
your letter so as it may be shown
to Mr & Mrs Stewart.

---

[Page 7]

Pray What say you of Mr. {illeg}
eyes. I fear they will not be easily
remedied. Dr. Farqharson
joins me in Compliments & I am

---

[Page 8]

To
Dr. William Cullen
Physician in
Edinburgh.

✍

Dr Wood Concerning Captain Stewart.
June 1781. --
V.XIII p.49.