[Page 1]

[Page 2]

[Page 3]

I would have Waited on Yow in Edinr my Self And told Yow of a
Disorder I have been much troubled with for Severall Months, but in my
Present Situation I Could Not make out So long a Journey, but Shall Endavour
to let Yow know it in Writing.

It is A Disorder in My head, which I am Scarse one quarter of An hour any
day Clear of, it lyes Mostly in the upper Part of my forehead, And from
being Sometimes tolerable Easy, the least Cough raises it in my forehead
first, from thence it goes back to my head behind, And down my Neck Even
to my Shoulders, it goes from my forehead to my back head And down my Neck
As quick As Lightning; but when the Cough is Over it wears off from the back
Part of my head And Neck Very Soon, but Still Continues in my forehead,
Stooping to buckle my Shoes raises it, And also blowing my Nose hard,
Sometimes I have it So Violently, that I Can Scarse lift my Eyelids, makes me
quite Stupid And Lifeless; do Not Chuse to Speak or be Spoaken to, I am
much Inclind to Belching, but Seldom Get it freely up, when I do, I think
it Gives me Some Small Relief in my head, I have also for 10 or 12 days
past been troubled with the Pyles, And with a Costiveness to a Great degree
I have been lately Useing the Cream of Tartar And flour of Brimstone mixt
Which has Some Effect As to my Costiveness, but None As to the Disorder in
my head; Even when I have the most Violent touches of it, I am Not
feverish, And when it is Moderat I have Some Stomach, but Not great,
And Must be things light, I Sleep tolerable well the first part of the Night
but Seldom any after 4 in the Morning, When I have Any of the Violent
touches in my head, when in bed I Can Sleep None, Sometimes I am

Squeamish, I have often An Inclination to go to Stoole but Can get
Nothing done; Now Sr from the above description of my Complaints, Yow'l
Probably know if the disorder in my head proceeds from my Stomach, And
if there is Any remedy for it, Yow'l Please write William Hamilton my
Surgeon, I have Never Got any thing from him but 2 or 3 bottles of A
kind of bitter Watter, which I did Not find did me any Service and left
them off, I begin to think the disorder in my head Uncommon As I Never
heard of any haveing it in the Same way, that the Smallest Cough, Stooping
down, or blowing the Nose Should make it fly So Swiftly to the back part
of my head And down my Neck, Not only the back part of my Neck, but also
both Sides of it, I Should be Glad if there is any Cure for it, if Not I Must bear
it with Christian Patience, but while we Are in Life it is Natural for Us
to be As Easy As possible. My Common drink is Punch, of Which I have
been in the Use to drink a little Every Night for a Good Many Years, And Still
Continue but in Moderation, Please let Mr Hamilton have Your oppinion
As Soon As Possible, for which I Shall write my Son in Edinr. to pay You
I am

Doctr.
William Cullen
Physician
Edinr.

Mr. Andrew Syme
May 1784
V. XVI P. 52.