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A Friend who will shortly be at Edinburg and whose parents
have the honor of knowing Dr Cullen has incited me to trouble you
with an account of my disorder- to solicit your consideration thereof and
advice concerning it- the alleviation and removal of my miseries I most
ardently desire but have little hope of obtaining- however of this I feel
myself certain- that if medicine be posses'd of a power to relieve me
and the assistance which I am now soliciting be granted- I shall
once more be happy in the possession of that health to which I
have so long been a stranger- Not doubting but you will do me the
kindness to consider of my case I will proceed to describe it and with all the
acuracy that I possibly can tho' I fear that I shall be able to give but
a superficial account of it- About 27 months ago I caught cold in
consequence whereof in two or three weeks I became very ill had variable
pains in my side and breast a violent cough &c- These symptoms
aappear'd to my physician to demand bleeding and the operation
was perform'd and more than once repeated- The cough was entirely
remov'd thereby but I perceiv'd my strength to decline apace. I was de¬
nied the use of flesh wine and beer and was ordered by turns pectorals
valerian and bark- The latter injured me- and the former producing
but little good I was sent down to Bristol to drink the waters of the
Hot wells- At which place I was seized with the epidemical disease
of the year 82 the attack was not exceedingly violent but being before
in an infirm state it well nigh ruin'd me- However after the sub¬
siding of the fever by the help of exercise the waters and astringent
medicines, my strength was somewhat recover'd- But the oppression
of my breast difficulty of breathing transient varying pains in
side &c (although various blisters were applied) remaind- After
this manner with little appetite- and little strength- a great
discharge by urine which exceeded the measure of the liquids
that I drank- a heat in the palms of my hands and accelerated
pulse after dinner- I continued untill the last winter during
which I was in many respects worse than usual (notwithstanding
the abatement of the profuse discharge before mentiond to the natu¬
ral or rather below the natural quantity- which alteration was not
occasiond by any medicine that I took for at that time I took
not any nor has it since returnd) my nights were strangely
disturb'd and in the fore part of them I almost constantly experienced

a miserable sensation of coldness and shivering over my shoulders
and back- tho' at the same time my feet and hands were generally
hot- Thus I continu'd till the approach of spring when my nights
became somewhat better but a disagreeable and before unknown feel¬
ing began to disturb my stomach- a sensation as though if some
rough heavy body had been inclosd within my bowels- this at first
was reliev'd for some small time by eating- but afterwards tho' not
immediately was usually increas'd by it- with the commencement
of this complaint the little appetite I had before began to pass away
and continu'd declining till almost wholly gone- And I believe for
the last four or five weeks I have scarcely ever sat down to table
with any inclination to eat- the food nevertheless is not offensive
to me either in appearance or smell- and I am usually able to
take a tolerably large quantity of pudding herbs or pye without
experiencing any sickness from it- but sickness I perhaps may
not be likely to have from the smallness of the quantity and
quality of my diet- for it is long since I have made use of flesh
of any kind or drank either ale or wine- water and tea is my
usual drink but it is very seldom that I have any thirst- The
feverish heat which I have complaind of in the afternoon and
which I have experienc'd for near two years is at this time
somewhat worse than usual enduring longer in the afternoon
but no so regular- seeming as if it rather intermitted- being usu¬
ally the worst about 2- 3- and 8- ↑o clock↑ and somewhat of a like heat
for a few weeks past has occur'd in the morning also- It is now
about a Year and nine months since my cough left me and in
all that inter peri↑o↑d it has not return'd- I have now ↑no↑ pains in my
side (but a tightness across my breast I still feel) nor any spitting
except it be when I am troubled with too great a flow of saliva
which has of late frequently happened- and then I am under the
necessity of doing it- but that which I throw off is not at all viscid
but has more of the appearance and consistance of water- nor am I
troubled with any unnatural perspiration except it be that I
perspire generally rather too freely at the soles of my feet- this
discharge however may be trifling and perhaps may do me

little injury- but I have been subject more than three years to a
mighty and involuntary seminal discharge which injures and
distresses me greatly- before the attack of the disorders above describd
it happen'd seldom but of late much more frequently- generally
once a week if oftner which has many times been the case I have
felt myself languid and have had somewhat of a pain in my
loins for the day or two succeeding- But notwithstanding I am
under the baleful influence of so many maladies I am not
yet so far enervated that I can walk a mile or more in a
temperate day without being much fatigu'd, though I sometimes
feel myself so very languid that I shoud imagine I could scarcely
move a step if I was not certain that I cou'd do much more
These Sir are the principal of the feelings that are connected
with my disorders and I hope you will do me the favor to consider
of them and order for me such medicines as you may deem proper
I have desird my friend Mr Reid to present you with whatever may
be thought adequate to the trouble of prescribing two or three times
my complaints appearing so complicated that I have no
expectation of their being speedily (if ever) remov'd- I shall be ex¬
ceedinly glad if you will receive it and give me a line by the
post as soon as it may be found convenient-

Dr William Cullen
Edinburg

John Brooke
July 1784
XVI. p. 122