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I received, in due course, yours concerning Mr.
Burnside, who, tho' he is certainly better than when I
writ you last, is still complaining very much at
times and is so weak at the same time that it is
with difficulty he can sit ↑up↑ for a quarter and half an
hour. – The heat of the weather, at present, makes
him feel himself much worse I believe than perhaps
he might otherwise do. – His headach and sweatings,
tho' certainly far from being so bad as they were
two or three weeks ago, yet return to a ↑de↑gree, and
with a frequency, that are very hard upon him, and
his nights are exceedingly bad; – yet his pulse, tho'
rather weak, continues moderately quick & regular,
being commonly between 90 & 100. –– tho' just now
(eight o'clock in the evening), I have reckoned it 86. ––
His belly is kept easily open by Clysters principally,
and once or twice, by a moderate quantity of
Cream of Tartar whey, which Mrs Burnside had given

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him as a drink. –– The Mixture with Gum Guaiacum,
we have not yet tried, as Clysters have answered
so well, and he preferred them. – The other parts of your
advice he strictly adheres to. –– Tho' his throat was
so much mended that we thought it quite well, in
a manner, when I writ last, yet we had a good deal
of trouble with it for about a week since, but since
he tried a Gargarism with Borax, which I thought
of trying from the throat's having much of an aphthous
appearance; it has been kept very clean & easy. –– Can
we do any thing to moderate or check these sweatings
in the head –– & headachs? –– I am afraid, as the dis¬
position to them has existed so long, – (i.e. for a year)
a change will not be suddenly made; but we will
hope that a regimen steadily persued may do much.
We are admitting more air, in a cautious manner, into
his chamber; but have not ventured on what you hint
at; –– any stronger or more immediate application of
cold, –– tho' I remember a case of high fever, or rather
quickness of pulse – Mr McMurdo of Drumlanrigs son,

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where you advised me to venture on it; – but in that
case the water was applied to the whole body –
– I write this in Mr Burnside's house, as he has
just now expressed his desire that I would again
let you know what he is doing, by tomorrows post,
which, at any rate I would have done in a post or
two. ––

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To Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh

✍
Dr Gilchrist
Concerning Mr Burnside
May 1786
V. XVIII p. 169