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I was very sorry to hear by my Friend Mr John Ross that you
had been tender, & given up thoughts of your intended Visit
to the North.

The Cause of this trouble is to ask your advice about
a young Patient of mine, Mr Morisons of Bogneys Son, who to
his Father are to waite upon you - As you will see the Boy its
unnecessary for me to describe his present State, but to acquaint (↑tell↑)
you of the first appearance of his Complaints & what has been
done for him. The Parents are Healthy & no hereditary Taint
is suspected, & the Boy him self was remarkably so, untill about
the third year of his Age, that an Itchy eruption was perceived
upon the Maide who keept him, & soon thereafter upon the Child,
& from this Period the Parents deduce the beginning of his Illness.
This was suspected to be an Infected itch, from its sudden appearance, & by my Advice the Cure ↑of both↑ was attempted by a Sulphurous Treatment used
with great Caution - The maide seemed to be cured for a little, but it
had no effect upon the Child, & being informed she had been formerly sub¬
ject to this eruption she was removed from him, & it was observed
that the Child therafter always communicated the Disease to those
who sleept with him -- During all this he keept his Health
very well, nor was the eruption at any time what could be calld
considerable -- he got many long Courses of Aethiops Mineral
& was purgd often with Rubarb & Senna, without any Success.

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1759 he Drank Goat whey during the Season & was thought
better for some time thereafter -- Spring 1760 the eruption was
thought to be upon the encrease & he was againe sent to
the Goat Whey -- In the end of the Season there was no appearance
of Eruption, but he was observd to be ill colourd & not so
Healthy -- About the Moneth of February last a Swelling
was perceived in one of his Cheeks & soon therafter a swelling in
the Leg & arm of the same Side & where the Ulcers are at
Present -- When I was calld to him in the Moneth of Aprile (↑middle of February↑), These
Tumors were considerably inflammd & of a Dark purple Colour, &
had much hardness around them & a fluctuation of matter was
perceived, but thought to be very deep. The unwillingness
of the Parents to have them opend, & their Hopes that they might
be soon brought to suppuratio by the application of Pultiss
prevented their being opend, & the Suppuration was long of comeing
on -- The Tumor in the Leg opend in Several different places &
ousd a Sharp Ichorous matter, without any great decrease of
its bulk, when pressd there came out a thick Caseous matter.
Another Tumor appeard upon the other arm which was opend as soon
as a Fluctuation of Matter was perceived, the Matter was good
& the Ulcer soon heald -- At this time, when I was calld, he
was at times walking very lame & unable to stand any time
upon his Legs & was ill colourd & Spritless -- I found the
Lameness was occasiond by a swelling of the Inguinal Glands
of that Side & his Complexion & hardness of his Belly made
me Suspect

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obstruction of the Mesenteric Glands likewise --- I imediately
{illeg} (↑put↑) him upon a Course of the Cortex Peruv. & Decoction of
the Sarsa with the expressd Juice of the Millepede, & after
the Tumors had suppurate a Pultis of Cicuta was keept over
all the Hardness -- Dr Storks Medicine of the Extract, prepard
by my self after his method, was likewise tryd, but it was ob¬
servd that any Dose above a graine made him Vertiginous
upon which it was laied aside, but the Bark. & Sarsa Decoction
were continued two Moneths -- In this time he became con¬
siderably better in his Health, the swelling of the Inguinal Glands
became better & his Lameness left him - The Hardness around
the Ulcers went off & the matter became of a better consis¬
tence -- The Cortex & Decoction have been laied asside
for some moneths, in which time I have not seen him, untill
within these few days, when I perswaded his Father
to carry him up to Edinburgh to have your Advice -
The above, with what Mr Morison can tell you, will I hope
give you a full account of his Case, & youll be so good
as excuse the uncorrectness of this Letter haveing got so
little time to write it -- My Son Willy has a
very gratefull sense of your Favours & desires to offer his
humble compliments to you --

To
Dr William Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh

✍

1761