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Sir according to promiss I have sat down
to give you my opinion of poor Sandy Craufurds
Health he has now been with us about a fortnight
& is very happy & in good spirits thinks himself
much better which Im sorry to say however that
I do ↑not↑ altho we take every means of strengthening
his own favourable impression in that respect
-- his Cough is extremely troublesome to him
& sometimes he complains of a pain in his breast
but it is not constant he is extremely emaciated
& grows dayly more so I feel his pulse several
times a day it varies one day from another but
no day has it been under 80 & none above 105--
Mr. Johnston of Cumnock Blooded him one day & he
felt releived from it he recommends an Isue in
his Arm but its not yet put in -- his Breath
is so extremely offensive that its not easy to

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stand many minutes by him -- These are all
the bad symptoms that from an accurate at¬
tion I have observ'd -- the favorable circumstances
are that altho I often shake him by the hand
as I pass him in the room he never has any
degree of heat on his skin even when his pulse
is highest has no sweatings in the night as Mrs.
McKay & his Servant informs me nor does he ever
change coulour or have hectic fits warm or Cold
his appetite too is extremely good never sick &
could eat a great deal more than he allows him[self?]
for he is attentive in not taking much meat or
wine but eats vegetables & milk -- you'll I
daresay inform Doctor Cullen of all these par¬
ticulars - that he's in any imediate danger I do
not think but his appearance strikes every body
& growing so extremely thin with so keen an
appetite & gratifying his hunger fully tho not

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with dressd dishes if he was in a proper state
of Health would not be the case -- If any
of his friends think that he will be better at
Dumfries House than Sanquhar this winter Im
sure he is extremely welcome no attention shall
be wanting on my part & my Lord is extremely
humane & takes pleasure in amusing Sandy
either riding out on Horseback or the little
entertai[nme]nt of cards &c: within doors --

If it should be thought proper to send him
abroad I do not think he could be trusted to a stranger
tho' ever so able as a surgeon or physician it woud
be necessary to have somebody who was personally
attachd to him & acquainted with his foibles I do not
think he could go without Mrs. McKay I mention'd
to him the probability of its being orderd for him but
nothing whether she should go or not because
I do not know his friends intentions on that head
she told me with regard to traveling that she thought
[it?] had a strong effect on his intellects & temper the

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the successive new scences confounded his imagination
& she was sometimes very much affraid as she
says his temper grew quarelsome & mind less
open to cool advice than usual I asked her if
she had told you so she said she had hinted it but
that she did not like to say much on the subject

Mr. Gilbert Meason
St. Andrews Square
Edr.