[Page 1]

Being desirous to have the assistance of your
advice in the case of my patient Mr. Dalgleish of
Scotscraig I beg leave to lay before you the circum¬
stances of his situation & to entreat the favor of
your opinion as speedily as may suit your convenience.

The gentleman who is now upwards of forty years
of age, has in general been very healthy & of a full
habit rather inclining to corpulency but without any
appearance of plethory. Till within these two or three
years he has been accustomed to a good deal of exercise
particularly on horseback but lived much too freely
in point of drinking without being at all nice as to the
quality of his liquours - For a considerable time past
however he has the merit of having entirely left off his
irregularities in the article of drinking but at the
same time he has unluckily desisted from his usual
exercise & become a much more sedentary liver than
formerly. His appetite which was ever very good,

---

[Page 2]

has been gradually becoming worse for many months
during which time he has had various complaints of aci¬
dity flatulence, costiveness & other symptoms of dys¬
pepsia - of late all his complaints have been much
aggravated. He is now greatly emaciated & labours under
a total prostration of the digestive powers to such a
degree that the lightest nourishment he takes lyes so
heavy on his stomach that he is obliged to take a puke
every two or three days which brings up all he has swal¬
lowed in that time quite indigested. This procures him
a temporary relief till the small quantity of nourish¬
ment he swallows again accumulates to a load that
must be thrown off in the same way. Fortunately he still
sleeps well & complains of no pain. His pulse is slow;
his skin rather cold, & he never has any thirst.

I have tried in vain all the usual remedies to relieve
symptoms & to strengthen the tone of the stomach and
bowills. After cleansing the primæ viæ he has got the
Bark, Bitters & chalybeates in all forms - Different
absorbents have been given to destroy acidity together
with Rhubarb Leaf & Aloetics to obviate costiveness

---

[Page 3]

The severity of the season & the want of a good saddle horse
has hitherto prevented him from riding. But he goes out
in his chaise sometimes, tho' not so regularly nor so far
at a time as could be wished, for he has as usual in
such cases a great aversion to all motion or exertion of
anykind - I have suggested a trail of the Bath¬
waters & if seconded by your opinion I hope he may be
prevailed upon to undertake the journey, but a strong
recommendation will be requisite –– As milk appears
to agree better with him than any thing else in the way
of diet I submit it to you how far it might be advisable [to]
try the quart of ass milk with lime water --

The bearer Mr. Hunter will transmit your answer to me -

---

[Page 4]

Dr Cullen
Physician
in Edinburgh ✍

Dr Govan Concerning
Mr Dalgliesh
Feb. 27. 1780
V.X. p. 164.