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The alarming situation of a young
gentleman in this neighbourhood, rendered still
more so, from his former delicate state of health
makes me most solicitous to have your assistance.
If the following history of his case shall enable you
to form a just Idea of the disease I shall feel the ut¬
most satisfaction.

Mr Thomson aged 30, of a puny make, and delicate
habit, had the Jaundice about ten or a dozen years
ago, which resisted for some months the best advice
he could get, and ever since he has had more or less
pain in the right Hypochondria. About five weeks
ago he was seized with a fever attended with violent
Diarrhea and a severe pain in the right side but lower
than the seat of his former pain. He has been ill for

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some days before I saw him, and then he seemed very
much exhausted from the violence of diarrhea. He
complained much of the pain in his side, had much
disorder in his stomach & bowels, borborygmus &
frequent belchings, the pulse very frequent but
so sunk that I durst not bleed him. I therefore or¬
dered a blister to be immediately applied to the
side and his looseness was moderated by gentle
astringents & diaphoreticks, after having cleansed
his stomach with Camomile tea. By these means
his Complaints went off in ten days. The pain
of his side having increased, I was again sent for
a few days ago, 8 or nine leeches were applied and
the pained parts were well fomented, these seemed to
relieve him but last night the pain returning
with somewhat difficulty in breathing, his pulse
from about 100, rose to 130 in the space of a few hours

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this he had observed had happened for the two
preceeding evenings. He lost about 4 or 5 ounces
of blood from the arm. This morning I found
his pulse 90, he had slept pretty well thro' the
night and he thought the pain of his side somewhat
easier. The blood taken the preceeding evening I
found very much inflamed and as the pulse could
bear [it I?] therefore took away about four oun[ces]
more, [enjoining?] him to abstain from anim[al]
food and fermented liquours, his belly is keept open
by Crem. Tart. he is to have a blister applied to
the side this evening and he uses what Nitre
his stomach can bear. I shall repeat the bleed¬
ing but in the same cautious way if I find the
pain and frequency of pulse continued, in a few
days,

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Doctor Cullen
Edinburgh

✍
Mr Walker
Concerning Mr Thomson
May 8. 1700
V. XI p. 8.
No 1