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In Septr. last I was attacked at Canton with a
Billious flux attended now and then with a slow fever which continued
upon me for about a Week and reduced me much in point of Strength.
Soon afterwards, & I believe before my strength reestablished
I was under the necessity from the nature of my Employment to go
through greater fatigue both of body and mind than cou'd be
conducive to health, but felt no immediate bad consequence from
it- In about six weeks after I had this billious fit, I began
to feel a most disagreeable twitching in my Yard after getting up
from stool, particularly if I was in the least costive, with a
great lasscitude, depression of spirits, and a pain across my
Back just below the seat of the Kidneys, which neither I myself
or the surgeon to whom I explained my situation coud account
for untill by accident I discovered that I passed a quantity of
semen with my Urine during the time I was at stool, but
particularly after I had eased myself and was getting up of the
seat.- The Cold Bath was recommended to me, but as I
was coming away from China soon I deferr'd it untill I came
to sea, I then used it every other day for near two Months & without
taking any medicine whatever the the seminal weakness stoped
& I had no more of those disagreable twitchings in my Penis
But the pain in my back continued & what is still more
extraordinary My Urine contained a large Quantity of sediment
such as I give you a litle of in this Letter- I did not preserve
my Urine at Canton & therefore cannot say whether this

sediment commenced there when I first discovered the seminal
weakness or not, but soon after my coming on board I observed it
setle at the bottom of the Pot, and this at the time I had the
seminal weakness upon me, but the passing it gave me no other
inconvenience than a greater heat in my Urine than usual
The quantity of Sediment which I give you is about as much
as I generally passed in 24 hours, sometimes it was more and some¬
times it was less, and once or twice during the passage home it
stopped altogether for about a week or so & began again without my
being able to account for either by any change in my diet and
Drink which continued the same with very litle alteration during
the Voyage- when one of those stoppages happened I had a
most extraordinary Salt Taste in my mouth which went off as
soon as the sediment began again to make its appearance in
my Urine-- I found myself get ↑so↑ strong and well after the Seminal
Weakness left me notwithstanding that the sediment still continued
that I discontinued the Cold bath after leaving the Cape of Goodhope
except now & then, I thought that as it ↑might have↑ proceeded from too intensive
application to business at Canton, that it ceased entirely when I enjoyed
more ease at sea, and that I owed more to relaxation from business
than to the Cold Bath for my recovery- But I find myself mistaken
for it returned the other day not with so much Violence as it did at
Canton but enough to make me very apprehensive of frequent
returns of it- I had been Costive & had frequent fits of the
Bile for a fortnight before, for while I had taken two or three doses
of Physick- I have preserved my urine & examined it with

the greatest attention for several days past but have not been able
to observe the smallest particle of semen ↑in↑ it at any other time than
when I am at stool, and lest the Quantity I pass then be never
so small I know it instantly after getting up from the seat, by
the disagreable twitching in the Urethra wh. seems to shoot up from
the root of it- it causes besides a lowness of spirits & an universal
languour which is exceedingly disagreeable-

As this is a most disagreeable Complaint, the
continuance of wh. soon put a period my existence or ren¬
der my life a burthen to me while I live, I wish to have the
best advice upon it, I therefore request that you will lay my Case
before one or two of the most eminent in Men in England & send me
their opinion as soon as you can conveniently after arrival-
and the better to enable them to form their Judgement I subjoin the
following state of my Constitution- I have lived in India
tor these 13 years, except the Voyage I made last year to Italy. At
Bombay in the year 78 I had a severe fever and ague for all that
year which returned at every full and change & continued upon me
untill I made a Voyage to sea- I have had frequent severe
attacks of Billious Complaints, & have often (sometimes once
a Month) had an attack of the Bile, at least what is called in
India by that Name, but how to describe it I am at a loss
I think I have heard you say that it affected you in the same
Manner it does me, a loss of appetite, intense pain in the
Eyes, a great Confusion in the Head, and totally unfit for
Business pleasure or amusement whilst the fit lasts, when this

damned fit attacks me which it does so sure as I am in the
least costive it quite surprises me, I have been often attack'd with it
without the least warning, and it sometimes left me without using
any remedy tho in general I have been obliged to take some doses of
Physick before it was removed, Whilst I continue regular in my
body I am not troubled with this complaint, and I believe any
medicine or regimen that woud contribute to answer that purpose
wou'd insure me against severe attacks of it-

Mr. Brae is of opinion that this seminal
Weakness & the sediment in my Urine proceeds from a relaxed habit
of body, and recommends riding on horseback and the Cold bath
which he says will certainly remove them without the use of the me¬
dicine- I hope it may be so, but it cannot do any harm to con¬
sult some eminent Men, and may be productive of very good Con¬
sequences, at least it will be a satisfaction to me to have their
opinion-- I cannot think that either one or the other proceeds
from the effects of Venerial Complaints but as nothing might to be
concealed upon such an occasion, I must tell you that I
unluckily had a C––p in the Month of Apr. 79 wh. lasted me
near 3 Months, and again in Sepr. following wh. continued as
long and left me a swel'd Testicle, but I got thorroughly well of
it before I left Italy & did not feel the smallest bad effects from
it during the passage ↑out↑ nor have I had since that time the smallest
appearance of a gleet or running, I am also sure that it has not
proceeded from excessive Venery being now upwards of twelve Months
without having had any connection with the Fair sex––

N. B. Since writing the above I am grown worse passing Semen
with my Urine at all times as well as when I go to stool