[Page 1]

A Succession of little mis¬
fortunes. At least they would be thought so by Others
But to me unfortunately they are great Ones. has kept me
so long silent. A fresh Infection in the first instance
and a slight touch of this Influenza in the Second; has -- /
Altho the Consequences of neither, particularly the first
has been equal to my Fears /-. Placed me in a very un¬
pleasant Situation. Upon my supposing I had got
a fresh Infection. I went to Mr. Hunter and informed Him
of my Fears. From my general Complaint He supposed

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that might not be the Case and desired me to take 7. grains
of Dr. James powders which were of much Disservice to me
the afterwards gave me Mercury for 12 or 14 Days X. which
did me no service. He then desired me to take nothing for a
few Days; in Vexation I went to Mr. Potts. telling Him what
my situation was and why I had taken without telling
Him from whom. A pain in One of my Testicles (which was
once swelled when I was clapt and which always tend that way
when that is the Case) the constant Attendant of my having
a Clap had been twice removed together with every Other
Symptom of that disorder, the Discharge excepted; by four
or five pills Mr. Potts gave me - at this time He gave me
three pills two only of which I took. He then desired me
to take the inclosed Balsamick Medicine agreeable

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to the inclosed recipe. But upon finding an Appearance
of the Stricture returning I took for four Days Your
Balsamick mixture which seemd to Answer very
well excepting that the pain and occasional swelling
of the Testicle returned and continued while I used it
I then tryed forty Drops of the Strengthening Balsam
which brought on Next Day, that is about 12 oClock
the usual time of the Strictures Attacking me, so severe
a Stoppage that I was obliged to use the Bougie -- Altho
in the Morning of that Day and Also in the Evening
I made Water in a Better Stream and with less
pain than I had done for some b time before. Since
that I have taken nothing and have been tolerably
well unlike this Day - when I have been very ill

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in consequence of my having an Emission last night
I have been once oblyged to use the Bougie and am not a little
apprehensive I shall have to use it again -- Mr. Potts has
no Idea of going further than removing the Gonorrhœa. He
thinks I must be satisfied with having a running - [that?]
I am convinced wont do, because the slightest Cold, the
smallest Deviation in my living Diet or the least excess
in Drinking brinks on the Stricture by occasioning a Stoppage
of the Discharge. I am therefore at All events determined
to get quit of the Running. and ↑I↑ by no means despair of your
medicines having that effect. altho I am afraid I shall be
troublesome to you in frequently requiring your Advice how
to go on with them. Mr. Potts recommended the use
of

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[Page 5]

the Hot (↑warm↑) Bath upon the return of the Stricture. be so good as
give me your Opinion with regard to the Occasional use of
it, it is a piece of great Luxury.

Mr. Hunter in talking of my gene¬
ral Complaint is quite the Surgeon pulling but little faith
in the Use of inward Medicines, He talk of knocking of excr¬
escences in the Urethra as a Mason would in forming the
Stone to the Building. and if you wont Allow Him the Use
of the Chisel or {illeg}, or in Other Words the Caustick or Bou¬
gie, He has but little Idea of curing the Disorder. He talks
of a permanent Stricture - which can only be ↑wholly↑ removed that
way. and that my Complaint arises from its being acted
upon by Different Circumstances. And Altho the Spasm.
may be, by inward medicines taken of; it must only

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be a temporary relief Yet he says a Gentleman from
Lisbon was cured by applying a Blister behind the Scrotum
/ I wish I may speak intelligibly to you in this Field unkno¬
wn to me but from Experience a sometimes very Harsh
Teacher / But in that Case He supposed the Gentleman
to have only a temporary not a permanent Stricture
this however He is for my trying. After getting perfectly
quit of my Clap, I beg your particular Opinion res¬
pecting this, because should your Medicines fail
and should you think it might be tryed without Danger
Because He acts with so bold a Hand that I would not
wish to depend upon His Opinion Alone / I may venture
upon it. The Reason of his wishing me to try this is
the possibility of mine not being a permanent Stricture

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and at the same ↑time↑ my Determination neither to use the
Caustick or Bougie -- If I can help it.

June 10th.

I declined sending you the Above
expecting to gin give you my situations more positively
than I could then. I however remain much as I did, being
pretty much troubled with the pain in my Testicle, and
having a Dayly Return of the Spasm or as I call it (Stric¬
ture) more or less Violent. I took last night a Spoon¬
full of the Balsamick Mixture, which I think was
of some Service. The Spasm Remaining longer, before
it commenced its Attack and retreating sooner than
the Day before, (Military Terms was the only part of

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the art Militaire - One could learn from Sir [Heny.
Cl. n. t.n?]) this will lend me to take the Solution to¬
night, contrary to the Opinion of the Gentlemen here
who Advises me to take nothing, and which my the
pain in my Testicle has hitherto prevented me from
taking. Upon reflection I think, it will be better to keep
this Letter till to Morrow, to let you know the Effects
of it, when I shall certainly put an Eye to your trouble
in reading the very long Letter, which I hope You
will excuse as my only Hopes of getting Well rest
with you - to me it seems singular, that within these two
Days, when I have a Stricture, not else - and ↑that↑ the Afternoon
when the Spasm is gone of, I make Water in as full a Stream
as I ever remember to have done ---

11th.

I am

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greatly better to Day, having had but little of
the Stricture, and no pain in my Testicle Altho
I don't think the Solution has had full justice done
it, for the Changeableness of this Weather / We had
a Violent Hail Storm to Day / has given me a
Slight Return of the Influenza, having had a Fever
the Greatest part of last night and which only went
off this Morning by a profuse perspiration - I shall
however continue it, as I find My self tolerably
well this Evening, for eight or ten Days, when I
hope to be favoured with Your Directions how to
go on. This Disorder preventing me taking
the Exercise of Riding. Notwithstanding my

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Temperance I am much inclined to Fullness
I would therefore if you think proper take a little
/ occasionally / Cooling Physick - at any rate I
will thank you to let me know, what kind of
Physick I ought to take - should Any circum¬
stances make that necessary. ---

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14

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✍
Mr J. Spens.
June 1782.
V. XIV. p 110