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Dr Stirling Concerning Miss Gascoigne

I have been consulted just now for
Miss Gascoigne and as for ordinary you have the care of
her health I think it proper to address my opinion and advice
to you as the proper person to judge of it and to follow it more
or less as future circumstances and your discretion shall –
direct. She complains of a cough troublesome to her when
she lies down at night and attended with some spitting in the
morning. She has also some pain of her breast but chiefly on
coughing. Withall this her pulse is between 80 and 90 but
neither full nor hard and how far the frequency is more than
natural you can best judge. I hope the ailment is owing to
accidental Cold and of little consequence but I am not disposed
to consider ↑it↑ as she herself does to be purely nervous and I think
it very necessary to look after such ailment in young persons and
to take early precautions against {illeg} [this view?] I have
advised her to leave the town and in the country {illeg}
precautions against cold. For this purpose I would advise her to

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wear a flannel shirt next her skin. Every day that is tole¬
rably mild and fair I would advise her to go abroad on horseback
or in a carriage. The former most effectual but the latter most safe
at this season. I would have her go abroad only in the forenoon and
for two months to come never to be abroad after dinner. If she can
conveniently get it let her take from half a muchkin to a whole much¬
kin as her stomach bears it, of Asses milk every morning. For the
rest of her diet I would wish it be chiefly of Milk and farinacea.
While her pulse continues as I find it, she may have weak broth
and a little light meat at dinner but no animal food at supper.
Her drink should be water or watery liquor only and I can hardly
allow of any wine. I forgot to say above that walking except
in the most gentle manner always hurts the breast and therefore
any brisker exercise as dancing is no ways admissible. By the
above regimen I hope Miss Gascoigne may soon get well and few
remedies will be necessary. However if the pain of her breast
should be more constant or more painfull and especially with any
increase of the frequency of her pulse I should think bleeding
perhaps more than once very necessary. If bleeding should not
appear to be necessary I think a gentle vomit now & then may

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be very usefull and considering the case as catarrhal only the
most effectual remedy I know of. As Miss Gascoigne's habit
is disposed to be costive this should never be allowed to go far and as
then as any ways necessary a cooling laxative should be employed.
if the ailments should increase I should judge blistering to be pro¬
per and perhaps an Issue but in the present state of things I hope
it is not necessary to propose what may ↑be↑ thought severe or disagreeable.

I am told that our patient is troubled with a Leucorrhea and
the cure of it is certainly to be wished but I would not attempt it
[j]ust now as the remedies I would propose are hardly admissible
[w]hile there is any suspicion of a dangerous ailment of the breast.
Hereafter I shall be very willing to advise for it when it can be
done with safety and with respect to the ailments for which I
have now advised if you have anything to inform me of now
hereafter you or the family may freely command me who am
with great regard