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For Mrs Maxwell.

From original delicacy, & being broke by a frequent valetudinary state, her consti¬
tution is of nice balance, & difficult to give roles for the management of it.

1. She should consider herself as extremely delicate, requiring the utmost reserve,
unfit for any excess in cold, heat, fasting, fullness, late, early hours, or the
least fatigue either from family, or company. With regard to some
particulars, I shall give my opinion, but - her own feelings & experience
fairly consulted, her best guide.

DIet. dinner, generally solid animal food, but of the lighter, or if not of
these, the quantity of the heavier, very moderate, & she must avoid so much, as to
heat, flesh, or drowsify after it, . The lighter fish, lightly dressed,
may now & then with safety. Should frequently take as a part of her diet
plain bread, [rice?] or millet - puddings Garden stuffs, hazardous, except
at their first coming in, when if taken moderately, & to digest, may do
her constitution good. Fruit, require great caution, tho she may
sometimes, possibly digest ripe strawberries, a little of a ripe orange, or
baked apple. Whe With respect to these & the garden stuffs, our
stomach are at different times in different conditions, so as to digest well now,
what cannot at another time. Most people can discern these states
& Mrs M. must herself discern when to avoid, what are liable to
be ascescent or flatulent or to take the same as good for her blood.

At all times avoid Indian tea & coffee, as part of diet, but sometimes
when much affected with headach, may take a dish of Green tea. At
breakfast, may take weak chocolate, cocoa tea, or balm with a
little cinnamon. Either with the cocoa or balm tea, may take dry
toast with a little butter, but avoid all sweet things as marmalade &c

No drink, absolutely safe, but plain water or with a little spirits.
Every else is fermentible therefore may disagree with her. She may pos¬
sibly at times bear a little porter or some wines, but, caution, & she
must discern, those times times.

It will not be easy to give her any strength, without fresh air & gentle
exercise. Her present weakness & this {illeg}, wont allow of it soon,
but

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but must be kept in view & attempted by degrees. Let her be out of
her bed, & chamber, as much as she can bear, but avoid any bodily exer¬
tion, & she may bear the fresh air safely, if the temperature of her
chamber can be properly managed.

Whenever she can bear the open air, & the season allows, she should
be often abroad, & gently moved in carriage, but never to fatigue.
When the season is advanced, & she come to bear motion, an easy but
steady journey for several weeks, one of the best remedies, & best
towards the south.

Must take care of her belly, as upon stagnation or obstruction there,
the stomach is often affected. Lucky if Mrs M. could & she alone
can find a management of diet, which would answer this end. But if
not, recurse to medicine. Crem Tart. very proper, but uncertain
in its operation, & if could bear the Castor oil, with a good propor¬
tion of spirit, better. At a certain period, agreable to her last
experience a vomit may be necessary. & even at some other times, when
much distressed with sickness at stomach; some vomiting may be necessary, but
to be as much as possible avoided, & always, when can other means
of relief. For her sickness, try a pretty large dose of Spt. sal.
ammon. or perhaps a dose of Eau de luce in water neither hot
nor cold.

Mrs M. ailments very much of the spasmodic kind, & for these opi¬
ates are the only certain. These should therefore be always at hand &
in case of any uneasiness should not hesitate to employ them. The
mixture she has used to take, proper still, but by repetition, has
become weak, so that either it made stronger, or can not trust
to it without the addition of Laudanum. A habit of the medicine
not descriable. But here unavailable, for not so much harm, as
the frequent recurrence of her ailment would.

Medicines, a nice matter with her, & few to be employed.
but two ↑X↑, which she may bear & have [both?] bowels & her
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constitution strengthened by them, but must employ not only such
times & with such a gradual increase of dose as she shall be found to
bear.