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For Alexander Spalding Gordon Esquire

His system very delicate & requires more attention
than he has ever bestowed on it & I am not surpri¬
sed that it is much disordered & difficult to mend. How
ever as he is not in a way to guide it properly I hope that
all his ailments may be removed

Persuaded that they are owing to repeated attacks
of Cold & therefore are chiefly Rheumatic but as he
is of a Gouty Parent & has himself been affected
with that disease I must suspect the swelling of
his right ancle & & left big toe to be of a gouty
kind & therefore I beg that neither Cataplasm nor
any other application be made to his feet but dry
flannel. All applications to the feet ambiguous
sometimes draw the gout there but oftener put
it away. If these pains about the feet continue
& relieve the parts above, particularly the pain of
the head & inflammation of the Eyes he well need
no other remedy. But if the pains & swelling of the
feet go away while the other symptoms continue or that
new pains threaten other places, I advise him to be
sweated by a dose of Dovers Powder observing
carefully the following directions vid. directions
for Lord Cassilis p.44 of Vol. IV ¹

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This remedy properly managed I hold to be the
most proper for him whether his ailments be Rheumatic
Gouty or Venereal & if it works easily & relieves all his
pains it may be repeated at the interval of three or
four days & even a fou a third time at the same
interval. If in spite of this remedy the Opthalmia
still continues it may be necessary to blister the crown
of the head or behind the Ears and even to bleed
a little by Leeches applied near the Eye avoiding
the Eyelids * It will be necessary also to continue a
light and cooling diet. to avoid all strong drink
& keep his body belly open by gentle Laxatives
* The use of the Collyrium is to be continued but it should
be more simple as follows