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For Mr Strachan

The ailments of the stomach seem to be much the same as for a
long time past. This shows then to be obstinate & they commonly are so
but they are neither dangerous nor incurable & it is suspected Mr Strahans
management has not been sufficienty exact else they might have been
probably owing to accidental cold & it is hoped that they may be soon
removed but it is in the mean time very proper to take the measures necessary
to secure that - Both for one and t'other ailment nothing appears to me
more promising than some length of Journey & tho the season is unfavorable
the journey should not be hurried and by the day should never exceed four stages
& it should and may be performed with day light --- he should set out
by break of day in the morning and take one stage before beakfast &
three times before dinner as travelleing after a hearty meal is generally hurt¬
full to weak stomachs. --- When the weather happens to be extremely
wet he should lie by for a stage or two & even for a day. - He must take
every precaution against cold, he should wear a flannel shirt next his
skin & be otherwise well cloathed - He should take particular care
of his feet and legs, both by day & night and to be secure against
damp bed linnen, he should carry along with a Calico wrapper long
enough to cover even his feet - Having this on he may put away the
bed linnen altogether & lie in the blankets --- In travelling he should take
care always to have the bottom of his carriage well fitted with fresh hay
he should take care that the glasses are all entire & he should never
let down the side glasses but according to the state of the weather he may
use freedom with the foreglasses. ----

In diet he should avoid tea & coffee & for breakfast take either tea
or w a weak chocolate or milk with an equal part of water gruel
well sweatened with sugar. To either he may take dry toast with a
moderate share of good butter, but I should think buttered toast extremely improper

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At dinner it is desired that he should get a bason of plain soup
every day, It may be made of beef, veal, fowl or chicken, but as these
may not always be had or be of tedious preparation it would be convenient
for him to carry some portable soup along with him - If along with his soup
he takes a good deal of toasted bread it will prevent his taking too much of
what comes after - After his soup he may take a bit of any
plain roasted meat as beef, mutton, veal fowl or rabbit. Goose & Duck
he should take seldom & always sparingly. Light white fish with a
plain sauce he may also take some times but neither frequently
nor fully --- But his chief care must be never to make a full meal
of solid animal food & when in spite of his broth beforehand his
appetite is still sharp he must fill up his meal with some kind
of pudding - He must take no roots or greens except it be a dry
mealy potatoe to his beef or mutton. Fruit he must likewise
avoid except it may be a few raisins & currants in his puddings --
If he require any thing for Supper let it be milk with bread
or some kind of grain. For ordinary drink water is the only safe
one & I am of opinion that no kind of fermented liquor, whether
wines, malt liquours, or cyder will agree with him - If his stomach
requires as it frequently may, some strong drink, let it be water
with a little spirit in it without either fruit or Sugar -- In every
circumstance no thing is more necessary to Mr Strahan than an
attention to the state of his belly & therefore he should always
carry his laxative Pills along with him, & have recourse to them
as often as there is any occasion - It is not convenient either
to convey or to take medicine upon a Journey, & therefore I
advise few but there are two sufficiently portable & may be use¬
full to him. One, is the Drops which he has formerly used
the other is a powder which I have often found usefull in such
compliants I have therefore ordered it below. - It is expected that
the Journey will do Mr Strachan so much service, that he shall
have no ocassion to use any waters at the end of it, but in case
we shall be any ways disappointed in this, & his going into
the neighbourhood of those waters I shall give him this opinion

If at the end of his journey any part of the complaints of his breast

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shall continue to trouble him the Bristol hot well waters are
those only which he can safely try but if the compliants of his breast
shall be entirely gone & those of his stomach still remain he
may be the better for a moderate use of Bath Waters.
If

For Mr Strahan.