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To Sir Alexr. Douglass Baronet

Sorry to find Miss A. Dempster's ailments continue in one respect so very
obstinate. It is well that she is so free of her Rheumatic complaints &
perhaps she is more so, that the menstrual evacuation is so large. However
this if it continue must destroy her or break her constitution for life. In the
mean time I think you have done every thing that could properly & I shall
see nothing better than persisting in the same course. You have found
benefit & no inconvenience from the use of the Alum & therefore you
may push it still farther & especially by beginning a day or two, be¬
fore the period come on & continuing it for several days after it come
on. The cold bath should be also continued & every day during the period
she should wash her hands & face with cold water twice a day. The air
of her chamber should be kept constantly very cool. It is to me
probable that during last period, as the weather was extremely cold,
her chamber was kept too warm. I am persuaded that I mentioned
before or that your good judgement would suggest it that for some
days before the period is expected, she should stir as little as pos¬
sible & should keep pretty constantly in a horizontal posture & that
she should keep strictly to the same during the Evacuation. It is
by all these means that I hope it may be moderated. I have very
little trust in any internal astringent but the Alum & Elixir of
Vitriol. But this last may be continued with an infusion of Bark & I
find the infusion much better than the Decoction & particularly if
the powder of the bark be first triturated in a marble mortar with
water for half an hour or more & after 8 or 10 hours after the
infusion the liquor is filtrated you will find it both a better
impregnation & a more agreable medicine. This is all at
present ---