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My Niece Mrs Willobie about 30 Years and Age & a very
delicate Constitution & has now Born 5 Childr:, was about
26th of Septr: last Seized with a pretty brisk Inflamatory fever
attended with a pain in her left Side & severe Cough, & at
that time was about 6 Months advanced in her Pregnancy
but by the Use of some Pectoral Medicines & repeated Bleeding,
gote pretty well of her feverish Symptoms, but the Cough &
pain of her Side continued till near the time of her Delivery.
she had been attack'd with the Cough & pain of her Side in the
Spring Season but her happening to fall with Child & going
into the Country in the Summer & making Use of Asses
Milk & the Goat Whey she keept pretty well till & seem'd to
have gained a good deal of Strength. till about the change
of the Season gote cold & brought on the Complaints as I
mentioned above. She was Delivered about the 13thof Decr:
& for the first 14 Days seem'd to have a very good recoverie &
a very proper Discharge of the Lochia, but on its begining
to go off the Quickness of her Pulse returned attended with
a frequent Cough but little or no Expectoration, & no pain
in her side as formerly. I at first Attributed these Symptoms
to the going back of her Milk, as she had Nursed all her
other Childr/ but from her Present Complaints the delicate
State of her Constitution I thought ↑it↑ highly improper on this
Occasion./ The feverish symptoms still continuing & her

being now for about 6 Weeks past rather loosing then gaining
Strength & the Cough attend- with alittle Expectoration & some
Nights attended with Sweatings makes her friends very Desirous
of having your Opinion on her Case & for that purpose she Intended
a Journey to Edr: but the uncertainty of the Weather at this season
makes me a little doubious how far she may do it with safety, tho she
has for these 2 or 3 Weeks goen out for a few Miles in the Chaise when
ever the the Weather is any way favourable; so that if you can think
of advising any thing that you may think proper in her present
State from the Description I have given of her present symptoms
shall be very happy to have your Opinion of her Case by the first
return of the Post, which I hope will be very Satisfactory to both her
friends & self & having no Other Faculty Employd {illeg}
me more desirous of having your Opinion as fully on her C{illeg}
you possibly can. She has taken very little Medicine, as she is very
averse to every thing of the Kind, so that except a few of the cooling
Pectorals & asmall Infusion of the Bark & the keeping her Body
regular with a little of the Magnessia or Lenative Electuary is all
I durst Venture upon, I have avoided all Opiates and every thing that
might tend to heat or Inflame, she has for these 2 Weeks past
made use of a little Asses Milk in the Morning, but for these few
days past has proved rather purgative & tho I have try'd both
the {illeg} Powders & also a small quantity of Rum or Brandy
in it yet still has led to the same Effect so have given it over till I
have your Opinion about using it or not; as by her not using the

Milk for these 2 Mornings past has had no loose stool, but
regular Stool every Day. so that she is now taking afew
Doses of the Bark Infusion only thro the day. Her diet
has been mostly of the Grain Kind some days a little Veal
or Mutton & avery little Wine at dinner Mixt with
water. The Heat & Quickness of her Pulse generaly Increases
in the afternoon & Evening & some Nights Sweats agood
deal especialy if the Cough happens to be anyway troublesom--
troublesome her Expectoration rather seems to Increase
tho not of the purulent kind no does she Complain of
any particular Taste or being any way disagreeable
the pain in her Side seems to give her very little trouble
at present nor does there seem to be any weight or
Preasure in her Breast, nor any Difficulty in Breathing
except going up a Stair or any sudden or Quick Motion
she had just an Appearance of her Menses about the
End of the Month but nothing of any consequence & its
now about the time that they should return if any thing
might be done to promote that Evacuation hope it might
be of Service. I have now related every particular I
can think off & must beg your serious Attention to this
Case & your Answer as soon as you conveniently can

To
Docr: Wm: Cullen
M. P.
Edinburgh

From Ths Hall
abt. Mrs Willoughby
Febry, 5th 1775
V. III. p. 99.