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The Mucus destin'd to lubric¬
cate the Branchia may
be secreted in too large
quantities: Blood may
ouze into the Pores or Ex
Air Vessels Pores or Extremities
from the Pores or Extremities
of the Branch↑chial↑ Arteries

The actual Causes of weak¬
ness are said to ↑be↑ a deficiency
Suspension or remission of
the supply of that Subtle
matter wch. ought to be
distributed by the Nerves
thro the muscular fibres

The Causes of this Defic.
Suspen. Remiss. may be variou↓s↓
some things immediately
spoil it depriving it of
its Elasticity, Such as
Putrifactive Acrimony how¬
ever obtain'd. --- Violent
or long continued Exercise
or Labor of Mind or body
impair the muscular strength
owing to its disipation
of that entirvening fluid, -
profuse discharges of blood
or secreted Humours also
induce weakness, taking
off from the source wch.
affords new supplys to the nervous System it des¬
troys the Equilibrium in
the vascular system wch. sub¬
sists betwixt the parts

containing & contained, for
in proportion as the sides
of the Vessels compress & urge
forward the Fluids in the like
proportion do they repell as
particles containd in these
fluids resist & distend th
Canals. Hence when this
Balance between the
contracting power of the
vessels & the explosive
force of the fluids comes
to be deestroy'd whether
produc'd by unusual dis¬
charges allowing the
vessels to collapse by
a new & sudden expansion
of the fluids or by a
new & sudden Expansion
creating an over-Disten¬
sion of the Canals, pro¬
portional degress of weak¬
ness always ensue -

Weakness constantly
takes place in all mus¬
cular fibres that have
been affected wth. spasm
& is constantly in those w↑ch↑.
have been the Seat of
severe Pain.

In these extracts, My
Case will be found, which
is compos'd of a Cough, cre¬
ating a very large mucous
Discharge, sometimes but
very rarely, ting'd wth. a
little exsudated Blood, &
a degree of weakness in
my whole nervous System,
which increases, as my
Body increases in flesh,
& healthy appearance; into ↑and↑
my Legs, & Thighs especially,
diminish & waste --

The Learned must attend
to two Circumstances, I
never had any Complaint
to make of my stomach, or
of my Lungs :- I believe
them perfectly sound, but
every spring, for these
five years past, the Easter¬
ly winds of March have
made most violent attacks
upon me, & would continue
so to do, wth. great danger
to the patient, were they
not prevented ;- at the
same time there may
be tender treading, lest the
whole discharge should
not ↑arise from↑ be cold contracted
in Spring , but may be
a new Channel opend by

nature to void a Mucus
which has chang'd its Chan¬
nel -

As to my Weakness, I
see it in the clearest
light possible . - Nature
seems to me to have
divided my System into
two, in the intention of
giving up the [outwords?]
& defending the Body of
the Place, wch. never ha¬
ving felt Pain or Spasm,
is perfectly plump &
healthy, & my Limbs,
Thighs included, wch. have
wth.in these twenty years
suffered more from those
Complaints, than is possible
to describe, have been
losing flesh, these ten
Years, & are now dry &
collapsed- I see but
one remedy to prevent
nature from carrying
her plan into execution,
& I think myself pretty
sure, that in time, it
will answer to a certain
degree.- Here I will
stop, till I have heard

the opinion of the learned,
but if they suggest nothing
better, I shall certainly
try it, for my last casts
have hitherto been very
successfull, & taught me
to have confidence in dif¬
ficult situations.

Lord Cathcart
July 1776
Vol Vth p. 52