[Page 1]

[Page 2]

[Page 3]

[Page 4]

[Page 5]

[Page 6]

[Page 7]

Permit me to introduce myself to your
correspondence as the Son of a person, of whose professional abilities
you had always been pleased to express a favourable opinion &
for whom you had on many occasions professed so flattering an esteem
& regard. My Brother's situation in London had induced my Father
to resolve on my receiving my education there, & by that means I
was deprived of the honour of being known to you, which I have,
ever since thought of with the greatest regret.

I am now to ask your opinion about Mr Innes of Muirefold, a
Gentleman whom you may recollect the having seen & been repeatedly
consulted about. As this is the case & I have only attended his Family
since he came to reside here about Six Months ago, you will pardon
my being so general on the state of his health previous to that period.
Mr Innes aged about 54 originally of a robust healthy constitution
tho in general a sober man, had lived full, was occasionally irregular
& often exposed himself by riding on horeseback at all hours & in all
seasons to much cold & fatigue. About the 1770 after having been
for some little time subject to Rheumatick & Stomach Complaints
he was seized with a swelling in his eyelids, for which you was
consulted - Since that time I understand he has been occasionally

Last year the state of his Brothers health called him from Peterhead to
Edinburgh, before he had been a week there, which deprived him of
the benefit of the water for that season. In November he went again to
Edinburgh, & came home the beginning of December with a Cough & hoarseness.
which he totally disregarded, & without asking any advice only took a little
Syrup of Capillaire, for some weeks after this he went about about Coughing
& his Stomach not having much failed him, he paid very little attention
to what he eat or drank. About the end of January his Cough became
better & he continued to recruit & mend till the middle of February, when
business called him to the Country, & notwithstanding the stormy & tem¬
pestuous weather he went on Horseback, rode often after dinner, & one bad
night, after having sat up drinking till three oClock in the morning, he
got on horseback & rode four miles, next day, tho a very bad one, he
came to Banff ↑being↑ Ten miles.

The Cough had returned during his absence, & then for the first time
I was consulted –- I found him with a violent Cough especially in the
night time, spitting up large quanties of a tough, viscid, glary tenacious
Phlegm. He now began to lose his Stomach, his Pulse was irregular

He became daily worse, lost his Stomach totally, the Cough increased &
he was in strength oftish much reduced, without any great heat fever
or difficulty of breathing. He did not think after taking the Seltzer water
for five days, that it agreed with him, & therefore laid it aside, he
was then prevailed on to try Asses Milk; A Tea cup full with a little
Brandy in the morning only, was given for the first few days & afterwards
in the morning & afternoon; This agrees better with his Stomach than he
expected & he has continued the use of it ever since. Being at the time he
began to use the Asses milk unable to ride he was obliged to take
to the Chaise. His Complaints for some days after this seemed more
stationary, tho his strength was gradually failing, & about ten days
ago he was scarse able to bear the motion of the Carriage, & used to
come in after having been only half an hour out much fatigued.
At this time he complained much of a bad taste & dryness in his mouth
& was very desirous to have a second vomit. I did not choose on ac¬
count of his great weakness, to give him the Emetic Tartar & advised him
to take a Mustard vomit, which operated easily, & brought up a
quantity of Phlegm. Next day being the 10th Currt. I advised him

Little alteration took place for three days after taking the Bark,
only that of being rather more open in the belly, having had once or twice
two easy motions in the day; he however after this began sensibly to
recruit, the Cough & quantity spit up gradually diminishing, while
he acquired more strength, felt less of that uneasiness in his back,
& has had these three days past more craving for food, than for the three
preceeding weeks; His pulse is more regular, he sleeps well & does not
cough more than half an hour any night; he is rather open in his
Belly at present, having sometimes two inconsiderable ill formed stools
I have sometimes thought his legs swelled towards night but knew
it would alarm him to make any enquiries about that.
He takes presently for Breakfast a little Cinnamon with weak Tea,
& toasted bread. He is two hours in a Carriage every day &
can presumably walk with tolerable ease thro the House,
which he could not have done before.

He takes equal to a drachm of Bark in Decoction every fore¬

This is Mr Innes's present situation with the means that have
been & are presently employed for the recovery; of all which
his friends and I are anxious to have your opinion.

I should have told you that Blisters have often been suggested
but he would not be easily prevailed on to have recourse to them.

I must tell you, that his friends have thought it proper
not to inform him at present of your having been consulted
& therefore they wish it may not by any means reach his ears.

William Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh