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Two days ago I was favoured with a Letter from my
friend Mr John Carmichael, inclosing your Opinion of my Case,
which by a Chain of Accidents has been so long coming to me; he
sent it to Leghorn, from thence it went to Trieste after me and at
last it came here.--

Your Opinion of my Case, my present Situation tells
me, is exceedingly well founded, and I consider myself exceedingly
happy that by my friend Carmichael's going to Scotland, he had an
Opportunity of consulting the very person whose Opinion I most wished
for. I am sensible it is a thing almost impossible to be so good a
judge by a representation in writing as by personal enquiry, and
therefore am using all my endeavours to finish my Affairs
upon the Continent as soon as possible, that I may go over to En¬
gland and pay that attention to my health which I much stand in
need of.-- It may however be the Month of January before I can
accomplish my wish, and then I mean to do myself the pleasure
with your permission of my putting myself under your Care; in
the mean time I shall immediately begin the Course of the Uva
Ursi which you recommended to me, and pursue your regimen strictly.

Since Mr Carmichael left me I have been several
times well and ill again. I have every reason to suppose that
what I have always taken for bilious has been owing to a weak
Stomach which can hardly digest any thing and since I have
paid a more particular Attention to the quantity as well as quality

of my food I find myself much freer from these Complaints in
my head and eyes that I have been plagued with for some years,
but more so since I left China. When my Stomach performs its
functions I find my body keeps tolerably regular, but both one
and the Other stand now and then in need of some little assistance..
The Italian Physician that I consulted recommended to me to
drink a great deal of cold Ice water and to live on a Vegetable
Diet as being good for the Complaint in my Stomach and also for
the weakness which I explained in the Case which Mr Carmichael
laid before you, but I find by experience that most Vegetables are
harder of digestion for my Stomach than Meats. If for this Com¬
plaint and for the other, the State of which I shall explain to
you, any particular Diet is necessary I shall be much obliged
to you if you will be so kind as to mention it. I know that I
ought to avoid every thing that is hard of digestion or tends to
Costiveness, but what things are so, I am always at a Loss to
determine------

Soon after Mr Carmichael left me I got free of
these seminal weaknesses which I complain'd of and recovered
so much that I congratulated myself on being quite well,
but I have had since two or three fresh Attacks of it, not
near so violent as those I had on board the Ship, but enough
to alarm me. I explained my Case to an Italian Physician
who told me that my Complaint proceeded from the heat of
my body and prescribed to me iced water and a kind of astrin¬
gent mineral water which they have in Italy, but I think
that so much drink weakened my Stomach more than ever,
and did not tend to fortify the parts from which the weakness

proceeded.-- My employment constantly moving about, put it
out of my power to use the cold Bath, and I think it now rather
too late in the Season to begin.----

I really cannot say whether my Complaint pro¬
ceeds from the Gravel; I have no pain whatever in making wa¬
ter nor disagreable feeings in the seat of the bladder; the
pain which I had in my loins and which was very uneasy at
times has left me a Month ago, and the Sediment which used
to be in my urine when Carmichael was with me does not ap¬
pear any more, at least what it does, is very little. I forgot to give
Mr Carmichael a little of it as intended but now send inclosed
as much as I used to pass in 24 hours. From it you will pro¬
bably be able to judge whether my Complaint proceeds from a
Nephritic affection or not. At this time I discharge Semen
or Mucus (for I know not which it is) with my urine when I
go to Stool, sometimes more, sometimes less, but generally
some, and seems to me to be caused by the straining
which I necessarily use, as when I make water only
there is no such Appearance. When it passes from me it ap¬
pears like small globules of clarified Sago or clear jelly,
not stringy or ropy, nor does it in the smallest Degree
discolour a rag when applied to it, & I have the same
disagreeable feelings in my yard for some after coming
out of the Necessary that I explained in the paper which
you have seen. From the Observations which I have since

made I think that you are very right in attributing a part
of my Complaint to a weakness in the neck of the bladder, as
several involuntary Drops of Urine came away for some time
after making water.------

As your Humanity is no less extoll'd than
your Abilities you will I hope excuse the trouble I give
you and do me the pleasure to write to me to this place
directed to the Care of Mr Pietro Proli of Antwerp with
your still further advice. Ever since I have been trou¬
bled with this Complaint I have been afraid of its bring¬
ing on a Consumption in the end, and a slight pain which
I have now in my breast makes me a little apprehensive
of it, tho' it may proceed from other Causes. In case any
confirmed Symptoms of it should appear I should
be glad to know what I am to do. I am with Respect