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I have the honour of a Letter from
Lord Selkirk dated Dumfries 11th telling me that
as the Influenza is then frequent and violent at Dumfries
he supposes it may soon reach St Mary's Isle and therefore
desires that I may advise your Ladyship how it is to
be most properly managed. This I shall endeavour to do
as well as I can by this Letter.

As soon as by a Stoppage of the Head, some headach
some stiffling of the breast, some tendency to coughing
and especially by some cold shiverings or any of these
a person perceives the attack of the disease, let him
immediately resolve to keep close at home and even
within doors to avoid cold. If languid and feverish
let him go to bed and at least next day keep abed
for the whole day, when it is common to have some
gentle sweat and by which the disease is commonly
broken and is hardly further troublesome. This is the
chief part of the management, to avoid cold, to favour
a little sweating by laying a bed and drinking plenti¬

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fully of weak warm liquors, as weak Tea and
Watergruel, and at the same time abstaining from
all solid animal food and all kind of strong drink[.]
But among these weak warm liquors I should have
mentioned beef tea, and chicken water which however as
the disease goes off may be gradually made stronger.
By this simple management, the disease generally goes off
in three or four days. It is indeed seldom that any fever
continues so long and tho the cough may, it is commonly
upon the decline and going off in that time -- This however
especialy is to be observed, that a person once affected with
this disease is very liable to be affected with cold and therefore
by being exposed to cold a person is very apt to have disease
continued longer than usual, or when it seems to be gone very
ready to have a relapse. Let persons therefore be in no
haste to go soon abroad after this disease or to return
soon to a full Diet -- For the most part this disease
goes over very easily and requires no other remedies
but the management mentioned above. In a few
instances however it is more violent attended with
much fever, sore throat, pains of the breast, perhaps
stitches and difficult breathing. In such cases bleeding
and other remedies may be necessary, but for judging of
this I must leave it to some practitioners on the Spot. I hav[e]
thus endeavoured to instruct your Ladyship as well as I can