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To Mr Hunter of Thurston

yours of the 11th is come to hand only yesterday.
I am heartily sorry for your Brothers distress & the more so, that
his throwing up of blood must make him & you more
deliberate about your journay, & indeed till the throwing up
of blood shall have ceased for some days I think you
cannot venture upon it. I hope the medicined proposed
shal continue to operate properly & I expect they may
give him considerable relief. I need say nothing about
increasing the dose of the Calomel & squills further than
what I said here. If they are given often, the dose cannot be
increase least the mercury should go to his blood, but if
other circumstances will admit of the mercury being
given more seldom, the full dose may be employed
I think you are right in giving, the Pulv. jalap compt the
very morning after the dose of Calomel & the night before.
As the Dropsical symptoms with the asthma are increased
I am afraid that his disease urges into a Crisis & if he can bear
the Evacuations, I think they are the only chance he has
for recovery & must therefore be persisted in. Possibly
they may answer so well as to save a dose of Calomel
once in two times & when this is given therefore every
fourth day, you may safely venture upon the four grain
doses. If the water should increase in his thighs &
get in to the scrotum & Penis, it may be necessary to
make some punctures on the inside of his thighs, &
punctures are much better than Scarification
& either of them safer in the thighs than on the ancles.
Made in the thighs indeed they will not much relieve
the parts below, but if they discharge well, & heal easily,
it may tempt us when occasion requires to try them in the ancles.
also. . -----