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Dr Samson Concerning Dr Wilson

Your account of Dr Wilsons situation
gives me the utmost concerned. I have long known esteemed
and loved him as an intelligent & worldly man and would
be very happy now to contribute to his relief but I am sorry
to find that at this distance I can not properly or confidently
advise in an ailment of a doubtfull nature and liable to
change its state from day to day. I had lately a letter from
his spouse telling me of several circumstances which lead me
to believe that the whole of his complaints to have proceeded
from a gouty disposition not taking its proper course but
what influence this should have in his present situation I
cannot determine and can only say that we should ↑not↑ lose sight
of it altogether. By your account there is no doubt that
his present disease is an Anasarca of the lower extremities
with probably some water in the thorax and perhaps as you
observe in the ventricles of the brain. I am of his own
opinion that he is not fit to bear drastic purgatives

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but some purging seems to me absolutely necessary and I
would certainly employ the cream of Tartar pretty freely.
I would give it indeed par reprise so as to give it a chance of
going to the kidneys and with the same view I would give it
somewhat diluted. This direction to the kidneys may seem
to you superfluous after what you tell me of the state of
his urine but I suspect a fallacy in this matter as I sus¬
pect the seeming quantity of his urine to be owing to his
drinking so much by Dr Millmans perswasion. ¹ That may
also account for the limpid Urine he voids but I suspect
that it is his drinking and no part of his serum that passes
this way. I would still therefore wish to employ diuretics
and allow me to say that the Crocus Syrup properly
prepared and used in large quantities proves often a very
powerfull diuretic. How far punctures of his legs may
be proper I must leave to your good judgement which I believe
in every respect will advise very properly. I am with great
regard and agreeable remembrance of our former connection