[Page 1]
Case of Robert Harkness, Tennant in
Kirkmichael --------

Our Patient ↑enjoyed↑ pretty good Health till about
these six years (last) bygone

Since the age of fifteen has often Subject
to Headach, and generally had a very little
appetite , but the Aliment taken in digested
very well; This complaint of his head, has rather encreased these Six years past, accom¬
pianed with a Flatulencies in his Stomach,
Belchings, a depressed, low Pulse - While the
his Head-ach did not disturb him, he enjoy¬
ed pretty good Health

Betwixt six and seven years ago
he was seized with a violent Pleurisy; &
Some degree of cough remained, without any
Expectoration; which sometimes returns, and
is much agravated upon getting cold; also, when
the cough is more violent he does not breath so
freely as at other times

About the beginning of last Febru¬
ary he was Seized with violent Stitches
in both sides, beginning at his Ancles, and

---

[Page 2]

and shooting up his Legs and thighs, spread¬
ing thro' the Spine and muscles of the back,
and terminating in his Breast and sides
with Fever a quick pulse, but whether
strong or weak is not certain) headach, a
burning Heat about the Region of the stomach
Flatulences &c (as before)- Hot fits, but never
any shivering, coldness, or Horror - often exces¬
sive frequent Yawning - the Fever went
off in 2 or 3 days, but the Pains remained
with the complaints of the stomach - these
too in 2 or 3 days more went off - but in
5 days, upon exposure to cold both returned
tho' not so very violent - NB: He was blooded
to 8 ounces the 2 days of his Illness, but he
can't remember the appearance of the blood.

After These complaints continued for
2 or 3 days, the second time of their attack, they
had a remission every 2d day, and during thatswe
he was greatly relieved, this made the
Surgeon conclude it was an "Irregular ague"

8 days after this he ordered him a vomit

---

[Page 3]

of Ipecacuanha which did him very
little Service - 2 or 3 days after this he gave
him some Purgative Medicine (I don't know
the Quality) which operated very well, and
relieved the Pains somewhat. After this he
ordered him to take a Scruple of Bark
twice a day ---this he only gave him five
Scruples↑doses↑ - and the Patient thinks the sweat¬
ing was relieved by this remedy - in 3
days after the last Scruple of Bark, he ordered
him an Infusion of Chamomile and Bark
in Brandy ↑[in a dram glass of?]↑, this he took for 10 days, all
which time, (viz from the day after he
took the Purge till now) the Pains were as
violent as at first - Then he ordered him
another Purge which carried off the stitch¬
es --he interrupts me Just now and tells
me that all this time the Flatus was
his greatest plague

His water was of a High colour, his
Fæces very brown, and fœtid, bad taste

---

[Page 4]

taste in his mouth - Belly pretty regular,
but when bound the symptoms are always
agravated

After this he took other five Scruples
of Bark the same Quantity to the dose as
before - and four drams of it were [infused?]
in 6 gills of Brandy, and he was ordered
one 4th. of a Gill to be drunk every day -
This increased the Flatus, and headach,&
brought on a Lowness of Spirits, this obliged
him to give it up in six days -

Then he got gradually better, tho
never perfectly well, not even in the same
↑tender↑ Situation he had been in Before the first
attack in February - He continued this
till Saturday, the 25th ultimo ¹ , when upon ex¬
posed to cold, he was seized with severe
Headach, stitches, beginning {illeg} (↑about↑) the Clav¬
cle running thro' the Trunk, and fixed in
the Region of the Spleen, where they conti¬
nued for 5 days - Severe Cough, very

---

[Page 5]

very little Expectoration, what was spit up
was yellow, difficulty of breathing, could
lye on the affected side, but not on the other,
Pulse Quick, Hard and Full - Next day
he was blooded to ℥ X ² - The blood threw
up an Inflammatory Coat - This mitigate¬
ed the present Complaints - got 2 or 3
Asa-Fœtida Pills, which produced 2 or
3 Stoolls (Collour of which nobody could
inform me) - The Surgeon ordered him an
an opiate and ordered him Lintseed tea
to drink, and Barley water - on tuesday
night gave him another Opiate, which
did not produce any Quieting effect, but
a Copious Sweating followed - he gradually
{illeg}↑{illeg}↑{illeg}
recovered, tho' still much oppressed with
Flatus, and sweating, but on Wednesday
morning, 1st. June, was very apprehensive
of himself, the Pains in side altered to his

---

[Page 6]

his breast, and ↑betwixt↑ his shoulders, got no sleep,
the Heat about the Region of the stomach was
excessive, some sweating -- in the afternoon
the pains returned to his side, still complaining
of oppression and Heat about his Heart, as he
called it, - --

He forgot to mention before that
he had a slight Itch on his arms and
thighs before he was first taken ill, which,
upon his being seized, all struck in, and
then whenever it came out he was always
easier --

I omitted to mention that there is
a Pleurisy, and Peripneumony Endemic in
this part of the Country Just now --

His tongue is dry, & white -- a bitter taste
in his mouth, tongue sometimes brownish --

There is also another thing omitted by him.
About 9 years ago he had an Itch on his skin
and he got a Quicksilver belt for it - this is
the foundation of his Cough - for he got cold and was

---

[Page 7]

was seized with severe stitches in his
breast, and around the Region of the Liver
and Stomach -- he threw it off immediately
upon this, and never wore it since --

I beg you'l tell me your opinion of
the nature of the disease, as the 2 Practitioners
are so widely different from one another