E. JOHNSTONE.

Birmingham, May 26,
1785.

_March_ 8th, 1783, I was called to attend Mr. G----, a gentleman of a
robust habit, who had led a regular and temperate life, AEt. 68. He was
affected with great difficulty of respiration, and cough particularly
troublesome on attempting to lie down, oedematous swellings of the
legs and thighs, abdomen tense and sore on being pressed, pain
striking from the pit of the stomach to the back and shoulders; almost
constant nausea, especially after taking food, which he frequently
threw up; water thick and high-coloured, passed with difficulty and
in small quantity; body costive; pulse natural; face much emaciated,
eyes yellow and depressed. He had been subject to cough and difficulty
of breathing in the winter for several years; and about four years
before this time, after being exposed to cold, was suddenly deprived
of his speech and the use of the right side, which he recovered as the
warm weather came on; but since that time had been remarkably costive,
and was in every respect much debilitated. He first perceived his legs
swell about a year ago; by the use of medicines and exercise, the
swellings subsided during the summer, but returned on the approach of
winter, and gradually increased to the state in which I found them,
notwithstanding he had used different preparations of squills and a
great variety of other diuretic medicines. I ordered the following
mixture.

R. Foliorum Digitalis purpur. recent. [Symbol: dram]iii.
decoque ex aq. fontan. [Symbol: ounce]xii ad [Symbol:
ounce]vi colaturae adde Tinctur. aromatic.

Syr. zinzib. aa [Symbol: ounce]i. m. capt. cochl. duo larga
secunda quaque hora ad quartam vicem nisi prius nausea
supervenerit.

_March_ 9th. He took four doses of the mixture without being in the
least sick, and made, during the night upwards of two quarts of
natural coloured water.

10th. Took the remainder of the mixture yesterday afternoon and
evening, and was sick for a short time, but made nearly the same
quantity of water as before, the swellings are considerably
diminished, his appetite increased, but he is still costive.

R. Argent, viv. balsam peruv. aa [Symbol: dram]ss tere ad
extinctionem merc. et adde gum. ammon. [Symbol: scruple]iii aloes
socotorin. [Symbol: dram]ss rad. scil. recent. [Symbol: scruple]ss
syr. simpl. q. s. f. mass. in pil. xxxii divid. cap. iii. bis in die.