Letter 2618

Fol. 145 Master Digby a youth of 8 or 9 years of Age, naturally of a strong habit of Body, was affected about a yr ago with a deep jaundice, which some have imputed to a blow he had upon his stomach, but I rather think from obstructions for upon his taking a few doses of pil.rutti.rad.gent.puls and sal absinth at nights when he went to bed, and in the morning 5 spoonfuls of this following decoc…he was perfectly cured and continued hearty and well till the middle of December last, since that time he has labour’d under an obstinate jaundice and the same medicines I presume was made us of which cured him before, but not with that success upon my being called to him I vomited him with a tincture of ipecacuana and gave him rhubarb a scruple made into pills with a few grains of crocus martis; at nights and in the mornings 5 or 6 spoonfuls of the decoc above mentioned; these never moved him without the help of a clyster, nor made any alteration for the better either in his stools urine or complexion, upon which I gave him an infusion of senna, rhubarb and cream of tartar with … and this gave him 3 or 4 stools, and he grew much more lightsom and easy after. I design to repeat this once in 4 or 5 days, and on the intermitting days he takes an infusion … with an expression of millipedes and a few drops of spirit salt armoniac. I find this agrees with him much better than the bitter ingredients and steel and am in great hopes the obstructions will be removed by it. At present his water is of as deep a dye as…, but separates and deposites a very large sediment; his stools are of a light ash colour as before I took this last method with him he was every day pained and griped in his Belly, which now has quite left him. This Sir I have given you as full a description of this little Gentlemen’s case attended with all its symptoms as possibly I can, and should be glad to have yr opinion of him. If you approve of this, or any other method you shall hint to me it shall punctually be observed…