THE records of medicine cannot perhaps afford an instance similar to the present, nor do we find in the different writers, who have professedly treated on maniacal affections, one case wherein, at so early a period as the age of eleven years, the disorder has appeared with marks so clear and intelligible. And it is as singular in this instance that [Page 6]there seems no clue leading to the cause, as predisposing to insanity, no translation of the diseased matter of any part to the membranes of the brain producing delirium &c, nor diffusion of bile, sud­den subsidence of cutaneous eruptions, absortion of matter from abscesses, wounds, or ulcers, no scrophulous or cancerous taint of the juices, no exhibi­tion of deleterious vegetables or mercurial preparations, no sudden fright, acci­dental blow, fall, or any hereditary predisposition to mania. No one of his family on the side of either father or mother having ever been remembered to have been the least affected with mental disease; in short there was no obvious cause to which the complaint could be rationally assigned. The child [Page 7]was looked upon as possessed of no ex­traordinary share of genius, ability, nor activity of imagination, nor was he so sprightly as most boys of that age, but rather of a thoughtful, melancholic disposition, very little inclined to pue­rile amusements and diversions; but rather docile and tractable, he had al­ways been healthy, had never shewn a wanton propensity to hard and indegisti­ble aliment, he had never been too much indulged, nor compelled to any intense application of mind. It was his custom in the morning to go with other children to a school at some distance from his home, and to return in the evening. On the twenty ninth of January, 1789, he return­ed unusually low and dull, little notice was then taken of the alteration in his [Page 8]appearance; but upon his return from school the following day, the depression and lowness being much more visible, a serious enquiry took place, as to the cause of his complaint, but his answers seemed rather extorted, were vague, unconnected, and inconclusive he seem­ed hurried at the sight of strangers, often turned pale, trembled, had an angry acute staring look, with dilated pupils, and dreadful apprehensions, frequently look­ed fearfully about, as if he suspected some ill design, sometimes he appeared timid and distressed sig [...]ed much, and had not more than a quarter of an hours sleep throughout the whole night. January 31st, from a supposition of costiveness, some manna was dissolved and given him, which operated once, but did not [Page 9]relieve him in the least, he appeared all the day unusually strange in his manner and actions. Fear, distress, and shame, alternately occupied his mind but he did not at any time advert to any one object in particular, nor upon the strictest examination could it be found that he had been lately terrified, or undergone the least degree of scholastic admoni­tory discipline, or that his temper had been ruffled in any shape whatever. He was sat up with, had very little sleep, not more than two hours in the whole night. In the morning, February 1st, he spoke rather more rationally than he had done before, but complained of a pain in his head with giddiness, weakness, and rather a dimness of fight, that his eyes ached and were painful, and that [Page 10]he scarcely knew where he was, and said he was very sleepy; he laid down to sleep, but was so restless and distressed in mind, as not to get any, and if a word were spoken, it made him peevish, and petulant, and the least motion from the bye standers became an immediate object of fresh inquietude and vexation. Having some degree of rigor, and his legs and feet feeling very cold, by the directions of his mother, they were very judiciously immersed in warm water, and he was put to bed again, when the same distressful ideas occasioned the same watchfulness as before, and he slept not so much as an hour in the whole night, often waking in great perturbation of mind, sometimes sighing, as if he la­boured under great affliction and at in­tervals [Page 11]incessantly talking and rambling with quick transition from one subject to another, without the least reason or coherence whatever. February 2d, the family apothecary was sent for, who found him in the state as before describe­ed with an alienation of mind without a fever; the skin harsh and dry, he had had little or no perspiration from the time he was taken, sometimes very wakeful and loquacious, at others stupid, absent, and musing, and the pulse rather below the natural standard at his age; sinapisms were ordered to the feet, and a blister to the back, which were applied in the evening; he passed the night in a more uneasy and restless manner than before, and in the morning, at the particular request of the apothe­cary, [Page 10] [...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 12]another practitioner was consulted. February 3d, his sleep during the night had been less disturbed, but of very short duration, at most not more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time, and in the intervals frequently interrupted with sighs and startings. February 4th, all the former signs of mental derange­ment recurred, and there appeared not the least alteration for the better, the blister had discharged but little, and he having been costive, for some time, four stimulant clysters were successively injected; but returned again, just tinged with the feces, and without any apparent good effect. Until February 18th, he continued alternately in a silent stupid or distressfully obstreperous slate; but at intervals began to shew some signs of [Page 13]returning reason, which continued to furnish hopes of recovery, until Febru­ary 14th, when he reverted entirely in­to his former bad state, had a miserably distressing night, with the aggravated symptoms of distorted eyes, and oppres­sed respiration; neither was he in the least better all that Day nor the following night; the blister at his back discharged tolerably well, was kept open, and an issue was also opened in his arm. February 15th, &c, he took emetics twice, which had no manner of effect either upwards or downwards; bolusses of cam­phor were prescribed and given; but still he remained in a gloomy and per­turbed state of mind without any sever until February 19th, when becoming much worse in every respect, and by [Page 14]way of revulsion, it was thought neces­sary to apply blisters to the legs, which was done, and a very bad night ensued; for it was with much difficulty he was kept in bed; besides the ordinary symptoms of melancholy, he was at times more irascible and furious than at any former period of his illness. February 20th, all day he appeared to labour under the most excruciating and intense sensations of anxiety and an­guish, and passed a dreadful night. February 21st. the same symptoms con­tinued without the least mitigation, un­til toward the morning, when a sullen silence and reserve, accompanied with some degree of sleep supervened, relax­ing from which, for some hours, he appeared rational, and more calm and [Page 15]composed than he had been for some time before; but this was an interval of short duration, for February 22d. he grew much worse, with cold shudder­ing, great difficulty of breathing, was furious, and became quite raving, so that two strong people could not hold him, down in his bed, without much exertion, and in this state, with very little variation, he continued until February 27th. when soon after some loose feces, procured by a laxative medicine, he suddenly became more easy and composed, passed more water than he had done for several days be­fore, slept with much less interruption, seemed to be more rational, and in some degree, recoverd his usual spi­rits, but February 28th. he reverted to [Page 16]his former state of horror and dejection, and seemed scarcely to know or attend at all to external objects. March 1st. he was apparently less distressed and agi­tated in his mind. March 2d, produced some comfortable hopes that he was getting better, which in some degree alleviated the painful feelings of maternal affection, that had so long been upon the rack on account of his sufferings; but this cessation of parental solicitude, was only protracted until March 7th, when he again appeared low and sad, and much deranged in mind, and com­plained of a pain and weight in his head, which was directed to be shaved and embrocated with distilled vinegar, and a blister to the head was also advised as essentially necessary; but the idea of its [Page 17]application was so distressing to his friends, as to preclude for the present all thoughts of it; another emetic much stronger than either of the former was next thought of and administered accordingly; but prov­ed as inefficacious in its operation as ei­ther of the preceding, neither occasioning nausea, vomiting, or purging; but some small degree of dampness on the skin was thought to be in consequence of it. Hitherto every medical effort had pro­ved fruitless, and the poor little sufferer obtained no palliation of the symptoms. March 9th. Still a victim to the ravages and returns of this merciless malady, he was seized with dismal apprehen­sions, and groundless fears. The facul­ties of his mind were weak and timid. Taciturnity and meditation took place [Page 18]of horror and depression, tears and lamentations, which recurred and re­mitted in proportion as his ruminating paroxysms were longer or shorter, his nights were passed in watchfulness, and his days in sadness, with lucid intervals of momentary duration, until March 13th, when the solitary state of his mind changed, on a sudden, into distraction audacity and violence,; the dilirium appearing to have taken a turn directly opposite to its former genus, so that from the desponding, he was now be­come the raving maniac, and the situa­tion of himself and friends was rendered truly deplorable indeed. At this crisis of calamity a blister to the head was again proposed, and the former objections giving way to the emergency of the case, [Page 19]was applied, when the next day he was infinitely worse, and more restless and unmanagable than he had ever been before. The causticity of the blister occasioned the most violent excitement, and thereby counterbalanced every benefit which might have arisen from its discharge, and indeed in a very long and extensive practice I never re­member to have seen more than two instances of the good effects of vesication to the head, one of which was in a phre­nitic complaint where torpidity and langour had been brought on by profuse evacuations, and the other in a maniacal affection, of some standing, when the powers of nature had been debilitated by inanition. In the indiscriminate uses of epispastics to the head, for the cure of [Page 20] cerebral disorders, particularly where an overfulness is already obvious, much mischief may be apprehended from their ardent and powerfully stimulating influence. March 15th, the patient be­came so very raving and restless, that having no strait waistcoat, nor using any ligatures to his arms and legs, it was as much as three people could keep him from getting out of bed, in which frantic and turbulent state he continued until March 17th, when another emetic was administered, but with the same ineffe­cacy as before. March 21st. The vio­lence of the disorder seemed abated, and on that and the following day he was not so loud and raving as he had been for many days before but often muttered to himself, and appeared stupid, absent, [Page 21]and musing. March 23d, he continued more still and quiet, but very low and melancholic, at any time scarcely spoke loud enough to be heard, and remained in this depressed state until March 26, when he seemed to recover more or his usual spirits, and was at times tolerably consistent and rational. March 27th, his former symptoms re­curring, my advice and attendance was thought necessary, and when with the most feeling anxiety and symphathetic concern, the whole of the foregoing account was recollected, and given me in detail, as far as her memory could assist her, by the afflicted mother of the patient, whom I found removed to a remote part of the house, and lodged in a darkened room, with an assistant on [Page 22]each side the bed, for the purpose of coercion when necessary, and notwith­standing the length of his confinement, the violence of his disorder, and the many relapses to which he had been subject, he had not that morbid or ema­ciated appearence which might have been expected. Approaching to the bedside, I did not at first seem to attract his attention, but after speaking to him he turned round, and in a low despond­ing manner, said, ‘"He should never be any better, but that I might do as I pleased with him, that his father was not able to provide for him, and that he had never been able to learn so quick as other boys;"’ to which I made him the most consolatory answers I could suggest, and soothed him as [Page 23]much as possible; at the same time assuring him of the great probability which I entertained of doing him good, and of getting him quite well, provided my rules and directions were punctual­ly followed; by this means appearing to have gained his good opinion, he smiled, and seemed pleased; and to do my little patient justice, when in his senses, and capable of so doing, he chearfully strove to second my endea­vours to assist him, by an implicit obedience to my advice and instruc­tions. Perceiving that he frequently made sudden efforts to jump out of the bed, and that the attendants in endea­vouring to restrain him, irritated him the more, I recommended the use of a strait waistcoat, which I had brought [Page 24]with me for that purpose, and which was used before I left the house, and continued occasionally to the end of the cure. From the first beginning of his disorder, his appetite had been much depraved: upon examination I per­ceived a small degree of tension about the epigastric region; but not attended with any pain, nor had there been the least degree of inflammation in the stomach or bowels; his breath had at times been fetid, but not extremely so, and was now rather offensive; the urine had been sometimes high coloured, and at others pale and limpid; but had never been observed to deposit any kind of sediment, and in general had been made in smaller quantities than was natural. His deglutition had been [Page 25]observed to be more difficult, when under the paroxysm of dejection, and in his most delirious state, with a slight degree of deafness, moisture of the eyes, dimness of sight, and an involuntary discharge of tears, he talked much more inconsistent than when I first saw him, and complained of spectres and fright­ful dreams: often when at the best, I was informed, he appeared drowsy and ready to fall a sleep, he had frequent eructationry, and his feet were remarked to have been alternately hot, dry, and cold, his eyes sufficiently indicated the perturbed state of his mind, their pupils were greatly distended, and the lids tu­mid and red, with a sordid rheum adhe­ring to the edges, his face was florid, but neither bloated nor swelled, he expressed [Page 26]some childishly ridiculous fears, appeared very forgetful, with a small degree of stupor, and upon asking him where he was most in pain, after two or three times waving his hand, as if in doubt, he at last pointed to his forehead, he appeared to have an equal degree of heat over the whole body, nor was there the least augmentation thereof in his head and temples, he was naturally inclined to costiveness, and the stools he had had through the course of his disorder, (when not procured by medi­cine,) where generally high coloured, and at the distance of two or three days; he had not the least degree of fever, and the functions of his mind were apparently injured and deranged, he frequently changed his position in [Page 27]bed with an extraordinary degree of velocity and strength, and was so little debilitated, that he appeared to have a greater share of muscular strength, than in a healthy state, is common to boys of his age. I observed that he seemed rather pleased in every opportunity to give his attendants fresh occasion to watch and guard him, his respiration was not in the least oppressed, and he had no sickness at his stomach, his deep had been much interrupted, and seldom long continued, his sweats had been partial, and never once either profuse or gene­ral, chiefly in the night, and seldom continued more than a few minutes at a time; probably from the disturbed state of his mind, and the restlessness of his body consequent thereon. In the [Page 28]paroxysms he had been sometimes heard to grind and gnash his teeth; had never appeared thirsty, nor at any time had he drank with eagerness and voracity; his voice was much lower than its natural pitch, and seemed in­capable of continued distinct articula­tion. The pulse was low, at about sixty, and scarcely perceptable, but though so low and weak, I considered it as a fallacious guide, and that its pre­sent state was a certain indication either of some obstruction in the heart or lungs, or some degree of oppression in the cerebellum. I was therefore fully satisfied with the expediency of taking away some blood as the best prelimi­nary step to the cure. Venesection was accordingly performed, and about six [Page 29]ounces of blood taken from the arm; immediately after which the vibrations of the artery were manifestly more distinct and somewhat accelerated; the blood, when cold, was covered with a a very thin cake of gluten, adhered to the bason, was very bilious, and the serum was of a yellowish color. Soon after the operation, the child spoke rationally for some time, seemed much less drowsy; was more inclined to sleep, than he was before, but in about an hour relapsed into his former state. I directed a seton to be made between the scapuloe in the direction of the spine; that his feet should be frequently im­mersed in a warm pediluvium of salt and water, and with a view to induce perspiration, that he should often re­cline [Page 30]his head over the edge of an earthen vessel, and receive the fumes of warm vinegar and water; that he should be restrained by the use of the waistcoat, as occasion should require; and be talked to as little as possible. Considering the proximate cause of his disorder to arise from a turgency and detension in the cerebral vessels, I recommended the diet to be cooling, plain and slender, with almost a total abstinence from liquid food, that drinks of all sorts should be sparingly ad­mitted; and in their stead directed roasted apples, dried cherries, tama­rinds, or currant jelly, &c. All objects, which engaged his attention, or excited the least emotion, were to be removed, with a view to keep his mind calm [Page 31]and placid; so that all mental irri­tation being taken off, the aptitude of frantic paroxysm might be lessened. He was ordered to abstain from all flatulent, viscid, and gross food, to have more air, and even exercise, when it could be admitted. As emetics had been so repeatedly tried without effect, and were thought hazardous, as they force too great a quantity of blood to the head, I objected to their use, and prescribed a saline purgative mix­ture, with the infusion and tincture of sena, to be taken until evacuations should be procured. Laxatives were continued occasionally to prevent cos­tiveness, and having in many instances experienced the efficacy and good effects of camphor in similar disorders, [Page 32]as may be seen in my late publication of SELECT CASES OF INSA­NITY, I prescribed as follows,

℞. Camphoroe ʒ ij

S: V: R: ʒ iij

Gum: Arabic & Sacc: Alb: a ʒ ij Misce simul denique adde gradatim aquoe pluvialis ℥ viij cujus capiat coch. ij vel iij ad libitum: for which form I was in great measure indebted to Dr. Rowley, who in his excellent Treatise on Female Nervous Diseases, Madness, &c. very judiciously recommends it as a much better preparation of cam­phor than the julepum e camphora; because in the former the dose of camphor may be ascertained, whereas in the latter the finest particles, by the use of boiling water, evaporate and fly [Page 33]off, so as to render the remedy of doubt­ful utility, or perhaps, in a great mea­sure inefficacious. On the day after my visit, March 28th, I was informed the patient had passed a tolerable easy night and had derived the expected re­lief from the purgative medicine. March 29th, he had some sickness at the stomach, which was attributed to the camphor, on which account the julep was directed to be given in less quan­tities, and not so often, March 30th, the report was still more favourable, he was more rational, and talked with recollection and propriety, but was subject to remitting pains in his head. March 31st, he became very low, in­deed, and was in every respect in a state similar to that at the commence­ment [Page 34]of his complaint. April 1st, he was tolerably rational; but complained of his head, with depression of spirits, and cried very much, said ‘"nobody loved him, and that he should not be happy in a future state."’ April 2d. having passed a very indifferent night, he was attacked with cold shiverings and yawning, cried very much, and intreated his mother to come, which she did; but his distress and anxiety continued the same as before. The seton began to discharge plentifully, in the afternoon, his head was easier, he appeared better, and the depressions were of much shorter duration than they had been. April 3d, he had a to­lerable good night, and was still more rational and quiet than the day before; [Page 35]upon the whole, there appeared a pro­bable chance of success by a continua­tion of the plan first laid down. April 4th, after a tolerable night, early in the morning the depression returned, his feet being damp and cold, the pedilu­vium was used; he had no occasion for opening medicines, having had fecal evacuations regularly once, and sometimes twice, on the three preceding days; the urine had continued its pro­per course. April 5th, the urine was very high coloured, without sediment, or fever, the belly regular, pulse se­venty. The discharge from the seton was little, but from the issue much increased; in the night he was rather restless, with slight wanderings of the mind, but more rational in the day­time. [Page 36]The regimen continued to be punctually observed, and the patient was carried out in the open air up­wards of an hour. April 6th, he com­plained of his belly, and was observed to rub and pick his nose, with some degree of lowness, a sudden loss of voice, and paleness of countenance; he complained of nausea at his stomach, his breath was unusually fetid, in the night, he was very watchful, and in­coherent in his expressions, and had troublesome dreams, with evident marks of indigestion. April 7th, he was much the same all day, the night was restless and uneasy, the fetor of the breath continuing, with pricking sensations of the abdomen and a frequent irri­tation to stool, induced an idea of worms [Page 37]being the cause; but as the excrements had never appeared white or slimy, and none had ever been voided by stool; that they really did exist was a matter of doubt; however, from the foregoing evidence, I thought it adviseable to try the mercurius saccharatus of the Ebinburgh Dispensatory; both as a good evacuant, and a safe vermifuge; this medicine after being taken twice, occasioned two dejections within the space of a few hours; but no worms, nor any thing of a verminous nature appearing in the stools, and the symp­toms which had given rise to this sup­position still continuing, the more effec­tually to dislodge them, if they did exist; I prescribed one grain of the [Page 38] gum gut. gamb. with half a grain of calo­mel, and an additional proportion of saccharum, made into the form of a powder, to be exhibited at proper pe­riods, besides which, I directed some garlic to be cut small, and between whiles to be given in milk, but neither of these remedies producing the least appearance of worms, and the patient being apparently not so well in many respects as before, he discontinued his former regimen and medicines. April 11th. They were had recourse to again, the purgative medicine being directed to be intermitted as usual—we had now a partial suppression of urine, which was soon removed by mild diu­retics.—It was an observation made by those about him, that he was [Page 39]always more in his senses, and that his head was always clearest when there was a plenty of urine, and that this had been the case from the commencement of his disorder; it was therefore a symp­tom which more particularly required an alleviation, and was removed without much difficulty by small doses of the spiritus nitri dulcis in parsley-root tea, and to the prevention of which the warm pediluvium, which was con­stantly continued, did in great measure contribute. April 12th, he appeared much better in every respect, his mind was settled and quiet, and he was taken into the air, and except some flatulen­cies in the stomach, passed the day in a much more rational manner than at any time before; but in the evening was [Page 40]again very low, sighed much, and was incongruous in his speech and beha­viour, but not turbulently so, he slept but little all that night, and the next morning appeared drowsy and low­spirited, which was in great measure attributed to taking cold in his airing the day before. April 13th. After ha­ving had a tolerable good night he got up and dressed, walked about the room and was very rational; the seton which before had been very fore and painful, discharged more and became easier; having had no stool for two days, the purgative medicine was given and re­peated at proper distances, but not ha­ving its usual effect in the evening, an emollient clyster was administered, which produced stools of a fetid and [Page 41]loose kind, and he had this night a more general and long continued per­spiration than at any time before during his illness; but was at intervals watch­ful and restless. April 14th, he was very sensible, and at his own request again taken out into the air for some considerable time, continued tolerably rational all day; but in the evening was again depressed and low, wander­ed in his conversation from one subject to another, and complained of pain and weight in his head. The warm pedilu­vium was made use of for half an hour before, and at bed-time, the camphora­ted julep was given, his sleep was fre­quently interrupted with terrifying dreams, he had no stool, and in the morning awoke very sorrowful and [Page 42]low, and continued in that state through the greatest part of the day. April 15th, he was much the same, in the forenoon he took twice of the camphorated julep, and in the after­noon once of the laxative medicine, which had no effect; he had little or no appetite, appeared much out of temper, and at times talked wild and inconsistently; in the evening a clyster was given, which soon after returned without doing any service. The night was passed in watchfulness, and much interrupted by frightful dreams. April 16th, he appeared much clearer in his intellects, but complained of pain in his head, with a tension of the abdomen and difficult respiration; the oleum ri­cini was therefore prescribed instead of [Page 43]the former purgative, the second dose of which procured a stool soon after it was taken; but he was not able to pass any water, nor had he made a drop for the last four and twenty hours. The spiritus nitri dulcis was therefore again directed to be taken in a cupful of parsley-root tea, till he made water freely—he continued calm all the day, but not very rational, and had rather a better night than before. April 17th, he was very low, spoke but little, and at times was rather absurd in his actions and behaviour; continued so all the day, and passed but a very indifferent night. April 18th, he had a free pas­sage, and had no occasion for either the drops or oil. April 19th, he was very composed and consistent; the feet were [Page 44]continued to be immersed in the warm pediluvium, and continued moist and warm; he perspired during his sleep, which was longer and but little interrupted; and made water freely; it was of a reddish colour, and deposited alight sediment. April 19th and 20th, he continued in a comfortable state, had good nights, and his appetite re­turned. April 21st he was very low, and complained of his head, and having had no stool for three days, a spoonful of the oil was given him, which an­swered the purpose soon after it was taken; his head was relieved, he con­tinued cool and rational all the day, and had a very good night. April 22d, At his own particular request he was placed in a little carriage for several [Page 45]hours, drawn about in the air, and was indulged in every little amusement that could be thought of; but with the pre­caution, that the mental faculty should not be permitted to dwell too long at a time on any object whatever; he now began to speak and play about in his usual manner, and with more vivacity, it was observed, than before his disor­der took place. He wished to ride on horseback, but for the present it was thought improper, and he patiently acquiesced in that opinion. As the singularity of his case excited much cu­riosity, many persons had a desire to see him, but none were admitted so to do, but those he had been previously acquainted with—if by chance he saw [Page 46]any strangers, it was remarked that the sight of them did not hurry and agitate his mind so much as it had done in the former part of his complaint. He con­tinued in a quiet and rational state un­der the same regulation of diet and medicine as before enjoined, until May 10, when after an indifferent night, very early in the morning he was re­attacked with his former unaccountable lowness of spirits and melancholic ideas, his mind became alternately agitated with fear and sorrow, suspicion and solicitude, and continued so all the day, having had no regular stools for the last two days; some of the oil was given, the first dose of which had no effect; the second answered the pur­pose, but from this as well as some [Page 47]sleep which he got in the first part of the night, he derived but little benefit. The pediluvium and camphorated julep were continued regularly, and May 12th he appeared much more tranquil, but complained of pain in the lower bowels, which was removed by a sti­mulating clyster, after two doses of the oil had been tried in vain. May 13th, he was affected with a pain in his head, and his eyes being slightly inflamed, and the lids rather swelled and red, by my direction a surgeon was sent for to bleed him, who at first objected to the operation, on account of the low­ness in his pulse; but at the request of the mother, through respect to my advice, his opinion was overruled, and he took away about twelve [Page 48]ounces of blood; he bled very slow, and did not appear to miss the blood at all; until his arm was binding up, when he turned pale, his lips became white, and he was all over in perspiration, but soon recovered without fainting. The pulse, after bleeding, was observed to be more manifest to the touch, stronger, and rather more accelerated. Upon enquiry, I found the blood had a slight buffy appearance, and by way of cu­riosity upon being divided and put into scales, the crassamentum weighed six ounces and three quarters, and the serum five ounces and a half: an experiment made to please the fancy, and for the satisfaction of the mother of the patient. The seton had discharged little, but the issue very much, which [Page 49]had been the case all along; after bleed­ing he passed the night well, and was tolerably well all the next day. May 15th, he was rather low and inconsistent in his discourse, having had no stool the usual quantity of oil was given and re­peated, but without effect. May 16th, he was not so low as yesterday and more consistent, but having made no water all the former day and night, the scar­city of it was relieved as usual by the drops and parsley-root tea. May l7th, he was very dull, talked but little, and seemed not much to attend to external objects. May 18th. Having passed a very good night, and having had a natural stool in the morning, he ap­peared much better in every respect, and was very tractable, still, and ra­tional [Page 50]all day. May 19th, he appeared quite comfortable and happy, and de­sired to ride on horseback, which by my direction was agreed to. At the same time I advised, that he should receive every admissible gratification. From this time, he continued rational in his conversation, and consistent in his behaviour; but was frequently too high-spirited, and sometimes rather troublesome to rule, and it was not without the interposition of some au­thority, that he was prevailed on to persevere in any part of the regimen which had been before enjoined; for having recovered his liberty, and ex­perienced the indulgent partiality na­turally resulting from the joy of the parent, whose tenderest feelings had [Page 51]been so long exercised on his account, and as he got better, the diet having been allowed to be more liberal and nutritious, though small in quantity and gradually increased, he began to consider every restraint with more im­patience—although in general he con­formed to order tolerably well. On account of sudden slight inflammation and itching in his right eye, it was thought advisable to repeat the bleed­ing on the seventh of June, from which time every distressing and tumultuary motion subsided, and he has continued without interruption in the full pleni­tude of his mental faculties, to the com­fort and grateful acknowledgment of his worthy and respectable family. The seton was dried up soon after the [Page 52]last bleeding, but the issue in the arm has been kept open. It is very singular that ever since his recovery he has been much more chearful and sprightly, and not in the least subject to that lowness and dejection of spirits which had always before been considered as naturally attached to his temper and disposition.