146 MEMOIR OF DR WRIGHT. 



you. The repeated and copious bloodlettings which you 

 judged necessary, may have given you a temporary relief, 

 but such a drain of the latex vitalis could not fail to produce 

 debility, relaxation, and prostration of strength. Of the long- 

 continued use of digitalis, I can say little from my own ex- 

 perience. I had a poor man some time ago with hydrotho- 

 rax and ascites. I ordered him the tincture of digitalis daily, 

 and a grain of calomel every night. In about three weeks 

 the hydropic disorder disappeared. From his pulse continu- 

 ing irregular, and from his extreme distress at times in breath- 

 ing, as well as from the strong palpitations of the heart, on 

 the least motion or exertion, I am of opinion there must have 

 been an organic affection either in the great bloodvessels, or 

 of the tricuspidal valves. Our hospital physicians will not 

 receive him. He sometimes takes the calomel, and sometimes 

 the drops, which he thinks keeps the disorder from getting 

 worse." 



In another letter of the same date, he adds : 



" In June and July I made my annual tour through the 

 north-west Highlands, and again passed some weeks with my 

 friend Dr Stuart of Luss. He has the finest private gar- 

 den, and is himself the best botanist, in Scotland. We ascend- 

 ed Ben Lomond (3150 feet perpendicular), but near the sum- 

 mit were enveloped in a watery cloud, so that we could not 

 see ten yards about us. We, however, attained our object, 

 which was rare alpine plants, lichens, and mosses. Dr Stu- 

 art and family accompanied me to Inverary, and from thence 

 to Glenorchy, where we made some stay with the clergyman, 

 who is a relation of mine, a worthy and learned divine, cele- 

 brated in several books of travels for his attention and hospi- 

 tality to strangers. I then proceeded to Tyndrum, where 

 there is a rich lead mine, and slept at Killin. From thence 

 I journeyed to Lochearnhead, and passed along the north side 

 of thai beautiful lake, through the romantic grounds of Lord 



