ppeared by my having a fainting fit one day on the road,
after having travelled only about fifty miles; in the course of the
summer I had two or three more slight attacks of gout of less
consequence, till the month of October; when I was afflicted with it
all over me in such a manner, as to be without the possibility of the
least degree of removal for some days; and was about two months without
being able to get into the air. This was the severest attack I had then
experienced; though I have since had several equally severe. In the
course of this summer I had a fall with my horse; and soon after it,
having discovered an enlargement on one elbow, I concluded I had hurt
it at that time; but in the course of this last attack having a similar
enlargement on the other elbow, I found my mistake, and that they were
collections of gouty matter; these increased to the size of pullet's
eggs, and continue in that state. I had soon after similar enlargements
on my heels; the right heel being severely bruised, I was under the
necessity of having it lanced, and a large quantity of chalky matter
was discharged from it; and have since that time frequently had chalky
matter taken from it, and sometimes small bits of apparently perfect
chalk. My right hand soon was afflicted in the same way, and I have
scarcely a joint on those fingers now in a natural state. My left hand
has escaped tolerably well. After this last attack (viz. October 1785),
I had two or three slight attacks before the month of June 1787, when I
had a very severe intermittent fever; from that time I continued very
well till the latter end of the year, when I began to feel the gout
about me very much, but was not confined by it. I was in this state
advised to try what is called the American Recipe (gum guaiacum and
nitre dissolved in spirits); it had apparently been of essential
service to a friend of mine, who from the inability to walk a mile for
some years, was believed to be restored by the use of this medicine to
a good state of health, so as to walk ten miles a day. In addition to
this medicine I drank, as my common beverage with my meals, spruce
beer. I had so high an opinion of this medicine in the gout, and of
spruce beer as an antiscorbutic, that I contemplated with much
satisfaction, and with very little doubt, the perfect restoration