James Mott letter to Thomas Rotch, New York, 4th of 2nd mo 1805.

              B-125-7   
              
  
               Dear Friend           New York,4th of 2 mo 1805
               Thomas Rotch
           
                                      Two motives induces the present
               communication,the first to inform you somewhat of the
               situation of my dear Robert,whose welfare you have mani-
               fested yourselves interested in,the discharges of blood from
               his lungs at Easton and Troy,you are I  conclude particularly
               informed of, soon after which he returned to Mamaronick
               in a very debilitated stae, but in the course of a few weeks
               he regained his strength so as to be able to walk from one
               to two miles in a day, and pretty soon to take his wife in
               the chair and drive it himself to New York, and from
               thence in a few days to Burlington to see his son at school
               there, but this proved too great a fatigue to him, which,added
               to a cold also taken,brought on a complaint he has been
               subject to for several years,by which his strength was much
               reduced again and on getting a little better of that,another
               discharge of blood took place, by which his strength was
               more exhausted than at any time before, but he regained
               it so fast as to be able to ride home in a chaise in a
               bout 2 weeks, and after getting home to walk out and sometimes
               to side on horseback,till the weather became too cold for him
               to venture,since his confinement to the house but little
               change took place,save that by the sudden changes of the
               weather he took cold several times, and this increased his
               cough,which had been pretty hard at times since last
               yearly meeting;about six weeks ago he was prevailed
               on my Doctor Damon,to commence taking the digitalis
               a late discovered medicine,being a tincture made from
               an herb called foxglove,abundantly made use of in
               England of late years, in consumptive cases, and with very
               great success,the doses were dayly increased,till
               they brought on a sickness and vomiting, with a general
               debility of the system which is no uncommon thing
               nor unfavorable circumstances.  The medicine was then
               discontinued for about a week,when he appeared quite clear of its effects
               it was then administed again, but in smaller quantities
               and in a few weeks, several favourable symptoms insued, his
               turns of coughing,were reduced from four and six,to two and
 
               sometimes only one in 24 hours, the expectoration also decreased-