St. Georges May 19 1730
Sir: I’m informed by Mr Lloyd Jupiter is afflicted wth pains in
his Knees and thighs ascending to his bowels wch in my Esteem is
a gouty Rumatick Disorder (as you observe) of its getting up to
his Stomach, Desire the following Directions may be vsed. In the
first place give one of the Purges, In the morning fasting, and
all night one of the blouses, the next day take away about 12 or
14 ounces of blood (notwithstanding he loost blood in the winter)
from the foot will be the most serviceable a day or two after as
you find his strength will bear it, give the other purge, and the
boluses att night, on those days he doth not purge and is bled
give one of the powdrs in the Morning and another in the Evening
mixt in some Diet Drink made to the equal of Horse Raddish Roots
the bark of elder Root Pine Budds or the second bark wood or Toad
sorrel, make it stronger with the Ingredients and Lett him drink
constantly of it for a month or six weeks and then the remainder
of the summer let him have milch whey to drink he must live on a
thin spare diet abstaining from meat att nights all spiritous
liquors salt pepper and vinegar have sent some oyntmt to be used
as he did the former
with my affectionate Regards
To Vncle and Aunt best Respects to all yr good family
I remain
Your Most Humble and Obedt servt
G. Muirson.
[This letter is part of the Lloyd family papers in the Collections of the New-York Historical Society. It appears in the Papers of The Lloyd Family, Vol. 1 (309-310), as well as in Oscar Wegelin's 1915 Jupiter Hammon, American Negro Poet (8).]
