1804 October 22, West Bradford, to Dear Friend

              10th Mo 22nd 1804My dear Friend,To undertake to remove a concern so rationaly fixed in the mind of my friend would irrational in me, but an attempt to abate its fervor is a task I willingly engage in, and shall attempt it in undisembled truths; thy dear little son I have no doubt is under the affecting complaint of Chin or Whooping cough, but think thine is a fair prospect of having it light, he has been about three weeks since it began with him like a cold, the weather then was blustering and my Children and him appeared to have taken Colds which gave us no uneasings untill about ten days ago, and could not acertain any thing untill a few days since (we knew nothing of its being within several miles of us). I have moved little Wm's lodging down into my room, where I have the care of him myself; he runs about and plays lively as I ever saw him and coughs but seldom, mostly in the morning when he gets up and perhaps twice or three times thro the day; sometimes has a spell at going to bed, but to-night went to sleep without coughing any, he has not Whooped at any time, neither has he Vomited, but has a tickling quickness in the emotion that discovers what it is, his Appatite is good and Breathing clear as usual, had a little fever yesterday, and last night, but none today it was recomend to me sometime ago as the practice of doctors in Your City to give them a dose of Calemel in the beginning of the Complaint repeat in about a week and again at the same length of time. I have prescribed it accordingly, he was this day under the opperation of the second dose which did very well. I have given the Haregoric (??) Elixer every night they all discharge