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Tuesday Dec 12th Had to go & see Megen this morning
Found him a used up sort of a patient has neglected
himself for years has a spleen that fills nearly all his
abdomen liver perfectly torpid &c &c Gave him 8 drops
of croton oil, some spts nitri dulc &c; Waited at
the house till an hour after dinner a rough set they
are out there; a pretty little Susan Octavia, the only interes
ting object about, she gave ne some corn beads for "my little
girl", left Megen asleep & better, his physic not yet
operated, promising to call next morning.
I shot a bitch this morning; the "fons et origo" of
all the noise last night Dr Caldwell & I went to
the spot at about dusk, drove off the disconsolate troop of
dogs who watched devotedly around, and cut her open
taking some viscera home for dissection, we sat up late
proposed mutually a trade of horses Mine will not
do me He is a skittish fool I must have his Tom
Wednesday Dec 13th
Went again to Megen's found him better had
been purged tremendously, wanted to eat a dish of hog
brains & greens I prescribed, & told them if he eat the
brains not to send for me for I would'nt go
Dr Caldwell & I made a trade an extravagant one, on
my side, one might say, who knew nothing of the merits
& demerits of the case We swapped horses & I gave him
my note for one hundred dollars so that Tom when
paid for, will have cost 215 dollars or 220
I think Ill be able to pay for it, with Toms aid The Dr & I went gunning
around the cotton field after dinner He shot two
hawks which I have deprived of their soft parts for
the purpose of skeletonizing We saw the new
Fashion pass by, as we were at the river, towing a
barge a very pretty vessel Dr Mitchell of
Marianna came in after supper came down to
the Port on the Boston has been up in Ala is going to settle
in Glenview, Barbour Co I got a table & calico to cover it with
from Friday found a cowbell in the field &c &c &c