William Steptoe to Thomas Jefferson, [24 July 1819]
From William Steptoe
Saturday evening. [24 July 1819]
D, sir,
My syringe is so often lent & sent about the neighbourhood that I am sorry to say I do not know who had it last. However I will dispatch a boy after it, and when found send it over to Burwell, thinking it would answer a very good purpose in his case—In the mean time, you might repeat the purgative by Giving him a tablespoonfull of Castor oil once in two hours.1 After the Bowells are effectually open’d; the pain might be releived occasionally with Laudanum
With great regard Yours &c &c
Will: Steptoe
RC (MHi); partially dated at foot of text; adjacent to signature: “Mr Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as a letter of 24 July 1819 received the same day.
1. Omitted period at right margin editorially supplied.
Index Entries
- castor oil search
- Colbert, Burwell (TJ’s slave;1783–ca.1862; Critta Colbert’s husband); illness of search
- health; bowel complaint search
- medicine; castor oil search
- medicine; laudanum search
- medicine; syringes search
- oil; castor search
- slaves; errands by search
- slaves; health of search
- Steptoe, William; as doctor search
- Steptoe, William; letter from search
- syringes search