Thomas Sydenham (1624–1689)

I am sorry to learn that your health continues declining. I suppose it is from a continuation of the visceral complaint you mentioned to me. I then slightly stated to you what I will now do more fully. I was taken with such a complaint the beginning of 1801. It continued on with me more or less violence over two years. Mentioning it to Dr Eustis of Boston he told me there was but one remedy to be relied on, that which had been discovered by the great Sydenham, which was riding a trotting horse. I immediately recollected that every time I had gone home or returned, it had been cured for a time. I got Sydenham's book, and observed the numerous instances he mentions of radical cure, when every thing else had failed, by putting his patients on a trotting horse & making them take long journies. I had not time to take journies, but I began to ride regularly 2. or 3. hours every day. It was some time before the effect was sensible, because it takes time to strengthen the bowels, but in about a year I was compleatly cured, & am now perfectly well. 'Go thou & do so likewise.'

P.S. You have time. Therefore take a long journey at first.

(TJ to Henry Fry, June 17, 1804.)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbc3&fileName=rbc0001_2007jeffca...… (mere)