John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

13.

3. Having slept tolerably well last night, I felt so well in the morning, that I thought myself entirely recovered— At about ten this morning, the Doctor called, and observing that this was my bad day advised me to keep my bed; but I told him, I believed the affair was quite over, and I should get up in the course of an hour.— He said he wished I might not find myself mistaken, and recommended to me, at least not to rise untill noon— My impatience however could not wait quite so long— I rose at about eleven, but had not been five minutes up before I found myself so weak and faint that I was obliged to lye down again to recover myself— I did not however return to bed, but walked about my chamber and sat upon the Sopha untill about 6 in the Evening, with no small fever upon me all the time— I had sent several times to see the Doctor, who was not at home— He came at about 7. in the Evening, while I was in the height of my fever, but observed that there was nothing now to be done, as the disease must take its natural course.— I had nothing to do but to lye quiet, and drink limonade.— For about three hours I continued in the heat of a furnace, with every pulse in my body beating as if they would burst through, 267and at about 11. at night the fever went off, with a perspiration such as I never before experienced. Every pore in me, seemed turned into a fountain, and all the linen around me, was as if it had been dragged through a river.— I then changed it and passed the night in my wife’s bed— She got what rest she could upon mine— The violent perspiration was followed by another effect which obliged me to rise.