John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

28. Mrs: Brooks, the Cook, and Margaret Wedge the house maid, watched for me, the whole Night in the Drawing-Room. I did not call them once, the whole Night through; but I had a totally sleepless and extremely painful Night. The inflammation and swelling round my eye continued to increase, and this day was so great that I could scarcely anticipate how it would end. I had scarcely taken for five days any food, and now with much weakness and inanition had some, though no considerable fever. There is a discharge of a watery humour from the eye, the obstruction of which appears to be the cause of the inflammation.— It becomes mucous, purulent and glutinous; and the swelling round the eye having almost entirely closed it, the discharge has been consequently still more obstructed— Yesterday the eye was often washed with warm milk and water, and a small syringe was used to wash the Ball— This was found too powerful for the eye in its present state to bear— This day it has been frequently bathed with a small spunge, and the eye-lashes frequently anointed with lard, by a camels hair brush passed over them— This enabled me to keep the eye open as much as the swelling would admit— Until this expedient was resorted to the eye was almost constantly closed by the glutinous humour which fastened down the upper eye-lashes, upon the lower eye-lid— About seven this Morning I waked my wife, and requested her, to send earlier for Dr Cook, than the hour of his usual visit— I thought he would find it necessary to apply more leaches, and I was myself desirous of trying the effect of a blister— When he came he did not recommend any more leaches, but agreed to send the blister— I rose about one O’Clock afternoon, and it was then applied under my left ear— The Doctor, who has found that the Cornea, of the eye has not been affected, and that the Ball is less blood shod, since the application of the leaches, has better hopes than before; while my own concern is this day greater than it had yet been. The chamber was kept all day as dark as could be; to see to move in it. My eye could not endure the feeblest gleam of light— The blister took but slight effect; and was almost imperceptible to me, owing to the extremity of pain in the eye— The children came home from School— John very unwell with a slow fever. In the Evening before I went to bed the watery discharge from my eye seemed to be more free than it had been before— I went to bed about eight in the Evening, and the pain soon after became so violent, that I was nearly delirious— It seemed to me as if four hooks, were tearing that side of my face into four quarters— After being about an hour in that state, the pain abated considerably; the watery humour, dropped freely and continually from the eye; the extreme swelling apparently subsided; and I could perceptibly open the eye wider than I had been able for two days— One abscess had found an opening at the corner of the eye-lid next the nose, and a thick purulent matter oozed out slowly from it— Nothing this day from Mr Grubb— I received two Letters— One from Mr Shaw of South-Carolina dated N. 3. St: Albans Street, informing me that he has concluded not to go to Liverpool; but to sail for Charleston, from London. The other from a Mr Ingersoll, for whom I forwarded last Sumer a Letter to J. Ingersoll of Philadelphia. He writes to enquire if I have received an answer.