Rush thanks Dr. Bostock for his essay on respiration, saying he will read it with interest and awaits Bostock's future work on the topic. The rest of the letter relates to Rush's English ancestry and friendship with Bostock's father.
Rush thanks Bostock for his article "Analysis of Animal Fluides," then provides requested anecdotes regarding Bostock's father. Rush comments upon treatment for pulmonary consumption and the use of bloodletting in parturition and pregnancy.