The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1405] From: Dr Matthew Dobson / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Anonymous (Patient) / 12 May 1777 / (Incoming)
Letter from Matthew Dobson regarding an unnamed male patient who has diabetes. Discusses Dr Joseph Priestley's character in a postscript.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1405 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/501 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 12 May 1777 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from Matthew Dobson regarding an unnamed male patient who has diabetes. Discusses Dr Joseph Priestley's character in a postscript. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:884] |
Case of an unnamed male patient of Dr Dobson in Liverpool who has diabetes. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:469] | Author | Dr Matthew Dobson |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1850] | Patient | |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:469] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Matthew Dobson |
| [PERS ID:1851] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr Priestley |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Liverpool | North-West | England | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
I have at present under my Care a
Diabetic patient, in whom the Disease seems
in a great measure to proceed from a mis¬
placed Gout. --- The symptoms are, great pain
about the Region of the left Kidney, extreme
thirst, a better appetite than what is natural
together with a painfull sensation at the
pitt of the Stomach, & passes from 10 to 12
pints of Water in the 24 Hours. ---- When¬
ever the Gout comes into the Limbs; the thirst
the Pain in the Kidney, & the sensation about
the Pracordia, are immediately relieved, & the
discharge by Urine either much diminished
or returning nearly to it's natural state.
To trouble you with the whole of this Gentle¬
man's Case, would take up too much of your
time, but I have mentioned these few parti¬
culars as they are singular & the first of the
kind I have ever met with. ---- The Urine
is sweet; & two Quarts, yielded four ounces of an
[Page 2]
Extract exactly resembling thick Treacle, but
not so sweet. --- Some of this Urine placed in a
room in which there is no Fire, smelt Cheeses
whey for the first seven days; it is now 21 Days
that it has stood, the fermentation is still
very evident, air is detached, & there is a con¬
siderable Head upon the Surface. -------
This Gentleman is just gone for Bath, in
expectation that a smart fitt of the Gout may
prove a Cure; but I fear the Chances are
much against Him. -- I am still at¬
tentive in collecting Facts on this subject, &
hope that some ↑time↑ or other they will begin to
point to some more determinate conclusions
either respecting the Nature of the Disease or
the Means of Cure. ---
Permit me to ask whether you think Com¬
mon Air is convertible into Fixed Air? or whe¬
ther you think the following Fact in point?
A Surgeon applied to me about five Years ago
for some Pulmonic complaints which were
the consequence of a wound made by a Sword
[Page 3]
between the Clavicle & first Rib. - It appeared
from the subsequent symptoms, viz, Hemoptic,
Hectic, & purulent spitting, that the wound had
{illeg} penetrated the Substance of the Lungs. -
Soon after the wound, an Emphysema came
on, which greatly distended the Cel: [membrane?] of
the Breast, neck, face & shoulder: - the Emphy¬
sema however gradually decreased, & was
entirely gone in about 20 Days, without a
single scarification, or any application what¬
ever. -- Now we know, tha the Inflam¬
mation of the wound of the Lungs, would pre¬
vent the further escape of Air from the
Lungs, after the 2d or 3d Day; & the Inflam¬
mation of the external wound, would in like man¬
ner prevent the escape of the Emphysematous
Air from the [Cell: membrane?] - medical Observations
vol. 3 p. 389 & 390. ----- What then became
of the {illeg} extravasated Air which
constituted the Emphysema, & which was not
quite gone till the end of twenty Days?
[Page 4]
was it by the Powers of the Animal [oecono¬
my?], changed from the Elastic into the Fixed State
in the same manner that the Fixed Air which
is detached in a beginning Gangrene & distends
the [Cell: membrane?], returns again into a Fixed
state, as soon as the vessels of the gangrened
part begin to recover their proper & healthy
Action. --
Whatever hints, or information, you may
be so obliging as to give on this subject, shall
remain entirely with myself, if desired. -
I remain
with Gratitude & Esteem
D.r Cullen's
Faithful & Obliged Servant
Dr Priestley 1 says in one
of his volumes, 'I know of
no instance of Common Air
being changed into Fixed Air':- 2
But Dr Priestley is too hasty
in his Publications; & has more
of the Drawcansir 3 in some of the
Polemical parts of his writings
than I cou'd wish; for indeed in
these respects He does Himself great Injustice; - he is in fact, a Man
of the most open & liberal turn of mind, & of the most friendly & amicable Dispositions.
Notes:
1: Dr Joseph Priestley (1733-1804), the influential theologian and natural philosopher, a member of the influential Lunar Society (see ODNB).
2: Priestley had published the first volume of his (later expanded) Experiments and Observations on the Different Kinds of Air in 1774. Dobson is probably paraphrasing because no source has been traced for this precise statement in Priestley's numerous scientific works.
3: Term for a boastful braggart (originally alluding to someone quick to draw their sword).
Diplomatic Text
I have at present under my Care a
Diabetic patient, in whom the Disease seems
in a great measure to proceed from a mis¬
placed Gout. --- The symptoms are, great pain
about the Region of the left Kidney, extreme
thirst, a better appetite than what is natural
together with a painfull sensation at the
pitt of the Stomach, & passes from 10 to 12
pints of Water in the 24 Hours. ---- When¬
ever the Gout comes into the Limbs; the thirst
the Pain in the Kidney, & the sensation about
the Pracordia, are immediately relieved, & the
discharge by Urine either much diminished
or returning nearly to it's natural state.
To trouble you with the whole of this Gentle¬
man's Case, would take up too much of your
time, but I have mentioned these few parti¬
culars as they are singular & the first of the
kind I have ever met with. ---- The Urine
is sweet; & two Quarts, yielded four ounces of an
[Page 2]
Extract exactly resembling thick Treacle, but
not so sweet. --- Some of this Urine placed in a
room in which there is no Fire, smelt Cheeses
whey for the first seven days; it is now 21 Days
that it has stood, the fermentation is still
very evident, air is detached, & there is a con¬
siderable Head upon the Surface. -------
This Gentleman is just gone for Bath, in
expectation that a smart fitt of the Gout may
prove a Cure; but I fear the Chances are
much against Him. -- I am still at¬
tentive in collecting Facts on this subject, &
hope that some ↑time↑ or other they will begin to
point to some more determinate conclusions
either respecting the Nature of the Disease or
the Means of Cure. ---
Permit me to ask whether you think Com¬
mon Air is convertible into Fixed Air? or whe¬
ther you think the following Fact in point?
A Surgeon applied to me about five Years ago
for some Pulmonic complaints which were
the consequence of a wound made by a Sword
[Page 3]
between the Clavicle & first Rib. - It appeared
from the subsequent symptoms, viz, Hemoptic,
Hectic, & purulent spitting, that the wound had
{illeg} penetrated the Substance of the Lungs. -
Soon after the wound, an Emphysema came
on, which greatly distended the Cel: [membr:?] of
the Breast, neck, face & shoulder: - the Emphy¬
sema however gradually decreased, & was
entirely gone in about 20 Days, without a
single scarification, or any application what¬
ever. -- Now we know, tha the Inflam¬
mation of the wound of the Lungs, would pre¬
vent the further escape of Air from the
Lungs, after the 2d or 3d Day; & the Inflam¬
mation of the external wound, wd. in like man¬
ner prevent the escape of the Emphysematous
Air from the [Cell: mem:?] - med: Observations
vol. 3 p. 389 & 390. ----- What then became
of the {illeg} extravasated Air wch
constituted the Emphysema, & which was not
quite gone till the end of twenty Days?
[Page 4]
was it by the Powers of the Animal [oecono¬
my?], changed from the Elastic into the Fixed State
in the same manner that the Fixed Air wch
is detached in a beginning Gangrene & distends
the [Cell: membr?], returns again into a Fixed
state, as soon as the vessels of the gangrened
part begin to recover their proper & healthy
Action. --
Whatever hints, or information, you may
be so obliging as to give on this subject, shall
remain entirely with myself, if desired. -
I remain
with Gratitude & Esteem
D.r Cullen's
Faithful & Obliged Servant
Dr Priestley 1 says in one
of his volumes, 'I know of
no instance of Common Air
being changed into Fixed Air':- 2
But Dr Priestley is too hasty
in his Publications; & has more
of the Drawcansir 3 in some of the
Polemical parts of his writings
than I cou'd wish; for indeed in
these respects He does Himself great Injustice; - he is in fact, a Man
of the most open & liberal turn of mind, & of the most friendly & amicable Dispositions.
Notes:
1: Dr Joseph Priestley (1733-1804), the influential theologian and natural philosopher, a member of the influential Lunar Society (see ODNB).
2: Priestley had published the first volume of his (later expanded) Experiments and Observations on the Different Kinds of Air in 1774. Dobson is probably paraphrasing because no source has been traced for this precise statement in Priestley's numerous scientific works.
3: Term for a boastful braggart (originally alluding to someone quick to draw their sword).
XML
XML file not yet available.
Feedback
Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:1405]
Please note that the Cullen Project team have now disbanded but your comments will be logged in our system and we will look at them one day...
