The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1541] From: Mr William Craik (Craick of Arbigland) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Miss Elizabeth Craik (Betty Craick) (Patient), Miss Brown (of Bishopton) (Patient) / 4 August 1778 / (Incoming)
Letter from William Craik regarding the case of his daughter Betty, who will be delivering the letter in person. He also mentions the case of Cullen's patient Miss Brown of Bishopton, and his own case from some time previously, and says that he is now completely recovered after an operation.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1541 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/632 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 4 August 1778 |
| 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 William Craik regarding the case of his daughter Betty, who will be delivering the letter in person. He also mentions the case of Cullen's patient Miss Brown of Bishopton, and his own case from some time previously, and says that he is now completely recovered after an operation. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:961] |
Case of Miss Betty Craik who is emaciated and has a pulmonary disorder. |
6 |
| [Case ID:2158] |
Case of Miss Brown of Bishopton with dental problems. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:685] | Author | Mr William Craik (Craick of Arbigland) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:686] | Patient | Miss Elizabeth Craik (Betty Craick) |
| [PERS ID:2449] | Patient | Miss Brown (of Bishopton) |
| [PERS ID:2112] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Hamilton (in Dumfries) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:685] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr William Craik (Craick of Arbigland) |
| [PERS ID:2448] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Miss Maxwell |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Arbigland | Kirkbean | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | Bishopton | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
My daughter Betty who accompanys
this has for more than two years been in a declining
state of health, which at first we were in hopes the Goats
whey would have remedied, but on finding no sensible good
effects from her using it & her indisiposition seeming reather
to increase last winter, I sent her last spring to Dumfries
to be under the care & direction of Dr. Hamilton Physician there
where she remained about ten weeks without being any better
and 'tho the Doctor gave the greatest attention to his patient
he at last honestly & candidly owned he did not understand
her case & therefor was of opinion that his advice of a more
experienced Physician should be taken: upon this information
I neither did or could I hesitat a moment when to apply &
was determined to send her directly to Edinburgh for your opinion
& direction but as she was then very weak, the Doctor was
of opinion that her taking the Goats whey might possibly
contribute to give her a little more strength to accomplish her
Journey & accordingly she attended the season of the Whey at
a place about five miles from this which together with the
exercise of coming every other day in a carriage, as she durst
not ride to dine here & returning in the evening gave her both
more strength & flesh; but as I have litle confidence in this
small change for the better I now send her to be under your
direction so long as you shall think it expedient & with
which I dare say she will implicitly comply: she is
[Page 2]
constitutionally timorous shy & backward but Miss Maxwell
a relation of ours who has been this season [allong wt?] 1 with
Betty at the Goats whey & has obligingly agreed to accompany
her to town is a sensible young Lady & has observed with
attention the symptoms of her disorder will inform you with
more freedom than perhaps she her self & you will likeways
receive from Docter Hamilton the result of his prescriptions
& observations.
A circumstance which lately occurred has putt me into
spirits & to some degree suspended my anxiety -- the other
day Miss Brown of Bishopton, formerly & fortunately for her,
your patient, was here & as my daughters indisposition and
my intention of sending her into you were mentioned this
engaged Miss Brown to enter upon the particular of her
own case & which in every circumstance I could state from
what I had observed with regard to Betty was so exactly
similar, only that in Miss Brown it seemed to have arrived
at a higher degree of malignity, that I would gladly flatter
my self the cause must be the same as Betty's teeth have long
been remarkably bad; tho it does not become me to have an
opinion who disclaim the least degree of medical knowledge
you, I know will make allowance for an affectionate parents
being disposed to catch at any circumstance that may miti¬
gatt his fears, without imputing it to presumption.
Your humanity & benevolence are so well established that
I dare venture to say it will give you some pleasure to
[Page 3]
learn that ever since the operation I underwent I have
enjoyed health much beyond what is common at my age &
hitherto without the least symptom of a return of my for¬
mer complaint in so far that tho this month complets my
75th. year I still continue with the same keeness & am able
to attend my occupations in agriculture as formerly, only
upon a somewhat smaller scale, but not without often
regrating that occupations of a different kind should have
robbed that art of a certain person the most capable to in¬
lighten and adorn it -- I am with the sincerest regard
and esteem
Dear Sir
your obidient & most humble servant
I shall wait with some
anxiety to learn your opinion
of my daughters case --
Notes:
1: Unclear, but appears as if the author contracted 'with' and then wrote it in full in error.
Diplomatic Text
My daughter Betty who accompanys
this has for more than two years been in a declining
state of health, which at first we were in hopes the Goats
whey would have remedied, but on finding no sensible good
effects from her using it & her indisiposition seeming reather
to increase last winter, I sent her last spring to Dumfries
to be under the care & direction of Dr. Hamilton Physician there
where she remained about ten weeks without being any better
and 'tho the Doctor gave the greatest attention to his patient
he at last honestly & candidly owned he did not understand
her case & therefor was of opinion that his advice of a more
experienced Physician should be taken: upon this information
I neither did or could I hesitat a moment when to apply &
was determined to send her directly to Edr. for your opinion
& direction but as she was then very weak, the Doctor was
of opinion that her taking the Goats whey might possibly
contribute to give her a little more strength to accomplish her
Journey & accordingly she attended the season of the Whey at
a place about five miles from this which together with the
exercise of coming every other day in a carriage, as she durst
not ride to dine here & returning in the evening gave her both
more strength & flesh; but as I have litle confidence in this
small change for the better I now send her to be under your
direction so long as you shall think it expedient & with
which I dare say she will implicitly comply: she is
[Page 2]
constitutionally timorous shy & backward but Miss Maxwell
a relation of ours who has been this season [allong wt?] 1 with
Betty at the Goats whey & has obligingly agreed to accompany
her to town is a sensible young Lady & has observed with
attention the symptoms of her disorder will inform you with
more freedom than perhaps she her self & you will likeways
receive from Docter Hamilton the result of his prescriptions
& observations.
A circumstance which lately occurred has putt me into
spirits & to some degree suspended my anxiety -- the other
day Miss Brown of Bishopton, formerly & fortunately for her,
your patient, was here & as my daughters indisposition and
my intention of sending her into you were mentioned this
engaged Miss Brown to enter upon the particular of her
own case & which in every circumstance I could state from
what I had observed with regard to Betty was so exactly
similar, only that in Miss Brown it seemed to have arrived
at a higher degree of malignity, that I would gladly flatter
my self the cause must be the same as Betty's teeth have long
been remarkably bad; tho it does not become me to have an
opinion who disclaim the least degree of medical knowledge
you, I know will make allowance for an affectionate parents
being disposed to catch at any circumstance that may miti¬
gatt his fears, without imputing it to presumption.
Your humanity & benevolence are so well established that
I dare venture to say it will give you some pleasure to
[Page 3]
learn that ever since the operation I underwent I have
enjoyed health much beyond what is common at my age &
hitherto without the least symptom of a return of my for¬
mer complaint in so far that tho this month complets my
75th. year I still continue with the same keeness & am able
to attend my occupations in agriculture as formerly, only
upon a somewhat smaller scale, but not without often
regrating that occupations of a different kind should have
robbed that art of a certain person the most capable to in¬
lighten and adorn it -- I am with the sincerest regard
and esteem
Dear Sir
your obidient & most humble servant
I shall wait with some
anxiety to learn your opinion
of my daughters case --
Notes:
1: Unclear, but appears as if the author contracted 'with' and then wrote it in full in error.
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