Cullen

The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

 

[ID:2003] From: Dr David Colquhoun / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr Campbell (Patient), Mr Gavin Fullarton (Patient) / 26 April 1781 / (Incoming)

Letter from David Colquhoun, concerning the case of Mr Campbell and also reporting on the progress of 'our friend', the surgeon Gavin Fullerton who is also ill. Cramped handwriting makes some passages difficult to read.

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 2003
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/1080
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date26 April 1781
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from David Colquhoun, concerning the case of Mr Campbell and also reporting on the progress of 'our friend', the surgeon Gavin Fullerton who is also ill. Cramped handwriting makes some passages difficult to read.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1371]
Case of Mr Campbell at Greenock who has a persistent venereal infection.
5
[Case ID:1414]
Case of the surgeon Gavin Fullarton who seeks advice on his own very painful rectal complaint.
4


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:86]AuthorDr David Colquhoun
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:87]PatientMr Campbell
[PERS ID:623]PatientMr Gavin Fullarton
[PERS ID:86]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr David Colquhoun
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Greenock Glasgow and West Scotland Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Mentioned / Other London London and South-East England Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]

Greenock April 26 1781

Sir


This will be delivered you by Mr. Campbell of his place who goes
to Edinburgh at my particular desire to consult you, as he is a very distinct young
man it well be needless got me to take up much of your time farther than
by a few hints & to inform you what course of medicine has been follow'd.


Some considerable time ago he went to London London
on his way he felt some uneasiness in his throat on which account he made
application to a surgeon. This proved to be Venereal, He was then put on a Mercurial
course (at London) with Decoct Sarsaparill, ↑by which he was relieved↑ some months after his return he spocke to
me, I found on looking into the throat several Venereal ulcers some chancres &
parts about the penis which was suspected to be the remains of the old affair tho he
coud not say but he had been in the way of getting it [acured?]. I put him on a course
of the mercurial pill & Decoct. Liquor: with sarsaparill: by which he was soon
considerably relieved but in Winter 1779 & 1780, whether from a New affection
or the old Taint I will not say or perhaps past of both he had Chancres {illeg} [phymosis?]
Warts about the parts & an Ugly scaley appearance on the scrotum with some warts
there & some parts of the scrotum cracked & from which cracks there came a thin sharp
watery [Schor?] with a degree of pain & a great Itching. He begun the mercury
again and the Decoction as before & continued both for several Weeks & we
[bushed?] the mercury pretty far tho not what you woud call a saturation
the scrotum was kept clean by washing some time doubles & the warts snipped
of & sometimes rubbed with mercurial ointment, at this time has Venereal
appearances
left him & he continued pretty well till this last [Month?] when the
scaly appearance on the scrotum begun again with a great number of Warts &
this appearance extended up on part of the penis & even some of it on the prepuce
which brought on the appearance of a stricture there somewhat like a degree of
phymosis as these scaley appearances was always relieved by a little mercury
had its full effect yet it did not relieve the scrotum neither did any medicin
medicines applied to the part but Poultices brought its return of state the whenever



[Page 2]

they were [dissoonlinved?] it returned & whereas a little crack appeared in the
scrotum there ozed out a thin watery Humor & soon followed a Wart of which great
members were cut off ---


I had almost forgote to say that in winter 1779 & 1780 the mercur pill
[purged?] him & we rubbed the strong mercurial ointment to the thighs in place of
[pukeing?] it inwardly but this I am scarce blame of (↑for↑) the appearance on the scrotum
[ascrous made of pure lard & no?] Turpentine.


He will show you the appearances on the
scrotum & penisby which youll be better able to judge than from any
description I am given


Our friend Mr. Fullarton is stricktly following your own
advice but Im sorry to say he is far from being savy yet he has his Ill days
& good days but always bad after stool tho nothing like so ill as sometime
ago he takes the purgant: the Laud & mucilage which you ordered every second day
sometimes of late he has seen some drops of pus on the tail of his shirt
but where it may have come from is not easy say, but he never gets a stool
without a dose of Rhubarb ------ I add no more but that I am


Sir your most obedient servant

David Colquhoun


P.S. About the beginning of the year he had two ulcers on his left arm
which had somewhat of a Venereal appearance tho I coud not positively
say that they were so as I have seen as bad an appearance after scrutching
out of a hair & these soon healed tho (↑but↑) at David Colquhoun time they appeard he was
taking ingredient & saturnine poultices were applied to them




[Page 3]


Doctor William Cullen
Physician
Glasg Edinburgh


Mr. Colquhoun Concerning
Mr Campbell.
April. 1781.
V. XIII. p.23.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]

Greenock April 26 1781

Sir


This will be delivered you by Mr. Campbell of his place who goes
to Edinr. at my particular desire to consult you, as he is a very distinct young
man it well be needless got me to take up much of your time farther than
by a few hints & to inform you what course of medicine has been follow'd.


Some considerable time ago he went to London London
on his way he felt some uneasiness in his throat on which account he made
application to a surgeon. This proved to be Venereal, He was then put on a Mercurial
course (at London) wt. Decoct Sarsaparill, ↑by which he was relieved↑ some months after his return he spocke to
me, I found on looking into ye throat several Venereal ulcers some chancres &
parts about ye penis ywch was suspected to be the remains of ye old affair tho he
coud not say but he had been in the way of getting it [acured?]. I put him on a course
of ye mercurial pill & Decoct. Liquor: wt. sarsaparill: by which he was soon
considerably relieved but in Winter 1779 & 1780, whether from a New affection
or ye old Taint I will not say or perhaps past of both he had Chancres {illeg} [phymosis?]
Warts about ye parts & an Ugly scaley appearance on ye scrotum with some warts
there & some parts of ye scrotum cracked & from which cracks there came a thin sharp
watery [Schor?] with a degree of pain & a great Itching. He begun the mercury
again and the Decoction as before & continued both for several Weeks & we
[bushed?] ye mercury pretty far tho not what you woud call a saturation
the scrotum was kept clean by washing some time doubles & ye warts snipped
of & sometimes rubbed wt mercurial ointment, at this time has Venereal
appearances
left him & he continued pretty well till this last [Month?] when ye
scaly appearance on ye scrotum begun again wt a great number of Warts &
this appearance extended up on part of ye penis & even some of it on ye prepuce
which brought on ye appearance of a stricture there somewhat like a degree of
phymosis as these scaley appearances was always relieved by a little mercury
had its full effect yet it did not relieve ye scrotum neither did any medicin
medicines applied to ye part but Poultices brought its return of state ye whenever



[Page 2]

they were [dissoonlinved?] it returned & whereas a little crack appeared in ye
scrotum there ozed out a thin watery Humor & soon followed a Wart of which great
members were cut off ---


I had almost forgote to say yt in winter 1779 & 1780 the mercur pill
[purged?] him & we rubbed ye strong mercurial ointment to ye thighs in place of
[pukeing?] it inwardly but this I am scarce blame of (↑for↑) ye appearance on ye scrotum
[ascrous made of pure lard & no?] Turpentine.


He will show you ye appearances on ye
scrotum & penisby which youll be better able to judge than from any
description I am given


Our friend Mr. Fullarton is stricktly following y own
advice but Im sorry to say he is far from being savy yet he has his Ill days
& good days but always bad after stool tho nothing like so ill as sometime
ago he takes ye purgant: ye Laud & mucilage which you ordered every second day
sometimes of late he has seen some drops of pus on ye tail of his shirt
but where it may have come from is not easy say, but he never gets a stool
without a dose of Rhubarb ------ I add no more but yt I am


Sir your most obedt. servant

David Colquhoun


P.S. About ye beginning of ye year he had two ulcers on his left arm
which had somewhat of a Venereal appearance tho I coud not positively
say that they were so as I have seen as bad an appearance after scrutching
out of a hair & these soon healed tho (↑but↑) at David Colquhoun time they appeard he was
taking ingredient & saturnine poultices were applied to them




[Page 3]


Doctor William Cullen
Physician
Glasg Edinburgh


Mr. Colquhoun C
Mr Campbell.
April. 1781.
V. XIII. p.23.

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