The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2192] From: Dr John Burgess / To: Mr Alexander Wood / Regarding: Lord Dalzell (Lord Dalziel Carnwath) (Patient) / 16 April 1782 / (Incoming)
Letter from John Burgess to Alexander Wood, concerning the case of Lord Dalzell. Sent to Cullen by Dalzell himself.
- 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 | 2192 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1264b |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 16 April 1782 |
| 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 John Burgess to Alexander Wood, concerning the case of Lord Dalzell. Sent to Cullen by Dalzell himself. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:746] |
Case of Lord Dalzell who has a protracted illness which includes pains in abdomen. |
5 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:2954] | Author | Dr John Burgess |
| [PERS ID:588] | Addressee | Mr Alexander Wood |
| [PERS ID:1052] | Patient | Lord Dalzell (Lord Dalziel Carnwath) |
| [PERS ID:2954] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Burgess |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:588] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Alexander Wood |
| [PERS ID:2954] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Dr John Burgess |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Kirkmichael | 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 |
Normalized Text
I give you this trouble at the Desire
of my noble and much esteemed friend Lord
Dalziel. Dr Cullen and you have been already
acquainted with the long and painful Illness
Hir Lordship laboured under last Winter. And
I have seen the Doctor's Opinion and yours as
to the Regimen he was to pursue, with the
Medecines prescribed. His Lordship has followed
your Rules with a punctual care, and has
taken the Drops and Electary very regularly
for a fortnight past. But I am sorry to add,
that his Health is very little changed for the
better. In some particulars it appears to me
rather worse, than when he left Edinburgh.
He has had three or four violent Bilious Vo¬
mitings, in the morning, without an evident
cause. He complains too of a prickling pain,
with a sensible swelling, about the breadth of
the palm of one's hand, and attended with a
numbness, round the humbilicus. This Complaint
is most sensibly felt in the Morning; grows
rather easier towards the afternoon; but never
goes quite off. His Appetite is not near so
good, as when the Dr & you saw him. He
still complains of the badness of his Breath,
and that the faeces are uncommonly solid.
His Urine is still very high coloured, but lets
[Page 2]
fall a pretty copious Sediment of a whitish
Clayey Colour. He complains much of an
intense ↑Pain↑ under the Patellae of both knees, and
extending quite through to the under Sides
of the Joints. This pain, he says, is most
uneasy in the Morning; but goes off after walk¬
ing about some little time. His Legs are still
benumbed, and both Legs and feet swell a little
towards night. But there is no sign of any
particular Swelling. The Cramps in the feet
continue pretty much the same, as when His
Lordship was at Edinburgh.
The above, Sir, is the most particular
Information I can send you of the present
State of My Lord's Health. It belongs not to one
in my inferior Line to give any Opinion on
the Case to Gentlemen of such Eminence as
Dr Cullen and yourself. But as I have been for
a great numbers of years very intimately
acquainted in My Lord's family, & have had
many Opportunities of observing the Constitu¬
tions of all the members of it, I hope the Dr
and you will pardon my giving a very few
Hints on that head. Allow me then to observe,
that on the one Side His Lordship has but too
good a Title to a Gout, and on the other to a
Rheumatism. In his late Ailment I own I
was strongly inclined to think, that the Gout
was at least combined with his other Complaints,
if not the very Spark that kindled the whole.
His general Temperament has been all along
[Page 3]
bilious, and like all the people of that Tempera¬
ment, he has always had a quick sharp Pulse.
And by the bye, it is very quick at present. I
forgot to measure it, when I saw His Lordship
today; but from what he said, and from what
I know of its general State, it will readily be
above 80, if not near 90, in a Minute. I
shall only add, that though there be but few
Symptoms of Scurvy to be observed in the
Urine, yet His Lordship has now and then
had some Spots on the Skin, that gave me at
least some Ground to suspect a Scorbutic Taint
in the Blood. But I beg pardon for this freedom.
My Lord desires, when the Doctor
[& you] have considered his Case, that
{illeg} would take the trouble of inclosing
{illeg} Directions or Receipt to me.
{illeg} you do, they shall be followed out
most pointedly, and I shall do myself
the Honour of writing you from time
to time, what Success they have, or what
Alteration may happen in His Lordships
Health. I beg the favour of you to present my
most respectful Compliments to Dr Cullen,
and believe me to be with much Regard
Sir
your very humble
Servant
[Page 4]
Mr Alexander Wood
Surgeon
Edinburgh
Dr Burgess
Concerning Lord Dalzell
April 1782
V. XIV. p. 40
Diplomatic Text
I give you this trouble at the Desire
of my noble and much esteemed friend Lord
Dalziel. Dr Cullen and you have been already
acquainted with the long and painful Illness
Hir Lordship laboured under last Winter. And
I have seen the Doctor's Opinion and yours as
to the Regimen he was to pursue, with the
Medecines prescribed. His Lordship has followed
your Rules with a punctual care, and has
taken the Drops and Electary very regularly
for a fortnight past. But I am sorry to add,
that his Health is very little changed for the
better. In some particulars it appears to me
rather worse, than when he left Edinburgh.
He has had three or four violent Bilious Vo¬
mitings, in the morning, without an evident
cause. He complains too of a prickling pain,
with a sensible swelling, about the breadth of
the palm of one's hand, and attended with a
numbness, round the humbilicus. This Complaint
is most sensibly felt in the Morning; grows
rather easier towards the afternoon; but never
goes quite off. His Appetite is not near so
good, as when the Dr & you saw him. He
still complains of the badness of his Breath,
and that the faeces are uncommonly solid.
His Urine is still very high coloured, but lets
[Page 2]
fall a pretty copious Sediment of a whitish
Clayey Colour. He complains much of an
intense ↑Pain↑ under the Patellae of both knees, and
extending quite through to the under Sides
of the Joints. This pain, he says, is most
uneasy in the Morning; but goes off after walk¬
ing about some little time. His Legs are still
benumbed, and both Legs and feet swell a little
towards night. But there is no sign of any
particular Swelling. The Cramps in the feet
continue pretty much the same, as when His
Lordship was at Edinburgh.
The above, Sir, is the most particular
Information I can send you of the present
State of My Lord's Health. It belongs not to one
in my inferior Line to give any Opinion on
the Case to Gentlemen of such Eminence as
Dr Cullen and yourself. But as I have been for
a great numbers of years very intimately
acquainted in My Lord's family, & have had
many Opportunities of observing the Constitu¬
tions of all the members of it, I hope the Dr
and you will pardon my giving a very few
Hints on that head. Allow me then to observe,
that on the one Side His Lordship has but too
good a Title to a Gout, and on the other to a
Rheumatism. In his late Ailment I own I
was strongly inclined to think, that the Gout
was at least combined with his other Complaints,
if not the very Spark that kindled the whole.
His general Temperament has been all along
[Page 3]
bilious, and like all the people of that Tempera¬
ment, he has always had a quick sharp Pulse.
And by the bye, it is very quick at present. I
forgot to measure it, when I saw His Lordship
today; but from what he said, and from what
I know of its general State, it will readily be
above 80, if not near 90, in a Minute. I
shall only add, that though there be but few
Symptoms of Scurvy to be observed in the
Urine, yet His Lordship has now and then
had some Spots on the Skin, that gave me at
least some Ground to suspect a Scorbutic Taint
in the Blood. But I beg pardon for this freedom.
My Lord desires, when the Doctor
[& you] have considered his Case, that
{illeg} would take the trouble of inclosing
{illeg} Directions or Receipt to me.
{illeg} you do, they shall be followed out
most pointedly, and I shall do myself
the Honour of writing you from time
to time, what Success they have, or what
Alteration may happen in His Lordships
Health. I beg the favour of you to present my
most respectful Compliments to Dr Cullen,
and believe me to be with much Regard
Sir
your very humble
Sert.
[Page 4]
Mr Alexander Wood
Surgeon
Edinr.
Dr Burgess
C Lord Dalzell
April 1782
V. XIV. p. 40
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