The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2441] From: Dr James Ross / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Lieutenant Smith (Patient) / 12 April 1784 / (Incoming)
Letter from James Ross and M. Hunter, concerning the case of Lieutenant Smith of the Marines. Handstamp is present but illegible.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 2441 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1496 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 12 April 1784 |
| 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 James Ross and M. Hunter, concerning the case of Lieutenant Smith of the Marines. Handstamp is present but illegible. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1711] |
Case of Lieutenant Smith who has recently developed a distressing stomach and bowel disorder. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:3152] | Author | Dr James Ross |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3144] | Patient | Lieutenant Smith |
| [PERS ID:3152] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr James Ross |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2578] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr McNaughtan Hunter (MacNachtan Hunter; MacNaughtane Hunter) |
| [PERS ID:3153] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr Smith |
| [PERS ID:2578] | Supplemental Author | Dr McNaughtan Hunter (MacNachtan Hunter; MacNaughtane Hunter) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Montrose | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Handstamp | Montrose | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
Montrose 12 April 1784.
Sir
We beg leave to give You the fol¬
lowing case of Lieutenant Smith of the Ma¬
rines, for Your consideration & advice.
Mr. Smith is about 30 Years old, remar¬
kably stout, but inclining to corpulency, has en¬
joyed very good health 'till about three weeks
ago, when he was seized with acute spasmodic
pains in his Stomach & bowels, which baffled
every remedy byut large doses of Thebaic Tincture
and a blister; but since their removal, Mr. Smith
almost constantly labours under a dull, obtuse
pain across his back, about a hand-breadth
higher than the Region of the Kidneys. This
pain (as was that of his stomach & bowels) is at¬
tended with an inexpressible restlesness & weariness
so severe as to be extendingly distressing; and tho'
[Page 2]
this distressed, is at times even unable to show the
precise part affected: while the pain or rather
the uneasiness or weariness (as he himself expresses
it) exists, a profuse sweat bursts out over his
body, but particularly from his head & to such
a degree that he will wet eight or ten night¬
caps over night. His pulse all along has
been so quick as to beat from 120 to 160 strokes
in the minute, sometimes tense but not full, his
tongue is clean, little thirst & bad appetite; is
also much distressed with flatus in the Abdomen
-- We must remark to you, that Mr. Smith's Father
during the last 16 Years of his life laboured under
a distress somewhat similar, & the Phthisis Pul¬
monalis has been fatal to several of his Family.
We treated Mr. Smith's case in the beginning as
a Nervous Affection, believing the the malady to pro¬
[Page 3]
ceed primarly from a distemperature of the nervous Sys¬
tem, but having used Musk, Asafœtida &c We begin to
imagine there is some obstruction in one or other of the
abdominal Viscera: On this supposition We have given
him half an ounce of Soluble Tartar & intend to repeat
it every third day: We also meant to apply another
Epispastic on his back, but will probably defer it 'till
We are favour'd with Your advice.
Upon the whole he has received no
apparent relief but from the blister and
from large & frequent doses of Laudanum, of which
we are still obliged to persevere in, as they never
fail to produce ease for a certain time. We are
with much respect
Sir
Your Most Obedient
humble Servants
James Ross --
M: Hunter
Doctor Cullen.
[Page 4]
Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Mr. Hunter of Montrose
Concerning Lieutenant Smyth
April. 1784
V. XVI. p.12
Diplomatic Text
Montrose 12 April 1784.
Sir
We beg leave to give You the fol¬
lowing case of Lieutenant Smith of the Ma¬
rines, for Your consideration & advice.
Mr. Smith is about 30 Years old, remar¬
kably stout, but inclining to corpulency, has en¬
joyed very good health 'till about three weeks
ago, when he was seized with acute spasmodic
pains in his Stomach & bowels, which baffled
every remedy byut large doses of Thebaic Tincture
and a blister; but since their removal, Mr. Smith
almost constantly labours under a dull, obtuse
pain across his back, about a hand-breadth
higher than the Region of the Kidneys. This
pain (as was that of his stomach & bowels) is at¬
tended with an inexpressible restlesness & weariness
so severe as to be extendingly distressing; and tho'
[Page 2]
this distressed, is at times even unable to show the
precise part affected: while the pain or rather
the uneasiness or weariness (as he himself expresses
it) exists, a profuse sweat bursts out over his
body, but particularly from his head & to such
a degree that he will wet eight or ten night¬
caps over night. His pulse all along has
been so quick as to beat from 120 to 160 strokes
in the minute, sometimes tense but not full, his
tongue is clean, little thirst & bad appetite; is
also much distressed with flatus in the Abdomen
-- We must remark to you, that Mr. Smith's Father
during the last 16 Years of his life laboured under
a distress somewhat similar, & the Phthisis Pul¬
monalis has been fatal to several of his Family.
We treated Mr. Smith's case in the beginning as
a Nervous Affection, believing the the malady to pro¬
[Page 3]
ceed primarly from a distemperature of the nervous Sys¬
tem, but having used Musk, Asafœtida &c We begin to
imagine there is some obstruction in one or other of the
abdominal Viscera: On this supposition We have given
him half an ounce of Soluble Tartar & intend to repeat
it every third day: We also meant to apply another
Epispastic on his back, but will probably defer it 'till
We are favour'd with Your advice.
Upon the whole he has received no
apparent relief but from the blister and
from large & frequent doses of Laudanum, of which
we are still obliged to persevere in, as they never
fail to produce ease for a certain time. We are
with much respect
Sir
Your Most Obedient
humble Servants
James Ross --
M: Hunter
Doctor Cullen.
[Page 4]
Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Mr. Hunter of Montrose
C. Lieut. Smyth
April. 1784
V. XVI. p.12
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