The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:283] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mr Alexander Low (Law?) (Patient) / 3 March 1782 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Mr Low'. Cullen gives the addressee (presumed to be a local physician or surgeon attending Low) detailed guidelines on the preparation of the medicines prescribed. Includes one recipe for a cooling mixture and two recipes for materials to make pectoral decoctions. The recipes are not in Cullen's hand.
- 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 | 283 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/14/172 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 3 March 1782 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply, 'For Mr Low'. Cullen gives the addressee (presumed to be a local physician or surgeon attending Low) detailed guidelines on the preparation of the medicines prescribed. Includes one recipe for a cooling mixture and two recipes for materials to make pectoral decoctions. The recipes are not in Cullen's hand. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1132] |
Case of Mr Low [Law] who has a serious chest complaint. |
6 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:195] | Patient | Mr Alexander Low (Law?) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Destination of Letter | Auchenlea (Auchenlie) | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mr Low
As soon as he is a day or two settled at home
let a perpetual Issue be put into his right side but
as much forward towards his breast as may be without
taking it entirely off the pained part.
At the same time let him enter upon the use
of the following medicines to be prepared as follows
Take one paper of the Materials № 1. and put
them into a well tinned copper pan that will hold
three muchkins. Pour upon the materials a chopin
of spring water and let the whole boil gently till
one muchkin is boiled away, then strain off the
liquor through a table napkin, squeezing the herbs
pretty strongly. While this is doing take a
paper of the materials № 2. and put it into a tea¬
pot that will hold somewhat more than a muchkin
and upon these materials pour the liquor strained
[Page 2]
off the others, as hot as possible, and let this infusion
stand near the fire for two hours stirring it now a[nd]
then. Lastly strain off this liquor through a table
napkin without any squeezing and put the liquor in
a muchkin bottle to be close corked and set by in a
very cool place.
Of this liquor Mr. Low is to take a dose three or
four times a day taking about three table spoonfull[s]
at each time and the best times will be at eleven
forenoon; five afternoon and at bedtime and if
his stomach bear it very well he may take always
four table spoonfulls for the dose at bedtime.
The bottle as I have said is to be kept in a very cool
place but each dose ↑should be↑ put in to a teacup and let stand
before the fire till the cold air is off the liquor.
If this liquor proves disagreeable to the palate let
some Spanish Juice be dissolved in water making the
solution pretty strong and ↑a↑ tea spoonfull or two of this
may be put to every dose of the decoction.
[Page 3]
The other medicine prescribed is entitled the cooling
Mixture. A teaspoonfull of this is to be mixed with an
ordinary wine glassfull of water and taken three or four
times, The best times are an hour before dinner & supper
but it may also be taken at other times when he is a little
thirsty.
William Cullen --
Edinburgh 3d March
1782. ---
[Page 4]
✍
For Mr. Low
Take three ounces of rose Water and half an ounce each of Syrup of dried roses and Spiritus vitrioli tenuis. Mix. Label: Cooling Mixture. Let two phials of this be put up.
Take one ounce of dried coltsfoot Leaves, two drachms of lichwort Leaves, one drachm of Flowers of elderberry rob and half a drachm of Flowers of mallow. Let these be the materials, and let there be made in this way eight papers. Label: Materials for a Pectoral Decoction, number one.
Take half an ounce of grated liquorice Root, one drachm of Linseed, gently bruised, and half a drachm of sweet fennel Seeds. Mix. Let these be the materials, and let there be in this way eight papers. Label: Materials for a Pectoral Decoction, number two.
W.C.
March 3. 1782.
Diplomatic Text
For Mr Low
As soon as he is a day or two settled at home
let a perpetual Issue be put into his right side but
as much forward towards his breast as may be without
taking it entirely off the pained part.
At the same time let him enter upon the use
of the following medicines to be prepared as follows
Take one paper of the Materials № 1. and put
them into a well tinned copper pan that will hold
three muchkins. Pour upon the materials a chopin
of spring water and let the whole boil gently till
one muchkin is boiled away, then strain off the
liquor through a table napkin, squeezing the herbs
pretty strongly. While this is doing take a
paper of the materials № 2. and put it into a tea¬
pot that will hold somewhat more than a muchkin
and upon these materials pour the liquor strained
[Page 2]
off the others, as hot as possible, and let this infusion
stand near the fire for two hours stirring it now a[nd]
then. Lastly strain off this liquor through a table
napkin without any squeezing and put the liquor in
a muchkin bottle to be close corked and set by in a
very cool place.
Of this liquor Mr. Low is to take a dose three or
four times a day taking about three table spoonfull[s]
at each time and the best times will be at eleven
forenoon; five afternoon and at bedtime and if
his stomach bear it very well he may take always
four table spoonfulls for the dose at bedtime.
The bottle as I have said is to be kept in a very cool
place but each dose ↑should be↑ put in to a teacup and let stand
before the fire till the cold air is off the liquor.
If this liquor proves disagreeable to the palate let
some Spanish Juice be dissolved in water making the
solution pretty strong and ↑a↑ tea spoonfull or two of this
may be put to every dose of the decoction.
[Page 3]
The other medicine prescribed is entitled the cooling
Mixture. A teaspoonfull of this is to be mixed with an
ordinary wine glassfull of water and taken three or four
times, The best times are an hour before dinner & supper
but it may also be taken at other times when he is a little
thirsty.
William Cullen --
Edinr. 3d March
1782. ---
[Page 4]
✍
For Mr. Low
℞ Aq. rosar. ℥iij
Syr. e ros. sicc.
Spirit. vitriol. ten. @ ℥ſs
ℳ. Signa Cooling Mixture
Let two Phials of this be put up.
℞ Folior. tussilag. siccat. ℥j
--- parieatar. ʒij
Flor. sambuc. ʒj
--- malvæ. ʒſs
Fiant Marterialia et fiant h. m. Chartæ № VIII.
Sig. Materials for a Pectoral Decoction № 1.
℞ Rad. glycyrrhiz. ras. ℥ſs
Semin. lini leniter contusi ʒj
--- fœnicul. dulc. ʒſs
ℳ. Fiant Materialia et f. h. m. Chartæ №VIII
Sig. Materials for a Pectoral Decoction № 2.
W.C.
March 3. 1782.
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