The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:3960] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mrs Boyd / Regarding: Mrs Boyd (Patient) / 30 November 1776 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Mrs Boyd'. An added note (originally sent on a separate sheet, in case the original letter was shown to the patient) describes the case as 'very desperate', and explains that Cullen has 'endeavoured what I think was likely to give relief and to make her passage as easy as it may be'.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 3960 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/8/72 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 30 November 1776 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply, 'For Mrs Boyd'. An added note (originally sent on a separate sheet, in case the original letter was shown to the patient) describes the case as 'very desperate', and explains that Cullen has 'endeavoured what I think was likely to give relief and to make her passage as easy as it may be'. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:752] |
Case of Mrs Boyd, whose condition, a chest complaint, is not improving and Cullen confides to the addressee that he fears it is 'desperate'. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1771] | Addressee | Mrs Boyd |
| [PERS ID:1771] | Patient | Mrs Boyd |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1776] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary |
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 |
Normalized Text
For Mrs Boyd
Yours concerning Mrs Boyd I received on thursday
but as no post was to go out till this Evening I could
not answer you sooner.
I am heartily concerned to find Mrs Boyd's ailments
to be so very distressing and am sorry that I am
obliged to say in the first place that they are not to
be entirely ceased during the Winter Season. If we can
carry her thro' that I hope a great deal may be done
in the Spring and Summer. At present all we can
attempt, is inveterating and relieving her from her Symptoms.
For this purpose you seem to have done a great
deal and some of your measures must still be con¬
tinued particulary the Paregoric or Anodyne at
night, taking care to employ a gentle Laxative as
occasion may require to obviate costiveness, but
your Laxative should go no further.
When the weather allowed of it, Exercise on horseback
or in a Carriage was very proper, but at present in
the going abroad she is more likely to get harm from
cold than benefit from Exercise. You must be
contented with what Exercise she can bear within
doors on a [Spring deal or box?]. I am sorry that She
has been obliged to give up the Asses Milk, as it
is possible, that a little Spirit or Testaceous powder
might reconcile her Stomach to it.
It will be very proper to continue her Diet of Milk
and Vegetables, but the latter should be mostly
[Page 2]
of the farinaceous kind with very little roots or greens.
Now whin the Winter Season I would allow her
frequently a bit of Chicken. The Issue in the back
should be continued and if the pain of the breast
becomes urgent a piece of Blister may be applied
to the Part.
Whither she is at present taking any Bark I cannot
tell by your Letter, but must say that it is a medicine
I cannot approve of. For moderating the cough the
Anodyne is chiefly to be depended on, but you
may get some benefit from a Linctus made of
good Rob. Sambuci and Mucilage made of
gum Arabic made according to the last Dispensatory
mixing the two well together.
For healing the breast internally, the following I
can recommend as the most probable.
Take an ounce of juice of tussilago leaves; cook it in water between two and one pounds; at the end add two drachms of liquorice extract, Drain and Label: Pectoral Decoction wo table spoonfulls to be taken four times a day.
Wishing you [heartily?] Success
I am your most obedient Servant
In case it should be necessary to shew my Letter to Mrs Boyd, I have
reserved this bit of paper, to say that I think the case is very desperate
& that a fatal Issue may be expected very soon. In the mean time I have
endeavoured what I think was likely to give relief and to make
her passage as easy as it may be.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Boyd
Yours concerning Mrs Boyd I received on thursday
but as no post was to go out till this Evening I could
not answer you sooner.
I am heartily concerned to find Mrs Boyd's ailments
to be so very distressing and am sorry that I am
obliged to say in the first place that they are not to
be entirely ceased during the Winter Season. If we can
carry her thro' that I hope a great deal may be done
in the Spring and Summer. At present all we can
attempt, is inveterating and relieving her from her Symptoms.
For this purpose you seem to have done a great
deal and some of your measures must still be con¬
tinued particulary the Paregoric or Anodyne at
night, taking care to employ a gentle Laxative as
occasion may require to obviate costiveness, but
your Laxative should go no further.
When the weather allowed of it, Exercise on horseback
or in a Carriage was very proper, but at present in
the going abroad she is more likely to get harm from
cold than benefit from Exercise. You must be
contented with what Exercise she can bear within
doors on a [Spring deal or box?]. I am sorry that She
has been obliged to give up the Asses Milk, as it
is possible, that a little Spirit or Testaceous powder
might reconcile her Stomach to it.
It will be very proper to continue her Diet of Milk
and Vegetables, but the latter should be mostly
[Page 2]
of the farinaceous kind wt very little roots or greens.
Now whin the Winter Season I would allow her
frequently a bit of Chicken. The Issue in the back
should be continued and if the pain of the breast
becomes urgent a piece of Blister may be applied
to the Part.
Whither she is at present taking any Bark I cannot
tell by your Letter, but must say that it is a medicine
I cannot approve of. For moderating the cough the
Anodyne is chiefly to be depended on, but you
may get some benefit from a Linctus made of
good Rob. Sambuci and Mucilage made of
gum Arabic made according to the last Dispensatory
mixing the two well together.
For healing the breast internally, the following I
can recommend as the most probable.
℞ Folior.
tussilage. [Suc.?] ℥; Coque ex Aq. ℔ij ad ℔j addendo Sub
finem Extract. glycyrrhiz. Ʒij Colu et Signa Pectoral
Decoction two table spoonfulls to be taken four
times a day.
Wishing you [heartily?] Success
I am your most obedt. Servt.
In case it should be necessary to shew my Letter to Mrs Boyd, I have
reserved this bit of paper, to say that I think the case is very desperate
& that a fatal Issue may be expected very soon. In the mean time I have
endeavoured what I think was likely to give relief and to make
her passage as easy as it may be.
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