Cullen

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

 

[ID:438] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Lady Frances Erskine (Areskine) / Regarding: Lady Frances Erskine (Areskine) (Patient) / 1 August 1771 / (Outgoing)

Letter 'For the Right Honble Lady Frances Areskine [Erskine]'. Discusses external treatment with artificial Bath water pumped onto the arm and chest. The recipe for artificial Bath water mentioned as enclosed "on the other page' has been identified as Letter ID:448.

Facsimile

There are 2 images for this document.

[Page 1]


 

[Page 2]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 438
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/3/21
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date1 August 1771
Annotation None
TypeScribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry)
Enclosure(s) Enclosure(s) present
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter 'For the Right Honble Lady Frances Areskine [Erskine]'. Discusses external treatment with artificial Bath water pumped onto the arm and chest. The recipe for artificial Bath water mentioned as enclosed "on the other page' has been identified as Letter ID:448.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:81]
Case of Lady Frances Erskine (Areskine), whose chronic condition is being treated with regular applications of artificial bath water to her swollen limbs.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:225]AddresseeLady Frances Erskine (Areskine)
[PERS ID:225]PatientLady Frances Erskine (Areskine)
[PERS ID:729]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr Meysey (Moysey)
[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 Cullen's House / Mint Close Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Destination of Letter Erskine Glasgow and West Scotland Europe inferred

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
For the Right Honourable Lady Frances Ereskine


My Lady's ailments seem at present to be in so good a train
that it is to be hoped they shall continue to mend daily more & more
and there is hardly room for any other advice than that of continuing
the same remedies which have hitherto been of service.


The pumping of the arm is still to be continued with
the artificial Bath water for which I have given directions on the
other page, and I am very confident it will do every thing that the
genuine water
could do.


When this has been done for seven or eight days a trial
may be made for a day or two of pumping the arm with warm
sea-water; and let it be observed if the arm keeps its heat better
or worse or if it keeps its plumpness more or less; for according to
these circumstances the one or other water is to be chosen. That
which keeps the arm warmest and plumpest is to be prefered.


If the weakness and lameness of the parts were only to
be had in view I should have advised pumping the whole of the
right side, but as there has been some weakness & asthmatic
ailment in her Ladyship's breast I think it will be safest to
confine the pumping to the arm alone.


To prevent the return of any ailment in the
legs and feet it is very proper to continue the rubbing of
them gently at night, and for a longer time in the morning.
It is very proper also for my Lady to continue to avoid as
much as possible the hanging doun of her legs; but
what will be of most service and most effectual in
preventing any return of swelling, is the use of the laced
stockings.


I think nothing will contribute more to her Ladyship's




[Page 2]


recovery than daily exercise in a Carriage, so contrived as to admit
of a footstool upon which the legs may be laid up a little,


Tho' exercise and fresh air will be of great service it
must not be pushed so far as to expose her Ladyship to
cold or much moisture


The use of the Millepedes should be continued, and
if her Ladyship should be troubled with the heart-burn the
lime water may be of service, but I am humbly of opinion
that plain lime water will do more good than that which
Dr Moysey has employed.


The irregularity of my Lady's bowels is what seems
most liable to become troublesome, but I hope the medecines
already advised and experienced are sufficiently proper to
obviate every accident, and I have only to add that the state
of the bowels will often depend upon diet, for which I suppose
her Ladyship has already got directions; and it would require
my being better acquainted with her ordinary manner for
me to give any particular advice on the subject.

W. C.
Edinburgh 1st August
1771

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
For the Right Honble Lady Frances Ereskine


My Lady's ailments seem at present to be in so good a train
that it is to be hoped they shall continue to mend daily more & more
and there is hardly room for any other advice than that of continuing
the same remedies which have hitherto been of service.


The pumping of the arm is still to be continued with
the artificial Bath water for which I have given directions on the
other page, and I am very confident it will do every thing that the
genuine water
could do.


When this has been done for seven or eight days a trial
may be made for a day or two of pumping the arm with warm
sea-water; and let it be observed if the arm keeps its heat better
or worse or if it keeps its plumpness more or less; for according to
these circumstances the one or other water is to be chosen. That
which keeps the arm warmest and plumpest is to be prefered.


If the weakness and lameness of the parts were only to
be had in view I should have advised pumping the whole of the
right side, but as there has been some weakness & asthmatic
ailment in her Ladyship's breast I think it will be safest to
confine the pumping to the arm alone.


To prevent the return of any ailment in the
legs and feet it is very proper to continue the rubbing of
them gently at night, and for a longer time in the morning.
It is very proper also for my Lady to continue to avoid as
much as possible the hanging doun of her legs; but
what will be of most service and most effectual in
preventing any return of swelling, is the use of the laced
stockings.


I think nothing will contribute more to her Ladyship's




[Page 2]


recovery than daily exercise in a Carriage, so contrived as to admit
of a footstool upon which the legs may be laid up a little,


Tho' exercise and fresh air will be of great service it
must not be pushed so far as to expose her Ladyship to
cold or much moisture


The use of the Millepedes should be continued, and
if her Ladyship should be troubled with the heart-burn the
lime water may be of service, but I am humbly of opinion
that plain lime water will do more good than that which
Dr Moysey has employed.


The irregularity of my Lady's bowels is what seems
most liable to become troublesome, but I hope the medecines
already advised and experienced are sufficiently proper to
obviate every accident, and I have only to add that the state
of the bowels will often depend upon diet, for which I suppose
her Ladyship has already got directions; and it would require
my being better acquainted with her ordinary manner for
me to give any particular advice on the subject.

W. C.
Edin. 1st August
1771

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