The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4811] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr William Cokayne (Cocayne) / Regarding: Mr Handasyde (Handyside) (Patient) / 4 April 1784 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Mr Handyside'. Cullen is 'of opinion that his late ailments depend upon an obstruction in his bowels' and includes a Diuretic Infusion.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 5 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
[Page 5]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 4811 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/17/7 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 4 April 1784 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine scribal copy |
| Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | Yes |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply, 'For Mr Handyside'. Cullen is 'of opinion that his late ailments depend upon an obstruction in his bowels' and includes a Diuretic Infusion. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:975] |
Case of Mr Handasyde (Handyside) who is swollen all over his body (dropsy), and who also develops a tumor and a bowel disorder. |
8 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2833] | Addressee | Mr William Cokayne (Cocayne) |
| [PERS ID:3126] | Patient | Mr Handasyde (Handyside) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:667] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Joseph Clarke (Clark) |
| [PERS ID:2833] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr William Cokayne (Cocayne) |
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 | Wooler | North-East | England | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mr. Handyside
After considering attentively the whole circum¬
stances of his case I am of opinion that the whole of
his late ailments depend upon an obstruction in his
bowels. This may be difficult to mend but I hope
it may be removed by the following measures.
1 Let him endeavour to have a moderate
sweat by the use of Dovers Powder. Let the
Powder be made according to the Edinburgh
Dispensatory. The dose at first may be twenty
grains only and if that answers well it need
not be increased in the after repetitions of it
but if this dose does not seem sufficient while
other circumstances are favourable in the after
repetitions it may be increased to twenty five
or even thirty grains. The powder is always
to be made {illeg} [a wafer]
[Page 2]
It is always to be given in the morning after the
ordinary sleep is over and the sweating is to be
continued if it conveniently can be for ten or
twelve hours after and the proper conduct of it
I have explained as well as I can to Mr. Handyside
himself. The sweating is to be repeated for three
or four times at the interval of one, two, or three
days as he is found to bear it. The good effects
of it are to be perceived by its taking down the
swelling of his limbs, by its relieving the pains
and tension of his belly, and even the purging
that he has been hitherto troubled with. One of
the best effects of it will be a manifest increas[e]
of his Urine on the interveening days.
2 In the management of this business
it will be of the utmost consequence both during
the time of sweating and on the interveening
days {illeg}. If the weather
[Page 3]
is either wet or cold he must not go abroad at
all and especially the first day after sweating
but if the weather proves very fine he may
be the better of walking out in the middle of
the day providing always he be very well clo¬
thed and that his walking does not heat him.
3. On the days between his sweats let
him take the medicine prescribed on the paper
inclosed taking it to as great a quantity as
his stomach and bowels easily bear. The pur¬
pose of it is to promote urine and if it mani¬
festly does this it is to be diligently continued
and if its effects are considerable it may allow
him to delay his sweatings ↑a day or two longer↑ than he would
otherwise do.
4 If the Dovers powder seems to bind
his belly {illeg} pain his ordinary purging
he need not {illeg} by
[Page 4]
Dr. Clarke every Evening but if notwithstanding the
use of the Dovers powder the usual purging conti¬
nues he must still continue to take the powders (↑drops↑)
as before and at least every night except that
after his sweating.
William Cullen -
Edinburgh 11th. April
1784
[Page 5]
For Mr. Handyside
Take half an ounce of Juniper Bark, well crushed, and two drachms of Wild carrot Seed. Having crushed them, pour over them one pound of boiling water. Let it infuse for one night and add two ounces of Juniper Water compound and one ounce of Tartar Salt. Then, when a sediment is left, strain using the paper and Label: Diuretic Infusion; a tablespoon to be taken with three tablespoons of water gruel four, five or Six times every day that he does not Sweat.
W.C.
4th. April
1784.
Diplomatic Text
For Mr. Handyside
After considering attentively the whole circum¬
stances of his case I am of opinion that the whole of
his late ailments depend upon an obstruction in his
bowels. This may be difficult to mend but I hope
it may be removed by the following measures.
1 Let him endeavour to have a moderate
sweat by the use of Dovers Powder. Let the
Powder be made according to the Edinburgh
Dispensatory. The dose at first may be twenty
grains only and if that answers well it need
not be increased in the after repetitions of it
but if this dose does not seem sufficient while
other circumstances are favourable in the after
repetitions it may be increased to twenty five
or even thirty grains. The powder is always
to be made {illeg} [a wafer]
[Page 2]
It is always to be given in the morning after the
ordinary sleep is over and the sweating is to be
continued if it conveniently can be for ten or
twelve hours after and the proper conduct of it
I have explained as well as I can to Mr. Handyside
himself. The sweating is to be repeated for three
or four times at the interval of one, two, or three
days as he is found to bear it. The good effects
of it are to be perceived by its taking down the
swelling of his limbs, by its relieving the pains
and tension of his belly, and even the purging
that he has been hitherto troubled with. One of
the best effects of it will be a manifest increas[e]
of his Urine on the interveening days.
2 In the management of this business
it will be of the utmost consequence both during
the time of sweating and on the interveening
days {illeg}. If the weather
[Page 3]
is either wet or cold he must not go abroad at
all and especially the first day after sweating
but if the weather proves very fine he may
be the better of walking out in the middle of
the day providing always he be very well clo¬
thed and that his walking does not heat him.
3. On the days between his sweats let
him take the medicine prescribed on the paper
inclosed taking it to as great a quantity as
his stomach and bowels easily bear. The pur¬
pose of it is to promote urine and if it mani¬
festly does this it is to be diligently continued
and if its effects are considerable it may allow
him to delay his sweatings ↑a day or two longer↑ than he would
otherwise do.
4 If the Dovers powder seems to bind
his belly {illeg} pain his ordinary purging
he need not {illeg} by
[Page 4]
Dr. Clarke every Evening but if notwithstanding the
use of the Dovers powder the usual purging conti¬
nues he must still continue to take the powders (↑drops↑)
as before and at least every night except that
after his sweating.
William Cullen -
Edinr. 11th. April
1784
[Page 5]
For Mr. Handyside
℞ Bacc. Juniperi bene contusur. ℥fs
Sem. dauc. Silv. ʒij
Contusis affunde Aq. bullient. ℔j
Digere per noctem et adde
Aq. Juniper. comp. ℥ij
Sal. Tartar. ℥j
Denique cum Subsederit per chartam
cola et Signa Diuretic Infusion
a table Spoonfull to be taken with
three table Spoonfulls of water gruel
four five or Six times every day that
he does not Sweat.
W.C.
4th. April
1784.
XML
XML file not yet available.
Feedback
Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:4811]
Please note that the Cullen Project team have now disbanded but your comments will be logged in our system and we will look at them one day...
