The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5901] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr Gavin Fullarton / Regarding: Miss Catharine or Elisabeth Shaw (Schaw) (Patient) / 1 October 1789 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Miss Shaw' of Greenock, who has been to see Cullen in person with her sister Mrs Campbell. He advises on the use of laudanum, exercise and cold bathing for her period pains. He does not approve of her travelling to America. The addressee is probably Gavin Fullarton, her surgeon, although he is referred to in the third person.
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- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 7 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
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[Page 6]
[Page 7]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 5901 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/21/172 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 1 October 1789 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine scribal copy |
| Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Miss Shaw' of Greenock, who has been to see Cullen in person with her sister Mrs Campbell. He advises on the use of laudanum, exercise and cold bathing for her period pains. He does not approve of her travelling to America. The addressee is probably Gavin Fullarton, her surgeon, although he is referred to in the third person. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:2542] |
Case of [Catherine or Elizabeth] Shaw who is under the care of Gavin Fullerton at Greenock for menstrual problems. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:623] | Addressee | Mr Gavin Fullarton |
| [PERS ID:5697] | Patient | Miss Catharine or Elisabeth Shaw (Schaw) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:623] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Gavin Fullarton |
| [PERS ID:5696] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mrs Mary Campbell |
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 | Greenock | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | North America | certain |
Normalized Text
For Miss Shaw
My opinion with the nature of
her complaints I have explained I hope
sufficiently to Mrs. Campbell. They
will be difficult to cure, both as consti¬
tutional, and now of long standing, but
they are by no means to be despaired of
and especially as life advances. I have
a particular measure to propose for them
and which I hope shall be effectual.
Whenever her periods are tolerably
steady, whether at longer or shorter inter¬
vals I would have her two days before
she can foresee and expect a period to begin
to take a dose of Laudanum an hour
before dinner, and again at bed time to
take another dose of the same kind and
this She is to continue to do every day
[Page 2]
till a period sooner or later comes on. By
this measure I hope she will prevent
those disorders which have commonly
attended the approach of periods. I hold
it with a view to the whole of her com¬
plaints to be of consequence to prevent
those disorders, as I expect the preventing
of them will not only make her periods
more easy, but also more regular.
From my not being exactly acquainted
with Miss Shaws use and doses of
Laudanum I cannot prescribe the doses
that are to be employed in this manner
but in general I am of opinion that they
ought to be as full as any she has been
commonly found to bear, leaving much
to the discretion and good judgement of
Mr. Fullarton, but I cannot conclude
the subject without observing that it is
[Page 3]
this employment of Laudanum at the
approach of periods that I trust to especially
for the cure of all her complaints.
Besides this general measure I am
clear that every means are still to be
employed for strengthening the System
and I am clear that experience has already
taught us how it is best to be done. Cold
bathing and exercise on horseback have
shown that they can do a great deal and
are therefore to be persisted in. That the
cold bathing may be steady and constant
must be practised within doors. I have
an opinion of a Shower bath, but Miss
Shaw has found another way of managing
it and I leave her to that which is most
agreeable to her. For other remedies I leave
it to Mr. Fullartons discretion and
her own to judge when the load on her
[Page 4]
stomach may require Vomiting, but for the
other medicines of Bitters, Bark &c. I
expect no benefit from them, but I have
given a prescription on a separate paper
which I hope may be useful, and especially
as taken immediately before dinner I
hope it may often prevent these pains
which she has been liable to after dinner
but in those cases in which I proposed
a dose of Laudanum, the powder may
be omitted.
In all cases of violent pain whether
in the head or stomach I would allow
her to have recourse to Laudanum and
especially at the times she is disposed
to any looseness, but besides the em¬
ployment I h of Laudanum I have
advised above I would wish her to have
recourse to Laudanum as seldom as possible
[Page 5]
I forgot to say above that her exercise
upon horseback should be employed as
often as the weather will allow of it
but when the weather does not allow
of her going abroad I think she may
be the better of employing a Spring
Chair within doors.
With respect to her diet I suppose
that this is already determined by expe¬
rience. I should like very well to find
her bear some Vegetable aliments, and I
hope in time, she will come to do so. But
at present I believe that solid animal
food will answer better.
I am clear that no kind of wine are
at present suitable to her stomach. I
judge that either tea or Coffee will be
hurtful to her, and I think Cocoa tea
[Page 6]
will do better than either of them.
I have found it proposed that Miss
Shaw should make a Voyage to America
but considering all the circumstances that
must attend it I cannot possibly approve
of the measure at present
1789
[Page 7]
For Miss Shaw
Take 10 grains of ground Columbo Root and 5 grains of best ground Cinnamon. Mix to make a powder and in this way make 12 doses. Label: Stomachic powders a dose to be taken in a glass of water an hour before dinner every day that she is not to take Laudanum at the same time
1789/
Diplomatic Text
For Miss Shaw
My opinion with the nature of
her complaints I have explained I hope
sufficiently to Mrs. Campbell. They
will be difficult to cure, both as consti¬
tutional, and now of long standing, but
they are by no means to be despaired of
and especially as life advances. I have
a particular measure to propose for them
and which I hope shall be effectual.
Whenever her periods are tolerably
steady, whether at longer or shorter inter¬
vals I would have her two days before
she can foresee and expect a period to begin
to take a dose of Laudanum an hour
before dinner, and again at bed time to
take another dose of the same kind and
this She is to continue to do every day
[Page 2]
till a period sooner or later comes on. By
this measure I hope she will prevent
those disorders which have commonly
attended the approach of periods. I hold
it with a view to the whole of her com¬
plaints to be of consequence to prevent
those disorders, as I expect the preventing
of them will not only make her periods
more easy, but also more regular.
From my not being exactly acquainted
with Miss Shaws use and doses of
Laudanum I cannot prescribe the doses
that are to be employed in this manner
but in general I am of opinion that they
ought to be as full as any she has been
commonly found to bear, leaving much
to the discretion and good judgement of
Mr. Fullarton, but I cannot conclude
the subject without observing that it is
[Page 3]
this employment of Laudanum at the
approach of periods that I trust to especially
for the cure of all her complaints.
Besides this general measure I am
clear that every means are still to be
employed for strengthening the System
and I am clear that experience has already
taught us how it is best to be done. Cold
bathing and exercise on horseback have
shown that they can do a great deal and
are therefore to be persisted in. That the
cold bathing may be steady and constant
must be practised within doors. I have
an opinion of a Shower bath, but Miss
Shaw has found another way of managing
it and I leave her to that which is most
agreeable to her. For other remedies I leave
it to Mr. Fullartons discretion and
her own to judge when the load on her
[Page 4]
stomach may require Vomiting, but for the
other medicines of Bitters, Bark &c. I
expect no benefit from them, but I have
given a prescription on a separate paper
which I hope may be useful, and especially
as taken immediately before dinner I
hope it may often prevent these pains
which she has been liable to after dinner
but in those cases in which I proposed
a dose of Laudanum, the powder may
be omitted.
In all cases of violent pain whether
in the head or stomach I would allow
her to have recourse to Laudanum and
especially at the times she is disposed
to any looseness, but besides the em¬
ployment I h of Laudanum I have
advised above I would wish her to have
recourse to Laudanum as seldom as possible
[Page 5]
I forgot to say above that her exercise
upon horseback should be employed as
often as the weather will allow of it
but when the weather does not allow
of her going abroad I think she may
be the better of employing a Spring
Chair within doors.
With respect to her diet I suppose
that this is already determined by expe¬
rience. I should like very well to find
her bear some Vegetable aliments, and I
hope in time, she will come to do so. But
at present I believe that solid animal
food will answer better.
I am clear that no kind of wine are
at present suitable to her stomach. I
judge that either tea or Coffee will be
hurtful to her, and I think Cocoa tea
[Page 6]
will do better than either of them.
I have found it proposed that Miss
Shaw should make a Voyage to America
but considering all the circumstances that
must attend it I cannot possibly approve
of the measure at present
1789
[Page 7]
For Miss Shaw
℞ Pulv. rad. columb. gr. x
–– cinnamom. opt. gr. v
ℳ. f. pulvis et f. h. m.
dos. № xij
Sig. Stomachic powders
a dose to be taken in a glass
of water an hour before
dinner every day that she
is not to take Laudanum
at the same time
1789/
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