The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:83] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr Alexander Wemyss (of Pitkenny) / Regarding: Miss Elizabeth Lindsay (Betty; Lindesay) (Patient) / 30? December? 1769? / (Outgoing)
Reply 'To Dr Wemyss about Miss Betty Lindsay', who Cullen treats as a case of 'spasmodic hysteria'..
- 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 | 83 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/1/78 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 30? December? 1769? |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'To Dr Wemyss about Miss Betty Lindsay', who Cullen treats as a case of 'spasmodic hysteria'.. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:105] |
Case of Miss Betty Lindesay [Lindsay] who has severe hypochondriacal pains. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:325] | Addressee | Dr Alexander Wemyss (of Pitkenny) |
| [PERS ID:39] | Patient | Miss Elizabeth Lindsay (Betty; Lindesay) |
| [PERS ID:325] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Alexander Wemyss (of Pitkenny) |
| [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 | Kirkcaldy | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
To Dr Wemyss about Miss Betty
Lindsay
I have considered with y your accurate account of
Miss B. Lindsay's case with great attention & am dispo¬
sed to consider it as purely hysteric & spasmodic. I take
the seat of the pains in either hypochondreacum to be
in the great flexures of the Colon from where the
spasms are propagated so as to affect the Duodenum
& Biliary ducts. The little tumour in the breast
may be an entirely different affair it is not a Common
mark of Visceral Schirrosities & in such a young
woman & in a disease of so short a standing I hope
there are no visceral obstructions yet formed.
✍
However I cannot suppose your medicine which I take to be of soap
and Cinnabar any ways improper. ✍However I can not sup¬
pose your medicine & if it keeps the belly regular it may be
of great service. What farther occurs I shall shortly suggest
When the Spasmodic disorder of the abdomen are present
& in any degree violent there is nothing will command them
but Opium & it must be then used fully & steady & steadily
but when these disorders are restrained I would withdraw the
Opiates as soon as I could & I should hope that the daily
use of them may be not necessary & if possible I would I avoid
[Page 2]
them as they destroy the appetite & weaken the bowels
induce costiveness & & prepare for a return of the disease
If your medicine does not keep the belly regular others
must be employed & if Sulphur & (↑or↑) Salts would answer with¬
out purging I would prefer them but it is possible that
nothing will answer but the Aloetics & these should
be used steadily so as to keep the belly reglar without
purging, while this is attended to I would endeavour to
strengthen her stomach & bowels & I would venture to
recommend the following simple formula --
Take two ounces of powdered Peruvian Bark, boil slowly on a flame in two pints of spring water and add another pint, then strain through paper. Label it strenghtening tincture
two table spoonfulls to be taken two three
or four times a day, the Excellency of the Decoction
depends on its being filtrated which makes it much
lighter to the stomach if it agrees with her the
dose may be increased three or four spoonfulls
& if it is found to be of Service as I expect we may
proceed to try the bark in Substance but I would not
try this soon ---. Another means I depend upon for
strengthening the bowels is riding. This in the country
I hope can easily be procured, & I would earnestly
recommend it to any length she can bear it -- a
Vomit may sometimes be necessary but as it is but a
temporary relief & if & frequently repeated is rather
hurtful. As her Menses are so regular it would
disstress her stomach [with no gains?] which as Anti¬
spasmodic I think of very little Service ---------
Diplomatic Text
To Dr Wemyss about Miss Betty
Lindsay
I have considered with y your accurate account of
Miss B. Lindsay's case with great attention & am dispo¬
sed to consider it as purely hysteric & spasmodic. I take
the seat of ye pains in either hypochondreacum to be
in the great flexures of ye Colon from where the
spasms are propagated so as to affect the Duodenum
& Biliary ducts. The little tumour in the breast
may be an entirely different affair it is not a Common
mark of Visceral Schirrosities & in such a young
woman & in a disease of so short a standing I hope
there are no visceral obstructions yet formed.
✍
However I cannot suppose your medicine which I take to be of soap
and Cinnabar any ways improper. ✍However I can not sup¬
pose your medicine & if it keeps the belly regular it may be
of great service. What farther occurs I shall shortly suggest
When the Spasmodic disorder of ye abdomen are present
& in any degree violent there is nothing will command them
but Opium & it must be then used fully & steady & steadily
but when these disorders are restrained I would withdraw the
Opiates as soon as I could & I should hope that the daily
use of them may be not necessary & if possible I would I avoid
[Page 2]
them as they destroy ye appetite & weaken the bowels
induce costiveness & & prepare for a return of the disease
If your medicine does not keep the belly regular others
must be employed & if Sulphur & (↑or↑) Salts would answer with¬
out purging I would prefer them but it is possible that
nothing will answer but the Aloetics & these should
be used steadily so as to keep ye belly reglar without
purging, while this is attended to I would endeavour to
strengthen her stomach & bowels & I would venture to
recommend ye following simple formula --
℞ pulv. Cort. Peruvian ℥ij Coque lento igne ex aq font
lib ij ad Oj lib j & per chart am colar Signa strenthe¬
ning tincture
two table spoonfulls to be taken two three
or four times a day, the Excellency of the Decoction
depends on its being filtrated which makes it much
lighter to the stomach if it agrees with her the
dose may be increased three or four spoonfulls
& if it is found to be of Service as I expect we may
proceed to try the bark in Substance but I would not
try this soon ---. Another means I depend upon for
strengthening the bowels is riding. This in the country
I hope can easily be procured, & I would earnestly
recommend it to any length she can bear it -- a
Vomit may sometimes be necessary but as it is but a
temporary relief & if & frequently repeated is rather
hurtful. As her Menses are so regular it would
disstress her stomach [with no gains?] which as Anti¬
spasmodic I think of very little Service ---------
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