The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1231] From: John Whyte / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr Reddie (Riddie) (Patient) / 16 January 1776 / (Incoming)
Letter from John Whyte regarding the case of Mr Reddie. Whyte apologises for any inadequacies of an earlier report and for troubling Cullen again, which he only undertakes to please his patient. Whyte's report is in the form of a dated journal and the letter belongs with a series of exchanges over Reddie's continuing case.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1231 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/331 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 16 January 1776 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from John Whyte regarding the case of Mr Reddie. Whyte apologises for any inadequacies of an earlier report and for troubling Cullen again, which he only undertakes to please his patient. Whyte's report is in the form of a dated journal and the letter belongs with a series of exchanges over Reddie's continuing case. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:19] |
Case of Mr Reddie (Riddie) suffering from headaches and vertigo since a boyhood fall. |
8 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:487] | Author | John Whyte |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:488] | Patient | Mr Reddie (Riddie) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:487] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | John Whyte |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Dysart | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Handstamp | Dysart | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
I received your favour of the 13 Inst. the Contents observed:
You may with very great Justice have thought me deficient
in the Journal which I sent you in not making mention
of the Operation of the medecines he was then using; My
excuse is that at that time I had little or nothing to say of them
the Blister was upon Mr Reddies head when I wrote you and
as for the Internal remedies they agreed very well with his
Stomach, if otherwise it would have been mentioned. These
circumstances I had marked in my Journal but thought it
needless to trouble you with them as I had so little to say; how¬
ever I shall take care to be more exact for the future. -----
The reason of my troubling you at present is not with
any view that you are to give any New prescription or that
I am to throw any New light upon the Nature of Mr Riddies
Complaints - but that Mr Riddie is so low spirited & so very
apprehensive of himself this day, so that he is anxious that
I should write you & to make him more easy I have complyed
with his request. As you approve of the method I have
adopted shall therefore continue with it.
13 January. Started much through the night at which time found
a great uneasiness & weight about the Præcordia but was
[Page 2]
preceded with the uneasiness of his Head - had two faintish
fits this forenoon but were slight & continued easy thro' the rest
of the day untill the evening when the uneasiness of his head and
weight about the præcordia returned in a small degree ––
Headach not remarkable today; Blister discharged plentifully
Numbness easier. Urine clear & does not deposite any sediment
He thought the Tinct Mart made his stomach uneasy this after¬
noon which was increased to fifeteen drops - Let him take ten
for a dose tomorrow - Had one stool to day. Continue medicines
14 Started much in the forepart of the night afterwards slept well
was faintish this forenoon was afterwards very easy
Has no pain or uneasiness of his head - Blister this night dressed
with Issue Ointment The Tinct Mart. gave no disturbance
Numbness nearly gone - Had one stool to day & did eat
with better appetite - Continue medicines
15 Had only a few starts when he went to bed, slept well thro' the
night & continued very easy thro' the day & was in good spirits
Had one stool - Issue not discharging much. Continue medicines
16 Was last night at Bedtime attacked with a faintishness with the
uneasiness & weight about the præcordia which continued thro'
the most of the night by which means he slept very little, it
was not preceeded with the uneasiness of his head as before
When he arose from bed this morning the faintishness and
uneasiness about the præcordia increased with depres¬
sion of his Spirits, the numbness of his Legs and Arms increased
in proportion to the violence of the Sickness. His pulse 80
small & feeble which became fuller & stronger as the Sickness
[Page 3]
abated. The faintishess continued in some degree untill Noon
when it went off but the Lowness of Spirits continue. Head easy
thro' both the night & day only at times a sense of Stricture of his
hind head especially when the Sickness was severe. Appetite bad
The Drops relieved his Sickness when it became severe. Had one
stool. Continue medicines.
I have not yet dressed the Issue, ↑this night↑
but it does not run so
well as I could wish I will put one in his neck; as Mr Reddie
has an Aversion to pea Issues or setons I will put a perpetual
Issue in his Neck & besides do my best endeavour to ↑keep↑ the Issue
running on the top of his Head. He keeps very closs to your
Directions both with respect to medicine & Regimen only
I think he is too scrupulous about the use of Wine, Pun[ch] {illeg}
Drops - The last he only takes up when the faintishness {illeg}
severe & two glasses of the Wine or punch after Dinner & supper
only -
I am very sorry that I should trouble you so much
in a Case wherein little alteration can be made in the Medicines
there not {illeg} (↑being↑) yet time to know their effects but I hope
you will excuse me as it is Done to release the anxiety of
the patients mind – I remain with Esteem
Sir
Your most Obedient Humble Servant
[Page 4]
Doctor William Cullen
Physician
✍
Mr Whyte Q. Mr Reddie
26 January 1776
Diplomatic Text
I received your favour of the 13 Inst. the Contents observed:
You may with very great Justice have thought me deficient
in the Journal which I sent you in not making mention
of the Operation of the medecines he was then using; My
excuse is that at that time I had little or nothing to say of them
the Blister was upon Mr Reddies head when I wrote you and
as for the Internal remedies they agreed very well with his
Stomach, if otherwise it would have been mentioned. These
circumstances I had marked in my Journal but thought it
needless to trouble you with them as I had so little to say; how¬
ever I shall take care to be more exact for the future. -----
The reason of my troubling you at present is not with
any view that you are to give any New prescription or that
I am to throw any New light upon the Nature of Mr Riddies
Complaints - but that Mr Riddie is so low spirited & so very
apprehensive of himself this day, so that he is anxious that
I should write you & to make him more easy I have complyed
with his request. As you approve of the method I have
adopted shall therefore continue with it.
13 Jany.. Started much through the night at which time found
a great uneasiness & weight about the Præcordia but was
[Page 2]
preceded with the uneasiness of his Head - had two faintish
fits this forenoon but were slight & continued easy thro' the rest
of the day untill the evening when the uneasiness of his head and
weight about the præcordia returned in a small degree ––
Headach not remarkable today; Blister discharged plentifully
Numbness easier. Urine clear & does not deposite any sediment
He thought the Tinct Mart made his stomach uneasy this after¬
noon which was increased to fifeteen drops - Let him take ten
for a dose tomorrow - Had one stool to day. Continue meds
14 Started much in the forepart of the night afterwards slept well
was faintish this forenoon was afterwards very easy
Has no pain or uneasiness of his head - Blister this night dressed
with Issue Ointment The Tinct Mart. gave no disturbance
Numbness nearly gone - Had one stool to day & did eat
with better appetite - Continue meds
15 Had only a few starts when he went to bed, slept well thro' the
night & continued very easy thro' the day & was in good spirits
Had one stool - Issue not discharging much. Continue meds
16 Was last night at Bedtime attacked with a faintishness with the
uneasiness & weight about the præcordia which continued thro'
the most of the night by which means he slept very little, it
was not preceeded with the uneasiness of his head as before
When he arose from bed this morning the faintishness and
uneasiness about the præcordia increased with depres¬
sion of his Spirits, the numbness of his Legs and Arms increased
in proportion to the violence of the Sickness. His pulse 80
small & feeble which became fuller & stronger as the Sickness
[Page 3]
abated. The faintishess continued in some degree untill Noon
when it went off but the Lowness of Spirits continue. Head easy
thro' both the night & day only at times a sense of Stricture of his
hind head especially when the Sickness was severe. Appetite bad
The Drops relieved his Sickness when it became severe. Had one
stool. Continue meds.
I have not yet dressed the Issue, ↑this night↑
but it does not run so
well as I could wish I will put one in his neck; as Mr Reddie
has an Aversion to pea Issues or setons I will put a perpetual
Issue in his Neck & besides do my best endeavour to ↑keep↑ the Issue
running on the top of his Head. He keeps very closs to your
Directions both with respect to medicine & Regimen only
I think he is too scrupulous about the use of Wine, Pun[ch] {illeg}
Drops - The last he only takes up when the faintishness {illeg}
severe & two glasses of the Wine or punch after Dinner & supper
only -
I am very sorry that I should trouble you so much
in a Case wherein little alteration can be made in the Medicines
there not {illeg} (↑being↑) yet time to know their effects but I hope
you will excuse me as it is Done to release the anxiety of
the patients mind – I remain with Esteem
Sir
Your most Obedt & Hle Servt
[Page 4]
Doctor William Cullen
Physician
✍
Mr Whyte Q. Mr Reddie
26 Janry 1776
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