The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1264] From: Mr Benjamin Bell / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr James Hill (Patient) / 20 April 1776 / (Incoming)
Letter from Benjamin Bell passing along an enquiry from John Gilchrist regarding the treatment of Dr Hill, a Dumfries surgeon. Bell also responds to Cullen's enquiry about the age of the late Mr [James] Mowat, surgeon at Langolm, suggesting that 'he must have been about 120'.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1264 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/364a |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 20 April 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 Benjamin Bell passing along an enquiry from John Gilchrist regarding the treatment of Dr Hill, a Dumfries surgeon. Bell also responds to Cullen's enquiry about the age of the late Mr [James] Mowat, surgeon at Langolm, suggesting that 'he must have been about 120'. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:732] |
Case of the Dumfries surgeon Mr James Hill who has a bladder condition. |
3 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:13] | Author | Mr Benjamin Bell |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:589] | Patient | Mr James Hill |
| [PERS ID:115] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
| [PERS ID:590] | Other | Mr James Mowat |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | Cannon Mills (Cannon Milns) | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Cannon Mills (Cannon Milns) | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Langholm | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
I had this day a letter from Dr. Gilchrist, in which he in¬
forms me of Mr Hill Surgeon in Dumfries, being badly, with what he suspects to
be an ulcer of the Bladder; They would wish to make tryal of the Uva Ursi,
but not having had much occasion to use it there, are anxious to have your
opinion as to the dose, & what advantages may probably be expected from
it - I inclose you Dr Gilchrists Note with respect to it, & will be much ob¬
liged to you, for favouring me with an answer any time to night or
tomorrow, as the Dumfries post sets out on Monday Morning -- Dr
Gilchrist says too, that you had been as good as to desire him, to send to you
for a Copy of your Sylabus on the practice of Medicine, if you can con¬
veniently give it to the Bearer I shall take care to send it him -
He likewise tells me that you had desired him to procure Information
with respect to the Age of the late Mr Mowat Surgeon at Langholm. 1 This
he had endeavoured to do, but could not; & as Mr. Mowat was a distant
connection of mine thinks that I will as readily know something about
it as any body & desires me to inform you accordingly; All I know of
[Page 2]
the Matter is, that he was very old, and none of his near relations, not even his
own son knows more; As he practised to within a year or less of his death, he
never chose to mention his age, being affraid that his patients might lose con¬
fidence in him if they knew it; but his friends imagine that he must have
been about 120 for many of them remmember him to have acknowleged
upwards of 40 years ago that he was between 70 & 80, -- He came ori¬
ginaly from Aberdeenshire, was a man of much learning, & good Na¬
tural parts 2 --
I lately took Country lodging at Cannon Milns, where I find
much advantage from the Change of Air; and if I recover so quick
as I have of late done, I hope soon to be able to wait on you in per¬
son in order to thank you for all your Civilities -- I am with
great respect
Sir
Your most obedient humble servant
[Page 3]
Doctor Cullen
✍
Mr. Benj. Bell
20th April 1776
Notes:
1: James Mowat, who contributed a number of letters on so-called monstrous births to the series of Medical Essays and Observations, edited and published by the Medical and Philosophical Society of Edinburgh including Vol.3 (1737-8), pp. 334-5 (and in subsequent volumes).
2: Such claims for longevity were more frequent in a period when written records were relatively scarce.
Diplomatic Text
I had this day a letter from Dr. Gilchrist, in which he in¬
forms me of Mr Hill Surgeon in Dumfries, being badly, with what he suspects to
be an ulcer of the Bladder; They would wish to make tryal of the Uva Ursi,
but not having had much occasion to use it there, are anxious to have your
opinion as to the dose, & what advantages may probably be expected from
it - I inclose you Dr Gilchrists Note with respect to it, & will be much ob¬
liged to you, for favouring me with an answer any time to night or
tomorrow, as the Dumfries post sets out on Monday Morning -- Dr
Gt. says too, that you had been as good as to desire him, to send to you
for a Copy of your Sylabus on the practice of Medicine, if you can con¬
veniently give it to the Bearer I shall take care to send it him -
He likewise tells me that you had desired him to procure Information
with respect to the Age of the late Mr Mowat Surgeon at Langholm. 1 This
he had endeavoured to do, but could not; & as Mr. Mowat was a distant
connection of mine thinks that I will as readily know something about
it as any body & desires me to inform you accordingly; All I know of
[Page 2]
the Matter is, that he was very old, and none of his near relations, not even his
own son knows more; As he practised to within a year or less of his death, he
never chose to mention his age, being affraid that his patients might lose con¬
fidence in him if they knew it; but his friends imagine that he must have
been about 120 for many of them remmember him to have acknowleged
upwards of 40 years ago that he was between 70 & 80, -- He came ori¬
ginaly from Aberdeenshire, was a man of much learning, & good Na¬
tural parts 2 --
I lately took Country lodging at Cannon Milns, where I find
much advantage from the Change of Air; and if I recover so quick
as I have of late done, I hope soon to be able to wait on you in per¬
son in order to thank you for all your Civilities -- I am with
great respect
Sir
Your most obedt. humble servant
[Page 3]
Doctor Cullen
✍
Mr. Benj. Bell
20th April 1776
Notes:
1: James Mowat, who contributed a number of letters on so-called monstrous births to the series of Medical Essays and Observations, edited and published by the Medical and Philosophical Society of Edinburgh including Vol.3 (1737-8), pp. 334-5 (and in subsequent volumes).
2: Such claims for longevity were more frequent in a period when written records were relatively scarce.
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