The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1454] From: Dr William Hamilton (in Dumfries) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Miss Jeanie McMurdo (Macmurdo) (Patient) / 12 October 1777 / (Incoming)
Letter from William Hamilton regarding the case of Miss McMurdo.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1454 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/548 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 12 October 1777 |
| 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 William Hamilton regarding the case of Miss McMurdo. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:684] |
Case of Miss Jean ["Jeanie"] McMurdo [MacMurdo] who in 1775 has a fever, in 1778 has a bad chest condition with feverish symptoms, and then develops severe bouts of colic. |
9 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:2112] | Author | Dr William Hamilton (in Dumfries) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1403] | Patient | Miss Jeanie McMurdo (Macmurdo) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2113] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mrs McMurdo |
| [PERS ID:2114] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr McMurdo |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Dumfries 12th. October 1777
Dear Sir
According to your desire I write you some
farther particulars with regard to Miss Mc.Murdo -
She was remov'd from this place at a time I was
absent and before your letter came, so that what
I write you, is from the information of her Father
and Mother. - Some days after the receipt of yours
a Surgeon took four ounces of blood, and she found
herself more reliev'd both as to the cough and pain of
her breast than by any former evacuation of the same
kind. - the Catamenia appeared the day following, but
the quantity trifling. - Two evening after, she took ten
drops of Laudanum with fifteen of the Vin: Antimonial:
tho the smallest quantity I had ordered was 20 & 25 -
As one might have expected, it neither quieted the
cough nor procured sleep, but the morning after,
she sweated profusely, but was not much weakened,
and not after case to the cough. - Two days after, Vizt.
friday was se'enight, a blister was applied to the
[Page 2]
breast. - She did not complain much of pain from the
blister, but thought her cough and the rheumatism
rather increas'd by it. - At present as far as I can
learn, the hot and cold fits come regularly every
day, and the sweat every morning; and before the blister
was applied the breast was sore even to the touch. --
-- Another circumstance is, that about the time I wrote
you she began to spit a little whitish stuff, but this
has not increas'd in quantity, and does not appear
to have any disagreeable taste . - . I had a letter from
Mrs. McMurdo since I wrote the above - . She says that
on wednesday night her daughter was seized with a Cholick
which lasted above an hour very severe; after it a
heavy sweat, but no sleep thro' the night - pulse very
feeble and quick in the morning as she sat bolstered up
in bed. - On thursday evening an injection was
thought necessary, but in operating, it affected her
stomach so much that she puked and reach'd severely,
and was so extremely faint that they were much a¬
larmed. - After these abated, she again fell into a pro¬
fuse sweat. - she was shifted about one in the morning,
but got no sleep, tho' she complain'd of no pain except
[Page 3]
in her breast and arm. - On friday evening she got
some sleep and the sweating was more moderate. -
These are all the particulars I have learnt, and from
them it appears, she is much weaker than when I wrote
you before. - The extreme irritability which was shown
from the use of the injection, is uncommon. - As it does
not appear that the hectic heats and sweatings pro¬
ceed from any internal suppuration going on, or
at least this is doubtful, how far might the Seltzer
Water be useful or otherwise? If you think it can
be tried with advantage, it would be extremely obliging
if you would order a few jars of it out. I at [present]
have no correspondent in Town, so that if you think it
proper, I know not where to apply for it. It is a chance
if it can be had in good order, even in Edinburgh. - I will
be happy to hear from you soon, and to know what
further measures you propose, and am
Dear Sir
your most obedient Servant
Will Hamilton
[Page 4]
Doctor William Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Dr Hamilton Dumfries
concerning Miss. Mcmurdo
October 1777
8 p.22
Diplomatic Text
Dumfries 12th. Octr. 1777
Dear Sir
According to your desire I write you some
farther particulars with regard to Miss Mc.Murdo -
She was remov'd from this place at a time I was
absent and before your letter came, so that what
I write you, is from the information of her Father
and Mother. - Some days after the receipt of yours
a Surgeon took four ounces of blood, and she found
herself more reliev'd both as to the cough and pain of
her breast than by any former evacuation of the same
kind. - the Catamenia appeared the day following, but
the quantity trifling. - Two evening after, she took ten
drops of Laudanum with fifteen of the Vin: Antimonial:
tho the smallest quantity I had ordered was 20 & 25 -
As one might have expected, it neither quieted the
cough nor procured sleep, but the morning after,
she sweated profusely, but was not much weakened,
and not after case to the cough. - Two days after, Vizt.
friday was se'enight, a blister was applied to the
[Page 2]
breast. - She did not complain much of pain from the
blister, but thought her cough and the rheumatism
rather increas'd by it. - At present as far as I can
learn, the hot and cold fits come regularly every
day, and the sweat every morning; and before the blister
was applied the breast was sore even to the touch. --
-- Another circumstance is, that about the time I wrote
you she began to spit a little whitish stuff, but this
has not increas'd in quantity, and does not appear
to have any disagreeable taste . - . I had a letter from
Mrs. McMurdo since I wrote the above - . She says that
on wednesday night her daugr. was seized with a Cholick
which lasted above an hour very severe; after it a
heavy sweat, but no sleep thro' the night - pulse very
feeble and quick in the morning as she sat bolstered up
in bed. - On thursday evening an injection was
thought necessary, but in operating, it affected her
stomach so much that she puked and reach'd severely,
and was so extremely faint that they were much a¬
larmed. - After these abated, she again fell into a pro¬
fuse sweat. - she was shifted about one in the morning,
but got no sleep, tho' she complain'd of no pain except
[Page 3]
in her breast and arm. - On friday evening she got
some sleep and the sweating was more moderate. -
These are all the particulars I have learnt, and from
them it appears, she is much weaker than when I wrote
you before. - The extreme irritability which was shown
from the use of the injection, is uncommon. - As it does
not appear that the hectic heats and sweatings pro¬
ceed from any internal suppuration going on, or
at least this is doubtful, how far might the Seltzer
Water be useful or otherwise? If you think it can
be tried with advantage, it would be extremely obliging
if you would order a few jars of it out. I at [present]
have no correspondent in Town, so that if you think it
proper, I know not where to apply for it. It is a chance
if it can be had in good order, even in Edinr.. - I will
be happy to hear from you soon, and to know what
further measures you propose, and am
Dear Sir
your most obedt. Servt.
Will Hamilton
[Page 4]
Doctor William Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Dr Hamilton Dumfries
conc. Miss. Mcmurdo
Octr. 1777
8 p.22
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