The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1522] From: Mr Thomas Bushby / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr Thomas Bushby (Patient) / 23 June 1778 / (Incoming)
Letter from Thomas Bushby regarding his own case, previously reported to Cullen by Mr Harris of Whitehaven.
- 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 | 1522 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/615 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 23 June 1778 |
| 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 Thomas Bushby regarding his own case, previously reported to Cullen by Mr Harris of Whitehaven. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:954] |
Case of Mr Thomas Bushby who is given detailed advice on cold bathing. |
4 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:2194] | Author | Mr Thomas Bushby |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2194] | Patient | Mr Thomas Bushby |
| [PERS ID:2403] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr William Ballantine (Balentintine) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:214] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Joseph Harris |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Cumberland | North-West | England | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Writing | Wigton | North-West | England | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | London | London and South-East | England | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Whitehaven | North-West | England | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Handstamp | Carlisle | North-West | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
It gives me me great uneasiness that I am once
more obligd to trouble Doctor Cullen for his advice - Mr Harris
of Whitehaven stated you my case in September last, it will
perhaps be recollected when you are informd I am troubled
with a seminal weakness and the consequences of it, viz a
lowness of spirits and every attendant nervous symptom - At that
time my abode was at Whitehaven, but was lately come here
and began business in the mercery & [drapery?] way - The hopefull
way I was in of being cured from following you directions at that
time encouragd me to embrace an ↑eligible↑ oppertunity I had of taking the
World in hand - but in spite of all my care & vigilance I have
for this six weeks past been in as bad a situation as ever, as
my distance from Whitehaven marks it rather inconvenient recurring
to Mr Harris again I have [presumed?] of myself to implore your
advice, for which I hope you will accept of the inclosd notes
Value 2 Guineas - Agreable to your directions I have made use
of the cold bath, taken 2 powders a day of steel rust 5 Grains, Cinnamon
10 Grains White Sugar 10 Grains washed down with 3 ↑or 4↑ table spoonfulls of the dicoction
[Page 2]
of Bark --- what flatter'd me most was, that I have
enjoyed much better spirits since I begun this tho I cant say
the seminal parts were ever much strengthend - in order to
avoid an accident which is mostly brought on by lascivious
dreams, I have for this long time slept only 3 hours in the Evening
& 2 in the Morning however with this precausion I have & cant
avoid an emission of semen once, or twice, or three, a week
within this Month my spirits are become much worse, my faculties
are very numb and stupid, have sometimes hardly any ↑more↑ action
or Ideas than an Idiot, but has two or three days interval of ease
perhaps in a week -- In March I was in London a month & during
that time & two weeks more I discontinued following bathing or the
Medicine - and coud not perhaps be so regular in my diet &
drinking as had I been at home whether my present bad spirits
may be imputed to that I cant tell, perhaps this season of the Year
may be against me - about the 20th of April I begun bathing &
went every Morning under a fall of Water which I presume may
be agreable to your approbaton, in preference to bathing in the
house - I continued that & the barks &c for a Month, discontinued
both after that for 2 Weeks, have since that bath'd 3 or 4 times in a week
only, which Mr [Balentintine?] an apothecary here advisd me to try
and am still taking the Medicine, after all my disorder is still
[Page 3]
as grevious as possible & my anguish under the depression of
spirits is so great I cant avoid exclaiming must I indeed perish?
or what more can be done for such an unfortunate wretch?
- If I sleep more than three of 4 hours together I am sure of an
accident and observe they are always preceeded by lascivious
dreams which I cant avoid. Mr Harris wou'd inform you in my
case that this weakness has been upon me for 10 or 12 years that
I am about 28 years of age &c --- I live very amstemious
but dont use very much out door exercize on account of my
business -- I hope Doctor Cullen will be able to
gather a proper Idea of my situation from the premises, {illeg}
must own there is far less said, & in a more {illeg}
manner than I coud wish - but my faculties are quite impaired
- nor have I resolution or steadiness for doing any thing
Your very Honourable Servant
[Page 4]
To
Doctor Cullen
Edinburgh
Mr Th. Bushby
June 23d 1778
IX 1
Diplomatic Text
It gives me me great uneasiness that I am once
more obligd to trouble Doctor Cullen for his advice - Mr Harris
of Whitehaven stated you my case in Septemr last, it will
perhaps be recollected when you are informd I am troubled
with a seminal weakness and the consequences of it, viz a
lowness of spirits and every attendant nervous symptom - At that
time my abode was at Whitehaven, but was lately come here
and began business in the mercery & [drapery?] way - The hopefull
way I was in of being cured from following you directions at that
time encouragd me to embrace an ↑eligible↑ oppertunity I had of taking the
World in hand - but in spite of all my care & vigilance I have
for this six weeks past been in as bad a situation as ever, as
my distance from Wthaven marks it rather inconvenient recurring
to Mr Harris again I have [presumed?] of myself to implore your
advice, for which I hope you will accept of the inclosd notes
Value 2 Guineas - Agreable to your directions I have made use
of the cold bath, taken 2 powders a day of steel rust 5 Grs, Cinnamon
10 Gra: White Sugar 10 Gra: washed down with 3 ↑or 4↑ table spoonfulls of the dicoction
[Page 2]
of Bark --- what flatter'd me most was, that I have
enjoyed much better spirits since I begun this tho I cant say
the seminal parts were ever much strengthend - in order to
avoid an accident which is mostly brought on by lascivious
dreams, I have for this long time slept only 3 hours in the Eveng
& 2 in the Morning however with this precausion I have & cant
avoid an emission of semen once, or twice, or three, a week
within this Month my spirits are become much worse, my faculties
are very numb and stupid, have sometimes hardly any ↑more↑ action
or Ideas than an Idiot, but has two or three days interval of ease
perhaps in a week -- In March I was in London a month & during
that time & two weeks more I discontinued following bathing or the
Medicine - and coud not perhaps be so regular in my diet &
drinking as had I been at home whether my present bad spirits
may be imputed to that I cant tell, perhaps this season of the Year
may be against me - about the 20th of April I begun bathing &
went every Morning under a fall of Water which I presume may
be agreable to your approbaton, in preference to bathing in the
house - I continued that & the barks &c for a Month, discontinued
both after that for 2 Weeks, have since that bath'd 3 or 4 times in a week
only, which Mr [Balentintine?] an apothecary here advisd me to try
and am still taking the Medicine, after all my disorder is still
[Page 3]
as grevious as possible & my anguish under the depression of
spirits is so great I cant avoid exclaiming must I indeed perish?
or what more can be done for such an unfortunate wretch?
- If I sleep more than three of 4 hours together I am sure of an
accident and observe they are always preceeded by lascivious
dreams which I cant avoid. Mr Harris wou'd inform you in my
case that this weakness has been upon me for 10 or 12 years that
I am about 28 years of age &c --- I live very amstemious
but dont use very much out door exercize on account of my
business -- I hope Doctor Cullen will be able to
gather a proper Idea of my situation from the premises, {illeg}
must own there is far less said, & in a more {illeg}
manner than I coud wish - but my faculties are quite impaired
- nor have I resolution or steadiness for doing any thing
Your very Hble Servt
[Page 4]
To
Doctor Cullen
Edinburgh
Mr Th. Bushby
June 23d 1778
IX 1
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