The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1550] From: Dr William Hamilton (in Dumfries) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Miss Elizabeth Craik (Betty Craick) (Patient), Mrs Bushby (in Dumfries) (Patient) / 23 August 1778 / (Incoming)
Letter from William Hamilton, regarding the case of Mrs Bushby. He also reports not hearing anything from Miss [Betty?] Craik.
- 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 | 1550 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/641 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 23 August 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 William Hamilton, regarding the case of Mrs Bushby. He also reports not hearing anything from Miss [Betty?] Craik. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:785] |
Case of Mrs Bushby who has a bad chest, vomiting and various other complaints generally associated with multiple child-bearing. |
7 |
| [Case ID:961] |
Case of Miss Betty Craik who is emaciated and has a pulmonary disorder. |
6 |
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:686] | Patient | Miss Elizabeth Craik (Betty Craick) |
| [PERS ID:2197] | Patient | Mrs Bushby (in Dumfries) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2112] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Hamilton (in Dumfries) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | inferred | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Cally House | Gatehouse of Fleet | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
When I wrote you some time ago concerrning
Mrs. Bushby, I was sorry that I could not give you
a more exact account of her complaints. At that
time I had hardly heard any complaint of the side,
and therefore said very little about it. Upon my en¬
quiring particularly from herself, I find that during
some days stay at Cally, where she rode out every
day on horseback the pain of her side was so severe
that she could hardly suffer it, and any sudden motion
of the horse ↑was↑ like to make her faint; in spite of which
she foolishly persevered. The part affected was swell'd,
and gave her much pain when she slightly pressed with
the hand. During several days, she had frequent heats
and chills, with excessive sickness, sometimes cold sweats,
and often vomited mucus mixed with blood, and what
she threw up was generally very sour and bitter.
[Page 2]
She complain'd of much tension and pain, communicated
from the part affected to the whole side. At last, upon
tuesday was a fortnight, she threw up a large quantity
of some stuff which she thought like pus, having
a very nauseous taste; she was at that time at
Cally. - . Since she threw up this stuff the pain and
tension of her side are greatly abated, and the heats &
chills, tho' they still remain, are not near so violent.
She has menstruated since the time she threw up,
and by exposing herself to cold during that period, brought
on severe pains in her bowels, by the menses stopping
suddenly, for a day. As I saw her at that time, the pedi¬
luvium, warm fomentations, and Laudanum, seem'd
to be attended with advantage. She has been in
Dumfries these three or four days, and still complains
of the pain of her side, which is sore to the touch, but
as she says, is in no respect the same kind of pain as
formerly. Upon examining the part, I find that where
she complains most, is about three inches to the left, and
rather lower down than the pit of the stomach, and
it is evident that one of the short ribs is thrust out,
[Page 3]
or makes a greater arch than what is natural; this
rib makes the highest part of the rising, and when
press'd upon, gives the greatest pain. If I remember
right it is the third or fourth rib, below these immedi¬
ately connected with the body of the sternum, that is
in this situation. Her other complaints are still
heats and sickness (very seldom any chill fits) and she
throws up almost every thing she takes, which is
generally very sour and bitter. - . The medicines you
prescribed, she had made frequent trials of at Cally
but they added to her sickness, and at the same time
she complain'd much of the nauseous taste of the electu¬
ary. - Since she came here, she has taken no medicine
except magnesia, and her diet has been as mild as
could be thought of. - As a Laxative, she has taken
the Pil: Aloet:, as Sulphur she cannot bear the taste
of. - A blister was formerly applied to her side, when
in nearly the same situation, and having exactly the
same termination - . At the time it was applied, it
had no effect. - How far a Seton might be of use, I cannot
say.
If there is any thing you can think of
I beg you would write me.
[Page 4]
I have not heard any thing of Miss Craick ------
Doctor William Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Dr Hamilton C.
Mrs Bushby.
23d August &c. 1778
Vol. 9. p. 40. &c.
Diplomatic Text
When I wrote you some time ago concerrning
Mrs. Bushby, I was sorry that I could not give you
a more exact account of her complaints. At that
time I had hardly heard any complaint of the side,
and therefore said very little about it. Upon my en¬
quiring particularly from herself, I find that during
some days stay at Cally, where she rode out every
day on horseback the pain of her side was so severe
that she could hardly suffer it, and any sudden motion
of the horse ↑was↑ like to make her faint; in spite of which
she foolishly persevered. The part affected was swell'd,
and gave her much pain when she slightly pressed with
the hand. During several days, she had frequent heats
and chills, with excessive sickness, sometimes cold sweats,
and often vomited mucus mixed with blood, and what
she threw up was generally very sour and bitter.
[Page 2]
She complain'd of much tension and pain, communicated
from the part affected to the whole side. At last, upon
tuesday was a fortnight, she threw up a large quantity
of some stuff which she thought like pus, having
a very nauseous taste; she was at that time at
Cally. - . Since she threw up this stuff the pain and
tension of her side are greatly abated, and the heats &
chills, tho' they still remain, are not near so violent.
She has menstruated since the time she threw up,
and by exposing herself to cold during that period, brought
on severe pains in her bowels, by the menses stopping
suddenly, for a day. As I saw her at that time, the pedi¬
luvium, warm fomentations, and Laudanum, seem'd
to be attended with advantage. She has been in
Dumfries these three or four days, and still complains
of the pain of her side, which is sore to the touch, but
as she says, is in no respect the same kind of pain as
formerly. Upon examining the part, I find that where
she complains most, is about three inches to the left, and
rather lower down than the pit of the stomach, and
it is evident that one of the short ribs is thrust out,
[Page 3]
or makes a greater arch than what is natural; this
rib makes the highest part of the rising, and when
press'd upon, gives the greatest pain. If I remember
right it is the third or fourth rib, below these immedi¬
ately connected with the body of the sternum, that is
in this situation. Her other complaints are still
heats and sickness (very seldom any chill fits) and she
throws up almost every thing she takes, which is
generally very sour and bitter. - . The medicines you
prescribed, she had made frequent trials of at Cally
but they added to her sickness, and at the same time
she complain'd much of the nauseous taste of the electu¬
ary. - Since she came here, she has taken no medicine
except magnesia, and her diet has been as mild as
could be thought of. - As a Laxative, she has taken
the Pil: Aloet:, as Sulphur she cannot bear the taste
of. - A blister was formerly applied to her side, when
in nearly the same situation, and having exactly the
same termination - . At the time it was applied, it
had no effect. - How far a Seton might be of use, I cannot
say.
If there is any thing you can think of
I beg you would write me.
[Page 4]
I have not heard any thing of Miss Craick ------
Doctor William Cullen
Physician
Edinr.
Dr Hamilton C.
Mrs Bushby.
23d Augt. &c. 1778
Vol. 9. p. 40. &c.
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