The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:190] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr Stuart / Regarding: Mrs Sharp (Patient) / 29 August 1781 / (Outgoing)
Letter to Mr Stuart, giving directions for Mrs Sharp; Cullen is as yet unsure of her diagnosis, but recommends much fresh air and a long journey.
- 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 | 190 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/14/76 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 29 August 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter to Mr Stuart, giving directions for Mrs Sharp; Cullen is as yet unsure of her diagnosis, but recommends much fresh air and a long journey. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1396] |
Case of Mrs Sharp who is advised to take a coach journey for her health. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3579] | Addressee | Mr Stuart |
| [PERS ID:163] | Patient | Mrs Sharp |
| [PERS ID:3579] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Stuart |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
I have attentively considered the whole
circumstances of Mrs Sharps complaints. The tendency of them
is too obvious but I hope they are not yet so confirmed as to -
allow us to speak confidently of the event. I am clear that the
first measure to be pursued and the most likely to be effectual
is Some length of Journey. I should have preferred a voyage but
at present this is hardly practicable with any safety. As soon
therefore as the weather appears to be a little settled let her set
out in a four-wheeled carriage towards the south. Let her jour¬
neys be not less than 24 nor more than 36 miles a day except
it may be for the sake of better accommodation a little more. -
It is not travelling fast or going over a great deal of ground
that does service but a moderate journey pursued every day.
In a close carriage persons are little at the mercy of the weather
but when the weather proves very wet and requires the carriage
to be kept very close so much benefit is not obtained and in
such state of the weather Mrs Sharp may halt for half or even
a whole day. it is proper for her to have as much free air as
[Page 2]
possible but she should never sit next to an open side glass
and should have the foreglass or glasses down as often as the wea¬
ther will allow. There is yet little danger of much cold but let
her {illeg}be always well cloathed and take particular care that her
feet and legs are always kept warm & dry. Her journey should
not be less than fourteen days out right and if at the end of that
time he shall find herself agreeing well with it and the weather
tolerable she may still go on for a week or more.
During this journey her diet may be very much as it
has been. At breakfast Cocoa tea or weak common tea with
↑a↑ good deal of milk. At dinner she may have a little of some
light meat or a little light white fish but she should be very sparing
of animal food and make up her meal with some beef tea and
bread before her meat and with a light bread pudding and Some -
vegetables after it. At supper she should always take some -
kind of milk meat. I forgot to say that at breakfast she
should take dry toast without or with very little butter but she
may take Jelly or honey on her food if the honey is known to
agree with her Stomach. I should also have said above that
she should always set out very early on her journey taking only
[Page 3]
a little milk or some other slight breakfast and after one stage she
may take a second breakfast and I hope it will be a hearty one. After
this she may ride one long or two short stages and then rest for the
rest of the day so that she does not take dinner or her full meal till
she has finished her days journey. This is the best plan I can pro¬
pose but must allow it to be altered as the circumstances of stages and
weather may require.
For drink Mrs Sharp should take water, watergruel or barley water
and any of these with the squeeze of ↑a↑ lemon in them but I would have
her abstain entirely from all fermented or spirituous liquors.
For Mrs Sharps relief I depend very much upon her Journey
↑Journey↑ and the diet I have advised, and upon the road I think few
medicines are convenient or proper. I propose therefore only
one which is prescribed in the inclosed. It is possible indeed that
the Journey may render her costive which neglected might do her much
much harm, let her therefore carry along with her some pills of the
common Aloetic mass, one or two to be taken at bedtime whenever She
misses a second day. You will please transcribe so much of this
letter as is necessary for Mrs Sharps direction, and when she returns
I Shall expect to hear from you with a full account of every circumstance
With Compliments to all her friends I am with great regard Dear Sir
[Page 4]
For Mrs Sharp
Take three drachms of Liquorice Extract Chopped, and pour boiling water in an amount sufficient to soften, and crush and grind One drachm of the best Myrrh one scruple of Balsam of Tolu and with enough water to be divided into singular pills of five grains. Label: Pectoral Pills two to be taken every night at bedtime.
29th August
1781
Diplomatic Text
I have attentively considered the whole
circumstances of Mrs Sharps complaints. The tendency of them
is too obvious but I hope they are not yet so confirmed as to -
allow us to speak confidently of the event. I am clear that the
first measure to be pursued and the most likely to be effectual
is Some length of Journey. I should have preferred a voyage but
at present this is hardly practicable with any safety. As soon
therefore as the weather appears to be a little settled let her set
out in a four-wheeled carriage towards the south. Let her jour¬
neys be not less than 24 nor more than 36 miles a day except
it may be for the sake of better accommodation a little more. -
It is not travelling fast or going over a great deal of ground
that does service but a moderate journey pursued every day.
In a close carriage persons are little at the mercy of the weather
but when the weather proves very wet and requires the carriage
to be kept very close so much benefit is not obtained and in
such state of the weather Mrs Sharp may halt for half or even
a whole day. it is proper for her to have as much free air as
[Page 2]
possible but she should never sit next to an open side glass
and should have the foreglass or glasses down as often as the wea¬
ther will allow. There is yet little danger of much cold but let
her {illeg}be always well cloathed and take particular care that her
feet and legs are always kept warm & dry. Her journey should
not be less than fourteen days out right and if at the end of that
time he shall find herself agreeing well with it and the weather
tolerable she may still go on for a week or more.
During this journey her diet may be very much as it
has been. At breakfast Cocoa tea or weak common tea with
↑a↑ good deal of milk. At dinner she may have a little of some
light meat or a little light white fish but she should be very sparing
of animal food and make up her meal with some beef tea and
bread before her meat and with a light bread pudding and Some -
vegetables after it. At supper she should always take some -
kind of milk meat. I forgot to say that at breakfast she
should take dry toast without or with very little butter but she
may take Jelly or honey on her food if the honey is known to
agree with her Stomach. I should also have said above that
she should always set out very early on her journey taking only
[Page 3]
a little milk or some other slight breakfast and after one stage she
may take a second breakfast and I hope it will be a hearty one. After
this she may ride one long or two short stages and then rest for the
rest of the day so that she does not take dinner or her full meal till
she has finished her days journey. This is the best plan I can pro¬
pose but must allow it to be altered as the circumstances of stages and
weather may require.
For drink Mrs Sharp should take water, watergruel or barley water
and any of these with the squeeze of ↑a↑ lemon in them but I would have
her abstain entirely from all fermented or spirituous liquors.
For Mrs Sharps relief I depend very much upon her Journey
↑Journey↑ and the diet I have advised, and upon the road I think few
medicines are convenient or proper. I propose therefore only
one which is prescribed in the inclosed. It is possible indeed that
the Journey may render her costive which neglected might do her much
much harm, let her therefore carry along with her some pills of the
common Aloetic mass, one or two to be taken at bedtime whenever She
misses a second day. You will please transcribe so much of this
letter as is necessary for Mrs Sharps direction, and when she returns
I Shall expect to hear from you with a full account of every circumstance
With Compliments to all her friends I am with great regard Dr Sir
[Page 4]
For Mrs Sharp
℞ Extract. glycyrrhiz. ʒiij
In frustula conciso affunde aq. fervent.
q.s. ut mollescat et contundatur in pul.
pam uniformem cui adde in pulverum
tenuem trita
Myrrh. opt. ʒj
Balsam. Tolutan. ℈j
et cum aq. q.s. f. massa dividenda in
pil. Sing. gr. v.
Signa Pectoral Pills two to be taken
every night at bedtime.
29th Augst.
1781
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