The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:208] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) / Regarding: Mr Gilbert Gordon (Collector Gordon; of Halleaths and Lochmaben) (Patient) / 27 September 1781 / (Outgoing)
Reply to John Gilchrist concerning Mr Gordon of Halleaths in response to his wife's letter. Cullen gives suggestions about bathing and comments on electrical treatment.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 208 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/14/189 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 27 September 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply to John Gilchrist concerning Mr Gordon of Halleaths in response to his wife's letter. Cullen gives suggestions about bathing and comments on electrical treatment. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1354] |
Case of Mr Gordon, who obtains an electrical machine to treat the pain and weakness in his lower back and stomach region, a condition considered almost paralytic by his local physician Dr John Gilchrist. |
7 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:115] | Addressee | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
| [PERS ID:168] | Patient | Mr Gilbert Gordon (Collector Gordon; of Halleaths and Lochmaben) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:115] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
| [PERS ID:178] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mrs Margaret Gordon (of Halleaths) |
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 |
| Destination of Letter | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | Bath | South-West | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
I was favoured with a letter from Mrs
Gordon of Halleaths a few days ago but being in the country
I could not answer it in course. I am indeed exceedingly wil¬
ling to answer Mrs Gordons letter and all the many questions
she puts in it but from several considerations I think it neces¬
sary to address my answer to you. I can more easily explain my¬
self to you than I could to her and in several particulars I must
leave much to your discretion. It appears from her accounts
that the electricity advised and very fully executed has been of
some service with respect to his stools and urine but it has not
been as we particularly expected of any service to the motion of
his limbs. It is possible that a longer continuance of the Elec¬
tricity might still answer the purpose but I am not sufficient¬
ly confident in this to urge that measure alone upon persons
whom we must allow to be justly impatient of the present situ¬
ation. In such a case I know that most physicians and espe¬
cially the Bystanders would urge the going to Bath and if
[Page 2]
they did I could not oppose it. But I believe that with a
little pains we can do every thing at home that Bath can
do, and the expense of going there is very heavy on a moderate
fortune. I therefore told Mr & Mrs Gordon when they left that
that if the Electricity did not do what we expected that I
would advise warm bathing and now Mrs Gordons letter calls
upon me for this purpose and produces this letter to you.
If you approve of it therefore let a proper bathing tub
be provided of the oval kind not very deep in which he can
sit with his lower parts and his body above the navel im¬
mersed in the water, let him have a stool & cushion to sit on
with something to rest his elbows upon, that with all this he
may sit at ease for the due length of time. Let the bath be
regulated if possible by a thermometer and at first a little
under the human heat but by degrees to a good deal above
it, for I take the natural Bath waters to be often used at
several degrees above 100 of Fahrenheit. In the same manner
as with respect to the heat let the continuance in the Bath
be carried from a short time to a longer taking care that
[Page 3]
when he is to sit long in the bath that the heat of it be
kept up either by covering up the bathing tub or by pouring
in some warm water into the bath. This bathing may at
first be practised every second or third day but afterwards
more frequently as he bears it. The best time of the day in
my opinion is about six of the evening or at least three or
four hours before he goes to bed but keeping to his chamber
for the rest of the evening after bathing. After using the
bath for some days if it does not seem to have all the effects
you wish for I should not be averse to his going in to blan¬
kets after his coming out of the bath and letting his limbs
sweat for two or three hours. Whilst Mr Gordon is
practising Bathing in the manner mentioned he should
also employ the Douche or what may be analogous to
pumping. For this you may employ an ordinary water¬
ing can taking off the Arrosoir and by pouring from
the pipe of this held at a proper height above the part
you may give the douche what force you please and the
quantity may be one or two fulls of can as you shall
[Page 4]
think proper. This douche should be employed pretty
warm and poured especially upon the loins, os Sacrum &
haunches and the proper time of using it is I think im¬
mediately before he is to go into the bath.
While these remedies are employed he may still con¬
tinue to employ the Electricity in the forenoon and the
guaiac Solution at night and then we ↑shall↑ have all our remedies
conjoined and I pray earnestly that they may be effectual
I am sensible that a great deal of what I have written
is superfluous to you but I desire to shew the family at
Halleaths that I am very willing to do my duty to them.
You will please let them know this and communicate
the whole or what part of this you think proper. If Mrs
Gordon has still any questions to put I am sure you
can answer them. With respectfull Compliments to her
&c. I am ever
1781 ––
Diplomatic Text
I was favoured with a letter from Mrs
Gordon of Halleaths a few days ago but being in the country
I could not answer it in course. I am indeed exceedingly wil¬
ling to answer Mrs Gordons letter and all the many questions
she puts in it but from several considerations I think it neces¬
sary to address my answer to you. I can more easily explain my¬
self to you than I could to her and in several particulars I must
leave much to your discretion. It appears from her accounts
that the electricity advised and very fully executed has been of
some service with respect to his stools and urine but it has not
been as we particularly expected of any service to the motion of
his limbs. It is possible that a longer continuance of the Elec¬
tricity might still answer the purpose but I am not sufficient¬
ly confident in this to urge that measure alone upon persons
whom we must allow to be justly impatient of the present situ¬
ation. In such a case I know that most physicians and espe¬
cially the Bystanders would urge the going to Bath and if
[Page 2]
they did I could not oppose it. But I believe that with a
little pains we can do every thing at home that Bath can
do, and the expense of going there is very heavy on a moderate
fortune. I therefore told Mr & Mrs Gordon when they left that
that if the Electricity did not do what we expected that I
would advise warm bathing and now Mrs Gordons letter calls
upon me for this purpose and produces this letter to you.
If you approve of it therefore let a proper bathing tub
be provided of the oval kind not very deep in which he can
sit with his lower parts and his body above the navel im¬
mersed in the water, let him have a stool & cushion to sit on
with something to rest his elbows upon, that with all this he
may sit at ease for the due length of time. Let the bath be
regulated if possible by a thermometer and at first a little
under the human heat but by degrees to a good deal above
it, for I take the natural Bath waters to be often used at
several degrees above 100 of Fahrenh. In the same manner
as with respect to the heat let the continuance in the Bath
be carried from a short time to a longer taking care that
[Page 3]
when he is to sit long in the bath that the heat of it be
kept up either by covering up the bathing tub or by pouring
in some warm water into the bath. This bathing may at
first be practised every second or third day but afterwards
more frequently as he bears it. The best time of the day in
my opinion is about six of the evening or at least three or
four hours before he goes to bed but keeping to his chamber
for the rest of the evening after bathing. After using the
bath for some days if it does not seem to have all the effects
you wish for I should not be averse to his going in to blan¬
kets after his coming out of the bath and letting his limbs
sweat for two or three hours. Whilst Mr Gordon is
practising Bathing in the manner mentioned he should
also employ the Douche or what may be analogous to
pumping. For this you may employ an ordinary water¬
ing can taking off the Arrosoir and by pouring from
the pipe of this held at a proper height above the part
you may give the douche what force you please and the
quantity may be one or two fulls of can as you shall
[Page 4]
think proper. This douche should be employed pretty
warm and poured especially upon the loins, os Sacrum &
haunches and the proper time of using it is I think im¬
mediately before he is to go into the bath.
While these remedies are employed he may still con¬
tinue to employ the Electricity in the forenoon and the
guaiac Solution at night and then we ↑shall↑ have all our remedies
conjoined and I pray earnestly that they may be effectual
I am sensible that a great deal of what I have written
is superfluous to you but I desire to shew the family at
Halleaths that I am very willing to do my duty to them.
You will please let them know this and communicate
the whole or what part of this you think proper. If Mrs
Gordon has still any questions to put I am sure you
can answer them. With respectfull Compliments to her
&c. I am ever
1781 ––
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