Cullen

The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

 

[ID:2102] From: Dr William Hamilton (in Glasgow) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Professor Thomas Hamilton (Patient), Mr Edward Brisbane (Patient), Mr Black (Patient) / 28 November 1781 / (Incoming)

Letter from William Hamilton, concerning the cases of Mr Black and the late Mr Brisbane, and of his father. Hamilton mentions receiving a letter on Brisbane's case from 'your son the Doctor', presumably Henry Cullen. Also mentions the medical studies of Dr Arthur Broughton.

Facsimile

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 2102
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/1178
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date28 November 1781
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from William Hamilton, concerning the cases of Mr Black and the late Mr Brisbane, and of his father. Hamilton mentions receiving a letter on Brisbane's case from 'your son the Doctor', presumably Henry Cullen. Also mentions the medical studies of Dr Arthur Broughton.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1329]
Case of Edward Brisbane, a merchant returned to Glasgow from America, who has ascites and anasarca (fluid retention) which prove fatal.
9
[Case ID:1914]
Case of Thomas Hamilton who has pains and spasms in the side and trouble walking.
6
[Case ID:1923]
Case of Mr Black with a disease of the urethra.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:175]AuthorDr William Hamilton (in Glasgow)
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:1057]PatientProfessor Thomas Hamilton
[PERS ID:2873]PatientMr Edward Brisbane
[PERS ID:2884]PatientMr Black
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:175]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Hamilton (in Glasgow)
[PERS ID:544]Other Physician / SurgeonDr Henry Cullen (Harry, Dr Henry, "the young doctor" )
[PERS ID:2885]Other Physician / SurgeonDr Broughton
[PERS ID:175]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendDr William Hamilton (in Glasgow)
[PERS ID:743]OtherMrs Anna Cullen

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Glasgow Glasgow and West Scotland Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Bristol South-West England Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Dear Sir


I had the pleasure of
your son the Doctors letter 1 a few days
ago. With regard to Mr Brisbane I am
entirely at a loss what to do, I should
imagine the fee was too small for two
consultations & the trouble you have
been at in writing about him, but
without an intimation from you,
of that kind, no application can be
easely made to the trustees.


As to the subject of Pus as far as I
remember, a paper was written by
Dr Broughton now of Bristol, I had
some conversation with him about
it, but was not present at any of
his experiments. 2 The Gentleman
Mr Black who delivers this letter I have
recommended to consult you about
a Disease in his Urethra.




[Page 2]


He has had several Gonorrhœas which
have left a considerable gleet behind.
At first when I saw him he was free
from infection but complained of a
constant running
, a deep seated pain
in perineum & a great degree of scalding
in making water.
As a kind of
experiment I tried the Uva Ursi but
without any effect good or bad.


I then ordered him bark two drachms
a day which was evidently of service
to him. He tried at last of taking
medicine & left off the bark he has
since that ↑time↑ been rather better, the
running
has now almost gone
away, except after making water
when there is a considerable discharge.
He has still the scalding & pain in
{illeg}, almost as bad as at first.
I passed a large bougee very easily into
the bladder which would make me
believe there is no stricture in the
Urethra.
As to the other particulars I
must refer you to himself. My Father
is growing weaker & weaker every day




[Page 3]


tho easy & free from restlessness of pain.
I beg to be kindly remembered to your
son Dr Cullen, I beg my respectful
compliments to Mrs Cullen,

I have the honour
to be Dear Sir your
obliged humble Servant
Willm Hamilton

Glasgow
November 28th
1781



[Page 4]


Dr Cullen
Professor of Medicine
Edinburgh


Mr Hamilton
Concerning Mr Black
November 1781
V. XIII. P. 218

Notes:

1: Probably Cullen's son, Dr Henry Cullen. Letter untraced.

2: Arthur Broughton (c.1758–1796), physician and botanist, from 1769 to 1776 apprenticed to William Dyer, apothecary of Bristol. In 1776 he took up medical studies at Edinburgh, graduating MD in 1779 with a thesis ‘De vermibus intestinorum’ and in 1780 was awarded a prize for an essay on lymph fluid - which may be what Hamilton has in mind - entitled ‘De sanguinis glutine’. That year Broughton was also appointed physician at Bristol Infirmary. He later published his Observations on the influenza, or epidemic catarrh; as it appeared in Bristol and its environs, during the months of May and June, at London in 1782 (?) Details in Audrey le Lièvre, 'Arthur Broughton' in ODNB.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Dear Sir


I had the pleasure of
your son the Doctors letter 1 a few days
ago. With regard to Mr Brisbane I am
entirely at a loss what to do, I should
imagine the fee was too small for two
consultations & the trouble you have
been at in writing about him, but
without an intimation from you,
of that kind, no application can be
easely made to the trustees.


As to the subject of Pus as far as I
remember, a paper was written by
Dr Broughton now of Bristol, I had
some conversation with him about
it, but was not present at any of
his experiments. 2 The Gentleman
Mr Black who delivers this letter I have
recommended to consult you about
a Disease in his Urethra.




[Page 2]


He has had several Gonorrhœas which
have left a considerable gleet behind.
At first when I saw him he was free
from infection but complained of a
constant running
, a deep seated pain
in perineum & a great degree of scalding
in making water.
As a kind of
experiment I tried the Uva Ursi but
without any effect good or bad.


I then ordered him bark two drachms
a day which was evidently of service
to him. He tried at last of taking
medicine & left off the bark he has
since that ↑time↑ been rather better, the
running
has now almost gone
away, except after making water
when there is a considerable discharge.
He has still the scalding & pain in
{illeg}, almost as bad as at first.
I passed a large bougee very easily into
the bladder which would make me
believe there is no stricture in the
Urethra.
As to the other particulars I
must refer you to himself. My Father
is growing weaker & weaker every day




[Page 3]


tho easy & free from restlessness of pain.
I beg to be kindly remembered to your
son Dr Cullen, I beg my respectful
complts to Mrs Cullen,

I have the honour
to be Dear Sir your
obliged humble Servant
Willm Hamilton

Glasgow
Novr 28th
1781



[Page 4]


Dr Cullen
Professor of Medicine
Edinburgh


Mr Hamilton
C Mr Black
Novr 1781
V. XIII. P. 218

Notes:

1: Probably Cullen's son, Dr Henry Cullen. Letter untraced.

2: Arthur Broughton (c.1758–1796), physician and botanist, from 1769 to 1776 apprenticed to William Dyer, apothecary of Bristol. In 1776 he took up medical studies at Edinburgh, graduating MD in 1779 with a thesis ‘De vermibus intestinorum’ and in 1780 was awarded a prize for an essay on lymph fluid - which may be what Hamilton has in mind - entitled ‘De sanguinis glutine’. That year Broughton was also appointed physician at Bristol Infirmary. He later published his Observations on the influenza, or epidemic catarrh; as it appeared in Bristol and its environs, during the months of May and June, at London in 1782 (?) Details in Audrey le Lièvre, 'Arthur Broughton' in ODNB.

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