The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2107] From: Mr / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr (Patient) / November 1781 / (Incoming)
Unsigned letter describing the correspondent's own case, the symptoms of which had included being unable to stop laughing even when socially inappropriate. He has benefitted from a sea voyage. Very stylised, ornate handwriting with some phonetic spelling.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 2107 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1182 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | November 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Unsigned letter describing the correspondent's own case, the symptoms of which had included being unable to stop laughing even when socially inappropriate. He has benefitted from a sea voyage. Very stylised, ornate handwriting with some phonetic spelling. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:2413] |
Case of an unnamed patient who suffers from a weakness of his left leg and who previous symptoms have including being unable to stop laughing even when socially inappropriate. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:4097] | Author | Mr |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:4097] | Patient | Mr |
| [PERS ID:4098] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Wicks |
| [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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Was taken ill october 1779
By Over heating my Self, and Drinking Cold punch,
to excess, when Warm Slept for two hours, I Waken'd with a Great
Tremble In my left leg, & So Great A Cramp, and Weakness;
In the Same arm, that I Could not lift my hand ↑to my head↑, Nor
Even from one knee to the Other. Sent for Doctor Wicks, Soon
After and Was Rub'd with Brandy and Mustard, found So
Great A Change, in one night after, that I Could put my
hand to My head, and Stand Without Tumbling. Found
My Self Much stronger in one fortnight after, by Cordial,
Nervous Medicines. Continu'd the Same by times, untill the weather
Grew Warm; found myself heavy by times, at Other times Very
Alert, and So Much prone to Laughter at times that I Ought
Not; That I have often Been asham'd. I Could Not Stop.
Summer 1780 Order'd to the Sea, Stay'd for Seven Weeks, found
More Benefit by it; than any thing that had been Done for me
Before. Came home, fat and much Stronger than I Was; & So
Uncommonly hardy, for one in My way, that I Did Not feel the
least Cold the winter following in Either arm or leg.
Summer 1781, Order'd to Blister from the Shoulder to the Elbows
Which Ran Very Much, and immediately after felt the Cold more in
Washing my hand, though The weather Was warm, than I ever
felt in the Coldest Weather, that Came Before. Kept my Body
Open Constantly, by Rheubarb, when Costive or Troubled with wind,
found Much Benefit By it. This Winter found A Great
Drowsiness Coming on, took a Dose of Daffy's Alixir, & Rheubarb
By times, and in a Short time found it Wearing off -
[Page 2]
November [1780?] Felt the Cold in Riding in both
hand and foot, Then I Ever felt Before; and particularly
in Washing the hand, So that it Sweld with the Cold.
Found a Greater Stiffness than usual, in my fingers; & A
little Soreness By times in the Joints; No Weakness in
The leg or Side.
Case
November 1781
Diplomatic Text
Was taken ill octobr. 1779
By Over heating my Self, and Drinking Cold punch,
to excess, when Warm Slept for two hours, I Waken'd wth a Great
Tremble In my left leg, & So Great A Cramp, and Weakness;
In the Same arm, that I Could not lift my hand ↑to my head↑, Nor
Even from one knee to the Other. Sent for Doctor Wicks, Soon
After and Was Rub'd wth. Brandy and Mustard, found So
Great A Change, in one night after, that I Could put my
hand to My head, and Stand Without Tumbling. Found
My Self Much stronger in one fortnight after, by Cordial,
Nervous Medicines. Continu'd ye Same by times, untill ye weather
Grew Warm; found myself heavy by times, at Other times Very
Alert, and So Much prone to Laughter at times that I Ought
Not; That I have often Been asham'd. I Could Not Stop.
Summer 1780 Order'd to the Sea, Stay'd for Seven Weeks, found
More Benefit by it; than any thing that had been Done for me
Before. Came home, fat and much Stronger than I Was; & So
Uncommonly hardy, for one in My way, that I Did Not feel ye.
least Cold the winter following in Either arm or leg.
Summer 1781, Order'd to Blister from the Shoulder to ye. Elbows
Wch. Ran Very Much, and immediately after felt the Cold more in
Washing my hand, though The weather Was warm, than I ever
felt in the Coldest Weather, that Came Before. Kept my Body
Open Constantly, by Rheubarb, when Costive or Troubled wth. wind,
found Much Benefit By it. This Winter found A Great
Drowsiness Coming on, took a Dose of Daffy's Alixir, & Rheubarb
By times, and in a Short time found it Wearing off -
[Page 2]
November [1780?] Felt the Cold in Riding in both
hand and foot, Then I Ever felt Before; and particularly
in Washing the hand, So that it Sweld wth. ye Cold.
Found a Greater Stiffness than usual, in my fingers; & A
little Soreness By times in the Joints; No Weakness in
The leg or Side.
Case
Novr. 1781
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